IODEJCOMM Forum on Oceanographic Data

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Quality Assuranceof Real-TimeOceanographic Data

• IODE/JCOMM Forum on Oceanographic Data
• Management and Exchange Standards
• 21 - 25 January 2008, Oostende, Belgium

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QARTOD is a multi-organization effort to address
the Quality Assurance and Quality Control issues
of the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS).

• Motivation
• Expected increase in the number of observations,
  observing systems, and users
• Need simple, accurate and consistent quality
  descriptions for the real-time data to convey
  expected level of data quality to users

Engaging the community to develop standards.
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• Activity initiated by NOAA NDBC and CO-OPS in
  2003
• Series of Workshops
• Workshop format with plenary and breakout
  sessions
• Approach to tackling the QA, QC, and metadata
  issues evolved
• From separate breakout sessions for QA, QC, and
  metadata for all observations combined
• To breakout sessions by observation focus group
  (covering QA, QC, and metadata)
• Each observation focus group addresses the same
  guidance questions
• Participation
• Approximately 80 participants per workshop
• Primarily observing system operators and data
  managers
• Representation from federal agencies,
  oceanographic institutions, universities, and
  instrument manufacturers

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The Workshops

• QARTOD I December 3-5, 2003 NDBC, Stennis
  Space Center, MS
• Task to develop minimum standards for QA/QC
  methods and metadata
• Considering existing observing systems and
  existing practices
• QARTOD II February 28-March 2, 2005 CO-OPS,
  Norfolk, VA
• Focus on wave, in situ current and remote current
  (HF Radar) measurements
• Identify unique calibration, metadata and QA/QC
  needs
• QARTOD III November 2-4, 2005 SIO, La Jolla,
  CA
• Continued waves, in situ currents and remote
  currents work
• Added CTD focus group
• Primarily addressed QC with some metadata
  emphasis
• QARTOD IV June 21-23, 2006 WHOI, Woods Hole,
  MA
• Continued wave, in situ current and CTD work
• Added DO focus group
• Primarily addressed QA increased emphasis on
  capturing metadata requirements
• International considerations

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Outcomes

• Waves
• Results being incorporated into National Waves
  Program data management plans
• Results compiled and submitted to the IOOS DMAC
  Standards Process
• In situ currents
• Results specific to ADCPs compiled and submitted
  to the IOOS DMAC Standards Process
• Remote currents
• HF Radar community continued independent of
  QARTOD
• Developed Data Management Standards for HF Radar
• Submitted to the IOOS DMAC Standards Process
• New initiative
• Implementing QA/QC from QARTOD for in situ ocean
  sensors using OGC Standards/Sensor Web Enablement

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more informationhttp//www.qartod.orghttp//n
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