# Presentation: 321075

##  Reporting on XBT deployments within JCOMMOPS

- Hester Viola.
- Technical Coordinator of the Ship Observations Team.
- viola@jcommops.org

## Outline

- Introduction to JCOMMOPS
- JCOMMOPS Monthly maps on XBT drops (on the GTS)
- SOOP Annual report and maps
- Metadata collected about XBT deployments
- Format used by operators to report metadata to JCOMMOPS
- Assessment of sampling success for recent years
- Conclusions and points to consider

## JCOMMOPS

- “_O_perational _P_latform _S_upport Centre” for the Observations Programme Area of the Joint WMO-IOC Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology - JCOMM
- JCOMMOPS provides coordination at the international level for oceanographic and marine observations from drifting buoys, moored buoys, ships of opportunity and sub-surface profiling floats.
- Argo sub surface floats. (Technical coordinator Mathieu Belbeoch)
- Data Buoy Cooperation Panel. (Technical coordinator Hester Viola)
- Ship Observations Team - SOOP and VOS (Technical coordinator Hester Viola)

## Aims of JCOMMOPS

- More specifically JCOMMOPS is a component of the international coordination mechanism, which aims on behalf of JCOMM to:
- Act as a** clearing house** and **focal point** on all aspectsof observing platform implementation and operation.
- assist in the **planning**, **implementation **and** operations** of the observing systems
**monitor** and **evaluate** the performance of the observing networks
- encourage **cooperation** between communities and member states
- encourage **data sharing**
- assist in **data distribution **on Internet and GTS
- relay users **feedback on data quality** to platforms operators
- provide** technical assistance **and** user support**
- develop **synergies** between observing systems.
- More general information on http://www.jcommops.org

## Monthly GTS status maps

- _[http://www.jcommops.org/FTPRoot/SOT/SOOP/Maps/2008/](http://www.jcommops.org/FTPRoot/SOT/SOOP/Maps/2008/)_ (maps in high resolution)

-   JCOMMOPS provides an international status for all of its observing platforms, each month in a map.
-   Many groups also prepare monthly reports on XBT drops e.g. AOML USA, OSMC USA, MEDS Canada, Coriolis France.

## Interactive monthly GTS status map

- http://w4.jcommops.org/WebSite/SOOPM (monthly dynamic map for GTS data)

## SOOP Annual Report

- JCOMMOPS stores SOOP metadata and reports annually on the sampling success for each line.
- The metadata database can be browsed on the JCOMMOPS website, providing in-depth analyses, on-demand, to those who require it via: http://wo.jcommops.org/cgi-bin/WebObjects/SOOPIndicators
- From this database a document is produced annually which includes information about the success and summaries for all lines, plus other analysis products produced internationally.
- For more information see:http://www.jcommops.org/soop/soop_report.html

## SOOP Annual Report Map

-  Maps are included in the annual report document and available online.
-  Interactive Map contains:
- Annual Sampling success
-  Data disseminated on the GTS
-  Drops by operator

- To view the interactive map, see : http://w4.jcommops.org/WebSite/SOOP

## Metadata files and SOOP database

**Mandatory** metadata collected from operators as comma delimited text files (since 2000) and available now (up until end of 2007 for most operators) at JCOMMOPS:
**Line number** (e.g. AX01 or IX10)
**Cruise ID** (operator builds this ID, should be unique for any SOOP cruise, e.g. CSIRO1999S6FK01)
**Transect number **(integer, assigned by the operator, incremented for each new transect between ports).
**Date** (YYYYMMDD),  **Time** (HHMM)
**Ship's call sign**
**Latitude** (decimal degrees, N>0, S<0), **Longitude** (decimal degrees, E>0, W<0)
**Operator** (e.g. SIO, BSH, SEAS, IRD_BREST, IRD_NOUMEA, JMA, BOM etc)
- Name of real time **telecommunications** system (e.g. Argos, Inmarsat..)
**Instrument** type (WMO Common Code Table C 3, see Annex C)
**Recorder** type (WMO Common Code Table C 4, see Annex C)
- Fall rate equation coefficients, **coefficient a,   **Fall rate equation coefficients, **coefficient b**
- Software **version **description

## Metadata files and SOOP database

**Optional** metadata fields collected (since 2000) and available now (up until end of 2007 for most operators):
**Drop** **number** (as counted by the operator)
**Unique tag**
- Probe batch **date** (date of manufacture, YYYYMMDD)
**Argos number** (if any)
**Quality** of profile (GOOD/BAD/DUBIOUS)
**Ship name** (delimited with quotes "")
**End points** (within quotes, syntax: "start point - end point“)
**Programme** name (National programme in which this drop belongs)
- Total **depth** of profile (m)
**Comment** (string, free format delimited with quotes "")
- Instructions on the format to use are on:http://www.jcommops.org/doc/metadata/submission_format.html (This includes information about the metadata that were collected prior to 2000)

## Metadata reported annually by operators. 

-   XBT Drops 2003-2007

## 2005 and 2006 sampling success

- 2006 had the least drops for 5 years.
- For a total of 45 FRX and HDX UOT lines (some of them operated in both modes) we had the following summarised results for the two years:

## Conclusion

- Things to consider during this workshop:
- Metadata storage and provision – is the metadata useful and who uses it?
- Simplification and automation
- Data exchange formats (self describing) – to include more metadata e.g. BUFR for operational flows
- New metadata fields e.g. unique transect number, probe serial number...
- Future – how can JCOMMOPS assist SOOP operators best?