NASA Technical Memorandum 104566, Vol. 20

SeaWiFS Technical Report Series

Stanford B. Hooker and Elaine R. Firestone, Editors

Volume 20, The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive

and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Stanford B. Hooker, Charles R. McClain, James K. Firestone,

Todd L. Westphal, Eueng-nan Yeh, and Yuntao Ge

July 1994
NASA Technical Memorandum 104566, Vol. 20

SeaWiFS Technical Report Series

Stanford B. Hooker, Editor

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland

Elaine R. Firestone, Technical Editor

General Sciences Corporation

Laurel, Maryland

Volume 20, The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive

and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Stanford B. Hooker and Charles R. McClain

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland

James K. Firestone, Todd L. Westphal, and Eueng-nan Yeh

General Sciences Corporation

Laurel, Maryland

Yuntao Ge

University Space Research Association

Columbia, Maryland

National Aeronautics and

Space Administration

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

1994
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Preface

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) is the successor ocean color imaging system to the

NIMBUS-7 Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS). The SeaWiFS calibration and validation effort (McClain et

al. 1992) includes laboratory, on-orbit, in situ, and quality control elements which require pre- and post-launch

measurements and analyses. The CZCS experience demonstrated the need for comprehensive documentation

and access to digital data from the prelaunch sensor calibration and characterization, high quality in situ data

for bio-optical algorithm development (Clark 1981, Mitchell and Holm-Hansen 1991), and post-launch vicarious

calibration (Evans and Gordon 1994). The SeaWiFS calibration and validation program is designed to support

the collection and archiving of these data.

The laboratory element is concerned with several activities in support of producing verifiable radiances from

the instrument. These activities include the prelaunch characterization of the sensor [Barnes et al. (1994)]

and a continuing series of SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiments (SIRREXs) held once a year

(Mueller 1993 and Mueller et al. 1994). The prelaunch laboratory effort involves establishing and updating

calibration procedures for SeaWiFS data, bio-optical and atmospheric algorithm development, and quality

control of all of the relevant data sets. The SIRREX program involves the transfer of National Institute of

Standards and Technology (NIST) scales of spectral irradiance and radiance, through the SeaWiFS Project, to

all participating laboratories in the science community and to the calibration standards used to calibrate the

SeaWiFS instrument for radiance responsivity. Data from the SIRREX and prelaunch SeaWiFS calibration

provided by the Hughes/Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC) and Orbital Sciences Corporation (OSC) are

included in the calibration and validation database.

The on-orbit sensor calibration is composed of several types of measurements including solar, lunar, and internal

electronic data collection (Woodward et al. 1993). In addition, the sensor engineering data will be routinely

monitored. These data and related analysis products will be archived within the calibration and validation

database in order to track long term system performance.

The in situ element incorporates measurements of water-leaving radiances and other related quantities, from

ships and moorings, to develop a vicarious calibration data set based on geographically diverse samples of oceanic

and atmospheric data sets. The bio-optical database includes historical pigment and optical data, e.g., CZCS

NIMBUS Experiment Team (NET) data, which will be expanded over time from 1) deployments of the projectsponsored Marine Optical Characterization Experiment (MOCE) Team, 2) an optical time series collected from

a marine optical buoy (MOBY), and 3) other field expeditions producing data in keeping with an evolving set

of optical protocols (Mueller and Austin 1992).

For these measurements to be of use to the pre- and post-launch activities associated with calibrating and

validating SeaWiFS data, a well documented archive which is easily accessed by all potential users is needed.

This requirement has produced the SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS); this volume

of the SeaWiFS Technical Report series is the first step in documenting the architecture of this database.

Greenbelt, Maryland — C. R. McClain

May 1994 and S. B. Hooker

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Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Table of Contents

Prologue ................................................................................................. 1

1. Overview of the SeaBASS File Architecture .......................................................... 3

1.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 3

1.2 Archival Procedures ................................................................................. 4

1.3 Keywords ............................................................................................ 4

1.4 Format Conventions ................................................................................. 4

2. The Bio-Optical Data System ......................................................................... 6

2.1 Introduction ......................................................................................... 6

2.2 Condensed Convention ............................................................................... 8

2.3 Expanded Convention ............................................................................... 11

2.4 Archiving Procedures ................................................................................ 12

2.5 Keyword Glossary ................................................................................... 14

2.6 Discussion ........................................................................................... 15

3. The Historical Pigment Database .................................................................... 16

3.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 16

3.2 Pigment Databases ................................................................................. 16

3.3 Data Processing ..................................................................................... 17

3.4 Data Holdings ....................................................................................... 18

3.5 Accessing the Archive ................................................................................18

3.6 Submission Guidelines ............................................................................... 21

3.7 JGOFS Software .....................................................................................21

4. The SIRREX Database .............................................................................. 23

4.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 23

4.2 Condensed Convention ............................................................................. 23

4.3 Expanded Convention ............................................................................... 26

4.4 Archiving Procedures ................................................................................ 27

4.5 Keyword Glossary ................................................................................... 28

4.6 Discussion ........................................................................................... 30

5. The SBRC Database .................................................................................31

5.1 Introduction ........................................................................................ 31

5.2 Condensed Convention ............................................................................. 31

5.3 Expanded Convention ............................................................................... 32

5.4 Archiving Procedures ................................................................................ 32

5.5 Keyword Glossary ................................................................................... 33

5.6 Discussion ........................................................................................... 34

Glossary ...............................................................................................35

References ............................................................................................ 35

The SeaWiFS Technical Report Series ............................................................ 36

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Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Abstract

This document provides an overview of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Bio-Optical

Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), which will serve as a repository for numerous data sets of interest to the

SeaWiFS Science Team and other approved investigators in the oceanographic community. The data collected

will be those data sets suitable for the development and evaluation of bio-optical algorithms which include

results from SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiments (SIRREXs), prelaunch characterization of

the SeaWiFS instrument by its manufacturer—Hughes/Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC), Marine Optical

Characterization Experiment (MOCE) cruises, Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY) deployments and refurbishments,

and field studies of other scientists outside of NASA. The primary goal of the data system is to provide a simple

mechanism for querying the available archive and requesting specific items, while assuring that the data is made

available only to authorized users. The design, construction, and maintenance of SeaBASS is the responsibility of

the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Team (CVT). This report is concerned with documenting the execution

of this task by the CVT and consists of a series of chapters detailing the various data sets involved. The topics

presented are as follows: 1) overview of the SeaBASS file architecture, 2) the bio-optical data system, 3) the

historical pigment database, 4) the SIRREX database, and 5) the SBRC database.

PROLOGUE

The Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS)

ocean color radiometer is scheduled to be launched in late

1994 with an expected lifetime of five years. The National Aeronautics and Space Administration’s (NASA)

Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC) is tasked with carrying out a program to acquire the global SeaWiFS data

set, validate and monitor its accuracy and quality, process the radiometric data into geophysical units using a set

of atmosphereic and bio-optical algorithms, and distribute

the final products to the scientific community through the

GSFC Distributed Active Archive Center (DAAC). The

SeaWiFS data products figure as prominent components

of major scientific programs studying global change, including the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS), the

World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE), and the

Global Ocean Ecosystems dynamics (GLOBEC) programs.

Two important goals of the SeaWiFS Project are to determine, from the satellite radiance measurements, a) normalized water-leaving radiance with an accuracy of 5%,

and b) chlorophyll a concentration with an accuracy of

30% (Hooker et al. 1992). The amount of historical data

suitable for developing and validating the algorithms employed is very limited because of the specific suite of simultaneous observations and the radiometric accuracies

required. (Because the desired result is to validate spaceborne radiances to within 5%, the comparative in situ radiometric measurements must be calibrated to be accurate

within less than 5%.)

For the Coastal Zone Color Scanner (CZCS), which collected data from 1978–86, few algorithms have been published and these rarely show broad agreement at the hoped

for level. The algorithmic differences are primarily the result of two factors: 1) the data used are collected from

regimes having different bio-optical properties and 2) the

instrumentation and sampling techniques employed are different.

In order to minimize observational errors, the SeaWiFS

Project sponsored a multidisciplinary workshop to outline

the observations and sampling protocols required for biooptical algorithm development (Mueller and Austin 1992).

One of the consequences of the workshopwas the establishment of a series of SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin

Experiment (SIRREX) activities to establish and advance

the state of the art for making validation measurements

to verify the radiometric precision and long-term stability

of the SeaWiFS instrument’s radiance responsivities, and

to validate the atmospheric correction models and algorithms used to convert SeaWiFS radiances to normalized

water-leaving radiances. One of the principal approaches

to this critical aspect of validation will be frequent direct

comparisons between SeaWiFS estimates and in situ measurements collected during Marine Optical Characterization Experiment (MOCE) deployments and from the Marine Optical Buoy (MOBY).

The only economically feasible approach for minimizing

spatial biases is to maximize the acquisition of a globally

distributed sampling of in situ measurements by soliciting

contributions of data from the oceanographic community

at large, and to combine them with data collected from

SeaWiFS sponsored field programs (MOCE and MOBY

deployments) and instrument calibrations (SIRREX activities) in an easily accessed database. The database can

then be used to formulate and compare advanced CZCStype algorithms with the standard algorithms and to develop preliminary SeaWiFS chlorophyll-like pigment algorithms.

The acquisition of the historical and contemporary data

sets requires the implementation of quality control (QC),

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The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

documentation, and cataloging procedures and the design

of a database structure suitable for bio-optical data with

a user friendly interface. This task is the responsibility

of the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Team (CVT).

This report is concerned with documenting the execution

of this task by the CVT and consists of a series of chapters

detailing the various data sets included in the SeaWiFS

Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS). A

short synopsis of each chapter is given below.

1. Overview of the SeaBASS File Architecture

The SeaBASS file architecture is concerned with maintaining easy data access while accomodating a variety of

operating systems. A text format is used with a simple

file structure composed of two parts: a header block and

a data block. The former is composed of a unique vocabulary expressed as a set of keywords and values; the

latter is composed of a set of observables expressed as a

tab-delimited matrix—the so-called spreadsheet format. A

condensed file naming convention is used for systems utilizing a maximum of 11 characters; an expanded file naming convention, which is more readily deciphered, is also

available when requesting data. To ensure a complete description of the data, additional format conventions are

recommended for all data collection efforts.

2. The Bio-Optical Data System

The CVT has developed a software system which allows

approved investigators to query and order holdings from

SeaBASS. As of this writing, the archive includes data provided by SIRREX exercises, NIMBUS Experiment Team

(NET) deployments, the Bermuda Atlantic Time Series

(BATS), the Bermuda Bio-Optical Profiler (BBOP), the

Center for Hydro-Optics and Remote Sensing (CHORS),

WOCE/JGOFS activities, Hughes/Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC) prelaunch calibration data, and over

50 historical pigment data sets. Data from MOCE cruises

and MOBY will be added to the archive after SeaWiFS is

launched. The CVT has made each of the data files in the

archive self-describing by adding a metadata header which

includes information such as the file’s spatial and temporal limits, parameters, and investigators. The metadata is

stored in a Sybase relational database, which also tracks

information relating to system users and the status of data

orders. Authorized users will be able to query the contents

of the archive through a graphical user interface (GUI)

built with the Interactive Data Language (IDL) software

and interfaced to the Sybase tables. This chapter describes

the system file naming conventions and header keywords,

database schema, data holdings, and user interface.

3. The Historical Pigment Database

The SeaWiFS calibration and validation historical pigment database was assembled for evaluating bio-optical algorithms, and the quality control of derived products from

SeaWiFS and other satellite ocean color sensors. As of this

writing, there are more than 330,000 independent pigment

observations in the database, representing over 50 data

sets amassed between 1956 and 1994 from a wide variety

of investigators and oceanographic expeditions. This chapter describes the structure of the database, the current set

of holdings, the procedures for submitting pigment data

to the SeaWiFS Project, and the methods for converting

data contributions from the data format in which they are

submitted to the database format.

4. The SIRREX Database

This chapter describes the procedures used in obtaining

and archiving the SIRREX data sets. These data sets provide a calibration history for the various lamps, spheres,

plaques, and radiometers used as a radiometric standard

for field measurements. Currently, there are two SIRREX

data sets in the archive. This chapter contains the file

naming and header protocol used for SIRREX data, the

procedure for archiving the original data, and an example

of an archived file.

5. The SBRC Database

This chapter describes the naming convention and procedures used in archiving the SeaWiFS prelaunch calibration data obtained from SBRC. The archive contains data

from bright target recovery (BTR), absolute spectral response (ASR), line spread function (LSF), and temperature dependence measurements as well as images of the

sun, moon, sky, and an integrating sphere. This data set

contains characterization information on the SeaWiFS instrument provided by the manufacturer. As such, it serves

as a baseline to the operation of the instrument on orbit.

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Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Chapter 1

Overview of the SeaBASS File Architecture

Stanford B. Hooker

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

James K. Firestone

General Sciences Corporation, Laurel, Maryland

Abstract

The SeaBASS file architecture is concerned with maintaining easy data access while accomodating a variety of

operating systems. A text format is used with a simple file structure composed of two parts: a header block and

a data block. The former is composed of a unique vocabulary expressed as a set of keywords and values; the

latter is composed of a set of observables expressed as a tab-delimited matrix—the so-called spreadsheet format.

A condensed file naming convention is used for systems utilizing a maximum of 11 characters; an expanded file

naming convention, using upto 31 characters which is more readily deciphered, is also available when requesting

data. To ensure a complete description of the data, additional format conventions are recommended for all data

collection efforts.

1.1 INTRODUCTION

To maintain flexibility and cross-platform access, the

SeaBASS file architecture utilizes a condensed and expanded file naming convention. The former makes use of the socalled eight-point-three 11-character format designed for

personal computers (PCs) running the Microsoft disk operating system (MS-DOS), which has the most restrictive

naming convention commonly in use; the latter is for any

computer supporting 31-character file names.

The condensed file naming convention considers the

first eight characters as a prefix and the last three as a

suffix:

PPPPPPPP.SSS

(where PPPPPPPP is the prefix and SSS is the suffix). The

prefix and suffix are used to describe who collected the

data, the type of data collected, and the circumstances

surrounding data collection, i.e., when, where, etc.

All files in the database are stored in the condensed

format, but users can request data in the expanded format,

which is more readily deciphered. The expanded file name

utilizes multiple prefixes to enhance readability and is a

verbose version of the condensed file name.

Although upper- and lower-case letters are used in presenting the file conventions associated with the database,

the actual codes and identifiers are not case sensitive, thus,

a in a file name or header is the same as A. Most computer systems interpret non-alphanumeric characters as

special characters, so allowed codes and identifiers used

to build upa file name are restricted to numbers and letters, that is, 0, 1,..., 9, A, B,..., Z (hereafter referred to as

0,..., Z), as well as the underscore (_) and the period (.).

When used for most sequential codes, e.g., the day of the

month, the 0 entry is not used, so the allowed entries are

1, 2,..., 9, A, B,..., Z (hereafter referred to as 1,..., Z). In

the expanded file naming convention, the period is used

more frequently to enhance readability.

The basic file structure (Fig. 1) is composed of two

parts: a header block and a data block. The former is

composed of an agreed upon vocabulary expressed as a

set of keywords with each keyword and its argument occupying one line in the header; the latter is composed of

a set of observables expressed as a matrix with each row

in the matrix individually numbered and terminated by a

carriage return, and each data entry in the row separated

by a tab—the so-called spreadsheet format. The header

block begins with the /begin_header keyword and ends

with the /end_header@ keyword.

/begin headercr

.

.

.

/end header@cr

1tabValue(1,1)tabValue(1,2)...Value(1,N)cr

2tabValue(2,1)tabValue(2,2)...Value(2,N)cr

3tabValue(3,1)tabValue(3,2)...Value(3,N)cr

.

.

.

MtabValue(M,1)tabValue(M,2)...Value(M,N)cr

Fig. 1. Basic database file structure.

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The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

1.2 ARCHIVAL PROCEDURES

The database protocol specifies a header format which

is inserted at the beginning of every archived file. Any relevant information in an existing header is incorporated into

the keyword vocabulary; additional notations are incorporated as comment lines, which begin with an exclamation

point (!). The requirement for tab-delimited data and a

sequence column often requires modification of the original

data. While the data is being modified, a consistent numeric format is used for each data column, which is based

on the range and precision of the data. Using a consistent

numeric format allows a quick visual inspection of the data

to locate errors.

Investigators submitting data to the database are encouraged to provide data in a form as close to the established protocol as is feasible. The use of commercial

off-the-shelf (COTS) packages,† like Lotus 1-2-3 or Excel,

is permitted as long as the basic tab-delimited American

Standard Code for Information Interchange (ASCII) format is adhered to.

1.3 KEYWORDS

The keywords are divided into two groups: those required for every file and those approved for completing the

description of the data in the file. One of the advantages

of the keyword approach is once the vocabulary of the keywords is adopted and made unique, automated processing

is enhanced because the files can be easily parsed. Locally

defined keywords can be created, perhaps to track postprocessing of the data.

A keyword line is made upof a keyword and, where

required, its value:

/keyword=valuecr

where keyword is an approved keyword that must begin

with a slash (/) and end with an equals (=) sign except

for the keywords that denote the beginning and ending of

the header block (see below); value is a string or numeric

sequence giving the value to the keyword; and cris a terminating carriage return that all line (or data row) entries

must have. The value entries are represented by one of the

following:

n, s, n[u], or s[u],

where nis a numeric entry composed of characters used

to represent numbers, sis a character string, and [u] is

a string that gives the units of the keyword value.

In general, the International System of Units (SI), or

Syst`eme International d’Unit`es, are used except where

† Identification of commercial software or equipment to specify

adequately the experimental problem, does not imply recommendation or endorsement by the SeaWiFS Project, GSFC,

or NASA, nor does it imply that the equipment identified is

necessarily the best available for the purpose.

traditional usage dictates otherwise. For indicating numeric ranges, the right bracket (>) is used in place of the

hyphen (-), which is reserved for negation, and the semicolon is used for the numeric increment. Thus, to indicate

a measurement from 300–900 nm in steps of 10 nm, the entry would be 300>900;10[nm]. If the increment is one, the

entire increment field can be left out. When constructing

lists, commas are used to separate entries, and ranges are

used where needed. To indicate all channels out of 6 except channel 2, for example, 1,3>6 is used. When denoting

numbers raised to powers, the caret (^) is used with the

exponent enclosed in braces, thus, a 10−2 entry is written as 10^{-2}. In writing units, the negative exponent

is preferred; the solidus may be used to emphasize certain

common unit combinations.

1.4 FORMAT CONVENTIONS

The following format conventions are recommended for

all data collection efforts:

1. All files are stored and retrieved in the ASCII text

format.

2. All files are self-describing and are composed of a

header block followed by the data.

3. The data is in a tab-delimited spreadsheet format,

that is, rows and columns with all column entries

separated by a tab.

4. The header block is constructed from a unique vocabulary set and is made upof a series of one-line

entries, each composed of a single keyword entry

with its value, which is terminated with a carriage

return. A listing of the allowed keyword entries is

given in the keyword glossary below.

5. The first header block line contains the keyword

/begin_header and the last header block line contains the keyword /end_header@. All of the intervening entries are keyword lines or comment lines

and do not contain the backslash (\) or at-sign (@)

characters.

6. The header block can contain comment lines. All

comment lines start with an exclamation symbol (!)

and, like keyword entries, do not contain the backslash (\) or at-sign (@), although they may contain

white space (blanks).

7. All header information that is not part of a comment line is underscore filled, that is, underscores

are used instead of blanks. This allows for easy

parsing, since many text translation routines (inside and outside of COTS programs) replace tabs

with blanks.

8. All entries are time stamped using the format used

in the date and time keywords.

9. All entries start with a sequential sample number,

so missing data or file corruption can be readily

discerned.

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Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

10. Any other information not given in the keyword entries that helps interpret the data, either by itself

or in conjunction with other likely data sets, is included in the header as comment lines (see item 6 above)

or as separate documentation files.

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The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Chapter 2

The Bio-Optical Data System

James K. Firestone

Eueng-nan Yeh

Todd L. Westphal

General Sciences Corporation, Laurel, Maryland

Charles R. McClain

Stanford B. Hooker

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Yuntao Ge

University Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland

Abstract

The CVT has developed a software system which allows approved investigators to query and order holdings

from SeaBASS. As of this writing, the archive includes data provided by SIRREX exercises, NET deployments,

BATS collection efforts, BBOP, CHORS, WOCE/JGOFS activities, SBRC prelaunch calibration data, and over

50 historical pigment data sets. Data from MOCE cruises and MOBY will be added to the archive after SeaWiFS

is launched. The CVT has made each of the data files in the archive self-describing by adding a metadata header

which includes information such as the file’s spatial and temporal limits, parameters, and investigators. The

metadata is stored in a Sybase relational database, which also tracks information relating to system users and

the status of data orders. Authorized users will be able to query the contents of the archive through a GUI

built with IDL software and interfaced to the Sybase tables. This document describes the system file naming

conventions and header keywords, database schema, data holdings, and user interface.

2.1 INTRODUCTION

Figure 2 details the overall flow of data through the

data system. The boxes along the topindicate each of the

major classifications of data to be stored, including data

from instrument calibration activities (SIRREX exercises

and SBRC prelaunch measurements) and the in situ sampling program (MOCE and MOBY deployments).

After reception by the Project, each data set that is

not SIRREX data is assigned a priority based on its (perceived) demand by the user community. Initially, a twoclass priority scheme is envisioned. Data sets within the

high-priority category, category A, will be subdivided, so

that one file is created for each parameter or granule contained within the submitted original. This approach has

several advantages:

1. It enables the data users to perform queries at

the parameter level.

2. It ensures a unique file name for each granule of

data.

3. It potentially reduces the size of the files the user

will need to manipulate.

4. It simplifies the process of archiving data updates from the individual investigators.

Each category A data set will be visually checked to determine the optimum method for subdividing its contents.

A program will then be written which performs the subdivision, fills missing data with a uniform code of -9999,

converts time and space coordinates to use standard representations, and tab delimits the data columns. Data sets

within the low-priority category (category B) will not be

subdivided initially, and will retain their original format.

At a later date, a category B data set may be converted

to category A and subdivided as demand for it increases.

All output files will be named according to the naming

conventions applicable to the data, as described in Section 2.4. The name includes the specification of a parameter, which will refer to a specific field for a category A

data set or to a broader classification, e.g., experiment, for

a category B data set. The current set of bio-optical parameters identified for the files that are not comprised of

SIRREX data is given in Section 2.2.3.

After the files are named, a set of keywords are identified which completely describe the data set. The keywords

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Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Fig. 2. The overall flow of data through the data system.

7
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

consist of both a required set, containing spatial and temporal information, column headings, and investigator(s),

plus a more open-ended supplementary set approved for

the data set. Section 2.5 lists possible values for both

the required and supplementary sets. The header information is inserted at the beginning of each file. Following

the header are any comments from the provider’s original file(s), which may include the original headers. All

comment lines are preceded in the output files by an exclamation character (!). The final stepin the file creation

is to remove all special characters, such as backslashes and

boolean operators, which could be misinterpreted by the

end user’s computer operating system.

In order to facilitate the query of the metadata contained in the headers, their contents are loaded in three

different places: 1) a set of Sybase relational database tables, 2) an ASCII look-up table containing just the required keywords in a columnar one line entry per file, and

3) a master catalog containing the headers and any internal comments for all files belonging to each unique data

type. The current database table structure, which is designed to be of third normal relational form, is shown in

Table 1. Note the set of required keywords for each major

class of data (SIRREX, SBRC, or other bio-optical) are

stored in separate tables, which serve as look-up tables in

the database. Within these tables are foreign keys pointing

to primary keys in other tables which store information on

experiments, investigators, file names, etc.

There is also a set of administrative tables which track

the users of the system, their requests for data, their access to the system, their comments on the system, and the

Project’s verification of their individual data orders (the

fourth column in Table 1).

2.2 CONDENSED CONVENTION

The condensed file name follows the previously mentioned eight-point-three format and is of the form:

DDDPPPII.TNN

(composed of a prefix, DDDPPPII, and a suffix, TNN). The

prefix is composed of three parts: DDD is the date code,

PPP is the position code, and II is the data identifier code.

The suffix is composed of two parts: T is the type code and

NN is the sequence code.

2.2.1 Condensed Date Code

The condensed date code for the data, DDD, indicates

the number of days since 1 January 1950. Each column in

the DDD entry consists of an alphanumeric entry incrementing from 0,..., 9, then A,..., Z. A code of 000 is reserved

for the case where the date is unknown. A code of 001

represents 1 January 1950, 009 represents 9 January 1950,

00A represents 10 January 1950, 00Z represents 4 February

1950, 010 represents 5 February 1950, etc.

2.2.2 Condensed Position Code

The condensed geolocation position for the data, PPP, is

based on a series of global 2.5◦ latitude by 2.5◦ longitude

bins. Each column in the PPP entry consists of a letter

in the range A,..., Z. The first bin, AAA, has its northwest

corner at (−180,90); the second bin, AAB, has its northwest

corner at (−177.5,90); the 145th bin, AFO, has its northwest

corner at (−180,87.5). An entry of ZZZ is reserved for the

case where the location is unknown.

2.2.3 Condensed Identifier Code

Each character in the condensed data identifier code,

II, consists of either alphabetic (A,..., Z) or numeric values (0,..., 9). For category A data sets, each parameter

or set of related parameters is saved as a separate file, and

II is expressed as a value in the range AA,..., ZZ. Three

of the characters, A, S, and Z, if present as the left-most

character in the II code, are reserved for representing airborne, surface, and subsurface parameters, respectively. A

value of AF, for example, represents airborne fluorescence

data.

For category B data sets, II is the encoded name of

the experiment or individual responsible for the collection

of the data. For example, 0N represents NET optical data.

Table 2 contains a list of the experiments of the current

data holdings, including the experiments referenced in the

number II entries.

The condensed identifier codes with the corresponding

verbose descriptions are as follows:

1M MOCE-I cruise data

2M MOCE-II cruise data

0W Marra WOCE/JGOFS data

0B Siegel BBOP data

1B Michaels BATS pigment data

0C CHORS optical data

0J JGOFS EqPac data

0N NET optical data

1N NET pigment data

AF Airborne fluorescence

AH Air relative humidity

AI Airborne spectral downwelled irradiance

AP Atmospheric pressure

AR Airborne spectral upwelled radiance

AT Air temperature

BA Spectral beam attenuation coefficient

BC Beam attenuation coefficient

BS Spectral backscattering coefficient

CA Satellite pigment (chlorophyll a) concentration

(computed)

CC Coccolith concentration

CD Diffuse attenuation coefficient, downwelled irradiance

CF Chlorophyll a fluorescence profiles

CP Chlorophyll a profiles

8
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Table 1. Bio-optical database schema for storing: a) metadata common to all bio-optical data sets, and specific metadata for

non-SIRREX data sets (left column); b) metadata specific to SIRREX data files (left middle column); c) metadata specific to

SBRC data files (right middle column); and d) administrative information on system users (right column).

BIOOPT LOOKUP SIRREX LOOKUP SBRC LOOKUP REQUESTS

Start date Column Headings Column Headings P Request ID

Start time F Configuration ID F Archive file ID Date and time of request

End date F Data type ID F Data type ID F Local account ID

End time Date Date F Archive file ID

Start latitude F Experiment ID F Instrument ID Date verification sent

Start longitude F Testing group ID F Investigator ID Date response received

End latitude F Lamp/sphere/plaque ID Number of data rows Date and time filed and

End longitude F Instrument ID F Original file ID copied from MO to

F Investigator ID F Investigators ID F Run type ID disk or tape

F Affiliation ID Number of data rows Sequence number Date and time file sent to

F Experiment ID F Original file ID Band or copied by user

F Data type ID F Run type ID F Detail record ID ACCOUNTS

Column headings F Archive File ID SBRC P Local account ID

Sequence number Sequence number P Detail record ID Account Name

F Data file ID F Detail record ID Collection aperture Long account name

F Archive file ID SIRREX Collection aperture Mailing address

F Original file ID P Detail record ID (72 units Telephone number

F Detail record ID additional fields IFOV† E-mail address

INVESTIGATORS and units where IFOV units F Preferred media type ID

P Investigator ID applicable) Counts per amp F Preferred verification

F Affiliation ID CONFIGURATIONS Counts per amp type ID

Name P Configuration ID units LOGINS

Mailing address Name Factor P Login ID

Telephone number GROUPS Filter F Local account ID

E-mail address P Testing group ID Filter units Login date and time

DATA TYPES Name Information file Logout date and time

P Data type ID LAMPS Lamp F Request ID

Name P Lamp/sphere/plaque ID Modification status F Comment ID

BIOOPT Name Slit MEDIA

P Detail record ID INSTRUMENTS Slit units P Preferred media type ID

Start time units P Instrument ID Time Name

End time units Name Time units COMMENTS

Start latitude units RUN TYPES Mirror side P Comment ID

End latitude units P Run types ID Comment F Local account ID

Start longitude units Name Wavelength range Text of comment

End longitude units Wavelength range Date and time of comment

Documentation file units Resolution, if a problem

AFFILIATIONS Date of resolution

P Affiliation ID Person resolving problem

Name VERIFICATION

EXPERIMENTS P Preferred verification

P Experiment ID type ID

Name Name

DATA FILES

P Data file ID

Name

ORIGINAL FILES

P Original file ID

Name

ARCHIVE FILES

P Archive file ID

Name

P = Primary key. F = Foreign key. † Instantaneous Field-of-View

9
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Table 2. Currently held data sets (as of June 1994).

Date(s) Name Provider(s) Location Description

1992 MOCE-I§ Clark, Hooker, and Trees Monterey Bay Optics and Pigments

1993 MOCE-II§ Clark, Hooker, and Trees Gulf of California Optics and Pigments

1975–79 NET Stations Clark Coastal US Optics and Pigments

1978–81 NET Along-Track Clark Coastal US Optics and Pigments

1991 WOCE/JGOFS Marra Tahiti→Hawaii Optics and Pigments

1992 JGOFS EqPac Numerous Equatorial Pacific Optics and Pigments

1992–3 BBOP Siegel Bermuda Optics

1991 CHORS/BOFS† Trees North Atlantic Optics

1993–3 BATS Michaels Bermuda Pigments

1992 SIRREX-1 Mueller, Hooker, and Johnson CHORS Instrument Calibration

1993 SIRREX-2 Mueller, Hooker, and Johnson CHORS Instrument Calibration

1994 SIRREX-3 Mueller, Hooker, and Johnson CHORS Instrument Calibration

1994 SBRC Roberts and Holmes SBRC SeaWiFS Calibration

1956–94 Historical Pigments Numerous Global >330,000 Observations

§Data sets will be made available after SeaWiFS launch.

†BritishOcean Flux Study

CS Spectral absorption coefficient

CU Diffuse attenuation coefficient, upwelled radiance

DC Detritus absorption coefficient

DO Colored dissolved organic matter

DS Secchi depth

FA Fulvic acid concentration

HA Humic acid concentration

HS Salinity profiles

IM Inorganic suspended material concentration

OC Total dissolved organic carbon

OM Total dissolved organic matter

ON Particulate organic nitrogen

OS Organic suspended material concentration

PA Particle absorption coefficient

PB Phycobilipigment concentration

PC Phytoplankton species counts

PF Particle fluorescence

PH Phaeophytin concentration

PO Pigment concentration, other

PP Primary productivity

PR Photosynthetically available radiation (PAR)

PS Particle size spectra

RD Spectral sky radiance distribution

RF Rate of flow for along-track fluorescence

RS Spectral (remote sensing) reflectance

RT Rate of flow for along-track transmittance

SA Surface chlorophyll a concentration

SI Incident surface spectral irradiance

SP Surface phaeophytin concentration

ST Sea surface temperature

SU Surface upwelling radiance (extrapolated)

SW Surface wave height

TC Transmittance

TF Along-track fluorescence

TI Along-track incident (surface) spectral irradiance

TM Total suspended material

TP Temperature profiles

TR Spectral solar atmospheric transmission

TS Along-track salinity

TT Along-track sea surface temperature

VS Spectral volume scattering function

WD Wind direction

WR Water-leaving radiance (extrapolated)

WS Wind speed

WZ Water column depth

ZD Downwelled subsurface spectral irradiance

ZR Upwelled subsurface spectral radiance

ZU Upwelled subsurface spectral irradiance

2.2.4 Condensed Type Code

The condensed data type, T, has two values: 0 for cast

data (i.e., vertical profiles) and 1 for all other data types

(e.g., along-track, fixed mooring, drifters). For the former,

NN is interpreted as a sequence number; and for the latter,

NN is interpreted as an hour indicator, as described below.

2.2.5 Condensed Sequence Code

Interpretation of the condensed sequence code, NN, depends on the type code, T. If T=0, the sequence code is

applied to cast data and is interpreted as a sequential cast

number; if T=1, the sequence code is applied to non-cast

data and is interpreted as a starting time of day indicator.

For cast data, each column in NN is in the range 0,..., Z.

The value 01 represents the first value in the sequence, 09

10
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

represents the ninth value, 0Z represents the thirty-fifth,

10 represents the thirty-sixth, etc. A value of 00 is assigned for all sequences greater than or equal to 36×36, or

1,296.

For non-cast data, the left-most value in NN represents

the starting hour indicator, in the range A,..., X, where A

is 0 Greenwich Mean Time (GMT) and X is 23 GMT; the

right-most value in NN represents the 2-minute indicator

for data start, in the range 0,..., T, where 0 is for minute

values of 0 and 1 past the hour, 1 is for 2 and 3 minutes

past the hour, and T is for 58 and 59 minutes past the

hour.

2.3 EXPANDED CONVENTION

The expanded file name uses the 0,..., Z character set

of the condensed file names and adds one more: the hyphen (-) which is used as a sub-field embedded separator.

The underscore (_) is used for undetermined or unknown

elements, and the period (.) is used to separate the expanded name into smaller elements. Every expanded file

name uses 24 characters starting with 1) a seven-character

time stampthat identifies when the data was taken, 2) followed by a three-character position code identifying where

the data was (geographically) taken, 3) then an eightcharacter code giving the measurement made, and finally

4) a three-character sequence identifying the type of data

and its sequence. The expanded file naming convention is

as follows:

YYMMMDD.PPP.IIIIIIII.TNN

where, YYMMMDD is a (Gregorian month) time stamp(YY

is the decadal year with 50 representing 1950 and 49 representing 2049, MMM is an abbreviated month name which

uses the first three characters of the Gregorian month, and

DD is the day of the month); PPP is the position code (see

Section 2.2.2); IIIIIIII is an expanded data identifier described below; T is the type code, and NN is the sequence

code. (The latter two codes, T and NN, are interpreted as

described earlier in Sections 2.2.4 and 2.2.5.) Purposely

there is no definitive file extension associated with the expanded file name, so the user can append one based on

local requirements.

The expanded identifier codes with the corresponding

verbose descriptions are as follows:

MOCE01CR MOCE-I cruise data

MOCE02CR MOCE-II cruise data

Marra-WJ Marra WOCE/JGOFS data

BBOP-Opt Siegel BBOP data

BBOP-Pig Michaels BATS pigment data

CHORSopt CHORS optical data

JGOFS-EP JGOFS EqPac data

NEToptic NET optical data

NETpigmt NET pigment data

AirFluor Airborne fluorescence

AirHumid Air relative humidity

AirDnIrr Airborne spectral downwelled irradiance

Atm-Pres Atmospheric pressure

AirUpRad Airborne spectral upwelled radiance

Air-Temp Air temperature

AT-Fluor Along-track fluorescence

AT-Salin Along-track salinity

ATIncIrr Along-track incident (surface) spectral

irradiance

ATSfcTem Along-track sea surface temperature

BeamAten Beam attenuation coefficient

ChlaFlPr Chlorophyll a fluorescence profiles

ChlaProf Chlorophyll a profiles

CoccoCon Coccolith concentration

ColorDOM Colored dissolved organic matter

DetAbsrp Detritus absorption coefficient

DifDnIrr Diffuse attenuation coefficient, downwelled irradiance

DifUpRad Diffuse attenuation coefficient, upwelled

irradiance

FulvAcid Fulvic acid concentration

HumiAcid Humic acid concentration

InorgSMC Inorganic suspended material concentration

LWRadExt Water-leaving radiance (extrapolated)

OSM-Conc Organic suspended material concentration

Part-Abs Particle absorption coefficient

ParticFl Particle fluorescence

ParticON Particulate organic nitrogen

PartSpec Particle size spectra

PhaeoCon Phaeophytin concentration

PhotoRad Photosynthetically available radiation

(PAR)

PhycoCon Phycobilipigment concentration

PhytoSpe Phytoplankton species counts

PigConOt Pigment concentration, other

PrimProd Primary productivity

ROF-ATFl Rate of flow for along-track fluorescence

ROF-ATTr Rate of flow for along-track transmittance

Sal-Prof Salinity profiles

Sat-Chla Satellite pigment (chlorophyll a) concentration (computed)

SecDepth Secchi depth

Sfc-Chla Surface chlorophyll a concentration

Sfc-Temp Sea surface temperature

SfcPhaeo Surface phaeophytin concentration

SfcSpIrr Incident surface spectral irradiance

SfcUpRad Surface upwelling radiance

(extrapolated)

SfcWavHt Surface wave height

SolTrans Spectral solar atmospheric transmission

Spec-Abs Spectral absorption coefficient

11
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

SpecAten Spectral beam attenuation coefficient

SpecBack Spectral backscattering coefficient

SpecRefl Spectral (remote sensing) reflectance

SpSkyRad Spectral sky radiance distribution

SubDnIrr Downwelled subsurface spectral irradiance

SubUpIrr Upwelled subsurface spectral irradiance

SubUpRad Upwelled subsurface spectral radiance

TempProf Temperature profiles

TotalDOC Total dissolved organic carbon

TotalDOM Total dissolved organic matter

Total-SM Total suspended material

Transmit Transmittance

Vol-Scat Spectral volume scattering function

WatDepth Water column depth

Wind-Dir Wind direction

Wind-Spd Wind speed

2.4 ARCHIVING PROCEDURES

After preparation of the file headers is complete, the

files are archived to the SeaWiFS calibration and validation QStar magneto-optical (MO) jukebox. Science Team

Members (STMs) and other authorized users will be able to

query the contents of the archive through a GUI built with

IDL software and interfaced to the Sybase tables (Fig. 3).

To access the GUI, the user must provide a valid Sybase

server account name and password. This provides an extra measure of security to supplement the security at the

operating system level governing the user’s initial entry

to node calval.gsfc.nasa.gov. Once within the GUI,

the user specifies a particular data set class to query (i.e.,

SIRREX, SBRC, or bio-optical), and particular values for

one or more of the required keywords for the chosen class

(where appropriate, a pop-up window provides a list of

valid values for the selected keywords, taken from the database).

After the user runs the query, the software polls one

or more database tables in order to construct a list of files

which meet the stated criteria (these are printed in a separate window as shown in Fig. 3). The user can then select

one or more of the listed files, in order to either request

the data (and optionally, the catalog of headers and comments and external documents from the data provider, if

applicable) or to view the first few records of the selected

files in a separate GUI window. The windows containing

the file names and file excerpts are scrollable in both the

horizontal and vertical directions.

In addition to making queries, the users can also revise

their address, phone number, and other personal data in

the database, or leave a comment for the system administrator. Each request results in a record being entered

in a special Sybase table. In addition, an electronic mail

(e-mail) message is sent to the bio-optical system manager

and a verification request (in the form of a letter or telephone call, depending on the user’s preference) is sent to

the user. When the response to the verification request is

received, it is also logged into the database and the data

can then be retrieved by the user. Choices for file retrieval

include network or various types of tape, including 9-track,

8 mm (EXABYTE), and 4 mm digital audio tape (DAT).

When network transfers are requested, files will be staged

from the MO to the user’s account for file transfer protocol

(ftp) access. With the data, an ASCII look-uptable will

be provided which lists gross characteristics of the data

(i.e., the same ones covered in the required keyword set).

Each user needing access to the archive sends an e-mail

message to seabass@calval.gsfc.nasa.gov in order to

receive a database user name and password and further instructions. All of the users outside of GSFC will be placed

in a common group(both at the UNIX level and the Sybase

level) to control system and database access. A series of

administrative tables present in Sybase will track the users,

their access to the system, their requests for data, and their

comments on the system (see Table 1). Requests for data

will be monitored by the administrator of the bio-optical

data system, who will also be responsible for copying the

requested data to disk or tape, once verification is received

from the user.

The proposed breakdown of tasks and milestones within

the bio-optical data system is detailed in Table 3. A group

effort will be required to accomplish all of the necessary

tasks before launch of the SeaWiFS instrument. E-n. Yeh

is tasked with handling the initial preparation of most of

the data that is not derived from SeaWiFS activities including renaming, restructuring if necessary, and the insertion of header information. T. Westphal and Y. Ge

performed similar functions for the SeaWiFS data sets,

including SIRREX activities, MOCE cruises, and MOBY

deployments. J. Firestone handles applications development, including creation, population, and maintenance of

the Sybase tables, jukebox applications, and development

of the user GUI interfacing with the database.

2.4.1 Archived File Example

An example data file, BQUINZ0W.001, with a complete

header block (presented with a truncated /experiment entry to save on space), and an abbreviated data block, is

presented below:

/begin_header

/affiliations=Lamont-Doherty_Earth_Observatory

/column_headers=Marra

/data_file_name=bquinz0w.001

/data_type=CAST

/documentation_file_name=README,statlog,

oceanmsg1,PCparbat,dtbat

/end_date=1991SEP04

/end_latitude=-12.013[DEG]

/end_longitude=-151.021[DEG]

/end_time=22:21:00.000[GMT]

/experiment=JGOFS-WOCE_Hydrographic_Program

12
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Table 3. Bio-optical data system tasks and milestones.

1993 1994

Brief Description of Activities O N D J F M A M J J A S

Database design.

Implement GUI prototype.

SIRREX header creation and metadata archiving.

Header creation and metadata archiving for the CTMS† data sets.

DevelopC routines for file renaming.

First Bio-optical Algorithm working group meeting.

MOCE-I master log creation.

Data system overview and historical pigment database documentation.

Implement operational GUI.

MOCE header creation and metadata archiving.

Second Bio-optical Algorithm Working Group Meeting.

Archive all data to the jukebox.

User test period.

System enhancements.

SIRREX-3 at CHORS, San Diego.

† Data sets developed by D. Clark, C. Trees, J. Marra, and D. Siegel (CTMS)

Fig. 3. Prototype GUI used to access information on bio-optical data files.

13
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

/investigators=John_Marra,Carol_Knudson

/original_file_name=p910904a.dec

/sequence_number=1

/start_date=1991SEP04

/start_latitude=-12.013[DEG]

/start_longitude=-151.021[DEG]

/start_time=22:21:00.000[GMT]

/end_header@

3.000000 1.295326e+02

4.000000 1.302285e+02

5.000000 1.291834e+02 .

.

.

193.000000 1.355593e+02

194.000000 1.357831e+02

195.000000 1.357619e+02

2.4.2 Condensed File Name Example

The sample file name BQUINZ0W.001 represents the following:

Date BQU = 4 September 1991,

Position INZ = grid box having its northwest corner at

(−152.5,−10),

Data identifier 0W = Marra WOCE/JGOFS data,

Type code 0 = cast data, and

Sequence and time code 01 = first cast in the sequence.

It is worth noting again that a verbose description of

the file name is included in the keywords:

/column_headers,

/data_type,

/sequence_number,

/start_date,

/start_latitude,

/start_longitude, and

/start_time.

2.4.3 Expanded File Name Example

Using the same sample file, the date stamp of 4 September 1991 would be coded as 91Sep04. The position code

remains unchanged, INZ. The data identifier is written out

with its expanded representation, Marra-WJ. The sequence

and time code remains unchanged, 001. Hence the full expanded file name is coded as:

91Sep04.INZ.Marra-WJ.001.

The expanded format uses only 24 of the 31 characters

normally available to many operating systems capable of

extended file naming. The remaining characters are available for use in local applications, perhaps for tracking postprocessing of the data.

2.5 KEYWORD GLOSSARY

The keyword glossary is composed of two sets for biooptical (excluding SIRREX) data files: required and approved keywords. The former must appear in every data

file, while the latter appear only as needed to fully describe

the contents of the file. Of course, local use of a data file

permits the addition of locally defined keywords, perhaps

for tracking post-processing of the data.

2.5.1 Required Keywords

The required keywords for the bio-optical data (which

excludes SIRREX data) are as follows:

/begin_header This keyword does not have a value and

must be the first entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block.

/affiliationssThis is a comma-delimited list of affiliations for individuals included in /investigators.

All spaces in a given affiliation should be filled with

underscores.

/column_headers=sThis is a comma-delimited list of

headers for the columnar data (parameters) in the input file. The ith entry in the list is associated with

the ith column. Units for the parameters should be

included, enclosed in brackets. All spaces in a given

column header should be filled with underscores. For

standardization, the individual entries should be the

short names defined in Section 2.2.3.

/data_file_name=sThis is the name of the output file

using the condensed naming convention described in

Section 2.2.

/data_type=sThe allowed data types are: ALONG_TRACK,

CAST, DRIFTER, or MOORING.

/end_date=yyyymmmdd The ending date of the observations. In this format, yyyy is the year, mmm is the

abbreviated three-character Gregorian month of the

year, and dd is the day of the Gregorian month. The

month abbreviations use the first three characters of

the month: Jan is January, Feb is February, etc.

/end_latitude=n[u] This is the ending latitudinal position where the data was collected. The allowed values

are -90 to 90, with degrees north (of the equator) positive.

/end_longitude=n[u] This is the ending longitudinal position where the data was collected. The allowed values are -180 to 180, with degrees east (of the prime

meridian) positive.

/end_time=s[u] This is the ending time of the observations. The format for sis hh:mm:ss.sss, where hh

is the 24-hour hour of the day, mm is the minute of

the hour, and ss.sss is the decimal second of the hour.

The ss.sss field is optional and the [u] field is used

to denote GMT, LOC, EST, EDT, etc., nominally [GMT].

For example, 12:05:23.300[LOC] indicates 12:05 and

23.300 seconds local time, while 12:05:23.300[GMT]

indicates the time is GMT (i.e., relative to 0◦ longitude).

/experiment=sThis is the formal name of the experiment for which data was collected. All spaces in

a given experiment name must be filled with underscores.

14
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

/investigators=sThis is a comma-delimited list of the

persons who collected the data. All spaces in a given

investigator name must be filled with underscores.

/original_file_name=sThis is the name of the original

file submitted to the Project, as originally named by

the investigator(s).

/start_date=yyyymmmdd The starting date of the observations. In this format, yyyy is the year, mmm is the

abbreviated three-character Gregorian month of the

year, and dd is the day of the Gregorian month. The

month abbreviations use the first three characters of

the month: Jan is January, Feb is February, etc.

/start_latitude=n[u] This is the starting latitudinal

position where the data was collected. The allowed

values are -90 to 90, with degrees north (of the equator) positive.

/start_longitude=n[u] This is the starting longitudinal

position where the data was collected. The allowed

values are -180 to 180, with degrees east (of the prime

meridian) positive.

/start_time=s[u] The starting time of the observations.

The format for sis hh:mm:ss.sss, where hh is the

24-hour hour of the day, mm is the minute of the

hour, and ss.sss is the decimal second of the hour.

The ss.sss field is optional and the [u] field is used

to denote GMT, LOC, EST, EDT, etc., nominally [GMT].

For example, 12:05:23.300[LOC] indicates 12:05 and

23.300 seconds local time, while 12:05:23.300[GMT]

indicates the time is Greenwich Mean Time (relative

to 0◦ longitude).

/sequence_number=nThis is a counter, used only for

cast data; this is not needed for other data types.

/end_header@ This keyword does not have a value and

must be the last entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block. Note the at-sign (@) at the end.

There is no specific requirement regarding the ordering

of the keywords in the files, other than the /begin_header

and /end_header@ keywords, which must be first and last

respectively. It is recommended, however, that the second through next to last keywords be kept alphabetical to

maximize the readability of the file.

2.5.2 Approved Keywords

The additional approved keywords for bio-optical data

files are as follows:

/documentation_file_name=sThis is a list, which is

comma-delimited, of associated documentation files.

All spaces in a given documentation file name should

be filled with underscores.

2.6 DISCUSSION

The bio-optical data archive contains files stored in an

ASCII text format that is independent of platform. Each

file has a header block containing information regarding

when, where, how, and by whom the data was taken. This

header also contains information specifying how many rows

and columns of data to expect. Headers from original data

files are placed into bio-optical data keywords, when appropriate. A sequence column is added if necessary. Each

column of data is written in a single numeric format before

the file is placed in the archive. The result is a file that

is useable on many platforms and has descriptive header

information in a known format that is easily parsed for

automated processing. This header contains the details of

how the data was obtained, as well as how much and what

type of data is contained in the file.

15
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Chapter 3

The Historical Pigment Database

James K. Firestone

General Sciences Corporation, Laurel, Maryland

Charles R. McClain

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Abstract

The SeaWiFS calibration and validation historical pigment database has been assembled for evaluating biooptical algorithms, and the quality control of derived products from SeaWiFS and other satellite ocean color

sensors. As of this writing, there are more than 330,000 independent pigment observations in the database, representing over 50 data sets amassed between 1956 and 1994 from a wide variety of investigators and oceanographic

expeditions. This document describes the structure of the database, the current set of holdings, the procedures

for submitting pigment data to the SeaWiFS Project, and the methods for converting data contributions from

the data format in which they are submitted to the database format.

3.1 INTRODUCTION

Figure 4 depicts the historical pigment data in the context of the overall SeaWiFS bio-optical data system. The

data arrives in numerous formats, although it is usually

stored as either ASCII files or as spreadsheets from commercial software packages. As a first step, plots of the

geolocation of each station are used to check the validity

of the latitude and longitude entries. In a few cases, a station may be displayed over land because of an error in the

coding of latitude or longitude. In these cases, the associated records are not imported into the database—they are

rejected. A high-level check is also made on the magnitude

of the pigment values; if they appear out of range (usually

impossibly large), the data is not included.

As additional QC checks are defined by the Bio-Optical

Algorithms Subgroup(Bio-Optical Algorithms in Fig. 4) of

the SeaWiFS Science Team (Hooker et al. 1993), they will

be incorporated into the processing of new data sets and

will be run retroactively on the existing archive. After the

QC checks are completed, the data is made compatible

with the database structure, as discussed in Section 3.3.

Once the data is loaded into the database, various statistics and secondary products are derived as required by the

Bio-Optical Algorithms Subgroup. Again, the Bio-Optical

Algorithms Subgroupwill be advising the CVT on the

specific products and statistics to store in the database

(SeaBASS in Fig. 4). The results are made available, on

request, to members of the Science Team and authorized

database users, and will be used in the ocean color product

verification activity within the SeaWiFS Calibration and

Validation Program (Fig. 4).

At some future date, the contents of the database may

also be made publicly available through the DAAC. Currently, the data can be easily listed and displayed through

the JGOFS object-oriented data system, as described in

Section 3.5. In Fig. 4, everything within the dashed box

is the responsibility of CVT personnel. The CVT also

participates in the Bio-Optical Algorithm Subgroup of the

SeaWiFS Science Team.

3.2 PIGMENT DATABASES

The CVT is maintaining four separate data sets containing the entire historical pigment database. Two of the

data sets are resident in the Microsoft FoxPro environment

on a 486 PC system, and are stored as standard .DBF files.

These files are, therefore, accessible from other PC database packages, such as Borland’s dBase IV. One of the

PC data sets contains only near-surface pigment values at

depths between 0–10 m, while a second contains pigment

profiles, i.e., no depths excluded. There is an equivalent set

of two data sets, with identical structures and data to the

PC data sets, but stored under the Sybase relational database management system (RDBMS) running on a Silicon

Graphics, Inc. (SGI) UNIX workstation. Table 4 shows

the database schema for the four historical pigment data

sets and sample records.

16
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Fig. 4. The historical pigment data in the context of the overall data system.

Table 4. Database schema for the historical pigment data sets. In the Format column: i, a, and f

indicate an integer, character, and a real field, respectively; the numbers indicate the width of the

fields using a standard programming notation.

No. Variable Description Format

1 Year 4-digit i4

2 Month 1–12 i2

3 Day 1–31 i2

4 Hour 0–23 i2

5 Minute 0–59 i2

6 Second 0–59 i2

7 Time Zone GMT, etc. 1 a3

8 Latitude −90◦ to 90◦ (S–N) f8.4

9 Longitude −180◦ to 180◦ (W–E) f9.4

10 Depth meters (≥ 0) f8.2

11 Source Source Tag 2 a20

12 Cruise Cruise Name 3 a20

13 Station Station Name 3 a20

14 Chlor a Chl. a 3 4 5 f6.3

15 HPLC Chla HPLC Chl. a 3 4 f6.3

16 Chlor b Chl. b 3 4 f6.3

17 Chlor c Chl. c 3 4 f6.3

18 Total pig Total Pigment 3 4 f6.3

19 Phaeopig Phaeopigment 3 4 f6.3

20 Chlapphaeo Chl. a + Phaeo. 3 4 f6.3

21 Comment Useful Information a80

1 Blank if missing.

2 Submitter’s name, data location, or original file name.

3 Specify -9999 if missing.

4 Units of mg m−3.

5 Derived from non-HPLC sources, e.g., Turner method.

3.3 DATA PROCESSING

The goal of this activity is to convert the data received

from outside investigators to a standard form directly importable into the four databases described above. Since

the data comes to the Project in various physical forms

(generally ASCII or spreadsheet) and with different internal structures, considerable effort is sometimes needed to

restructure it.

The most common problems are encountered when attempts are made to read vastly different file formats and

data structures. These problems are as follows:

1. Physical structure differences: typically, the data may be in either an ASCII file or a spreadsheet file. Spreadsheets may be output from different software packages, such as Lotus 1-2-3 or

Microsoft Excel.

2. Position representation discrepancies: dissimilarities here include sign conventions, primarily

in longitude, indicating the hemisphere where

the data is located; use of directional indicators,

such as N for north and W for west to replace

signs; and use of degree/minute/second representations versus the use of decimal degrees.

3. Non-standard dates and times: for date, some

investigators have chosen to use the sequential

day of the year while others have chosen the Gregorian month and day. The month has been expressed as abbreviations (e.g., Jan for January)

or numerically (e.g., 1 for January and 12 for December). The time may be expressed as GMT

17
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

or as local time, and often there is no indication

of which one is being used. Hour and minute

values may be colon-separated or stored in separate columns in the file.

4. Field ordering: each investigator uses his or her

own method for writing the data files. Therefore, it is generally necessary to reorganize, and

in some cases add or remove, columns from the

data so it conforms with the established output

standard.

5. Missing data: if a data value is missing for a particular column, it may be left blank or filled with

almost any invalid data value as a replacement.

When left blank, data reshuffling is made more

difficult because most spreadsheets will move

leftward all columns to the right of the missing

columns when data is imported.

6. Field delimiter differences: various types of field

delimiters have been used, most commonly tabs,

spaces, and commas.

Typically, one of three approaches has been used in

generating a tab-delimited version of the fields listed in

Table 4 (tab-delimited ASCII files can be easily imported

into COTS programs). The three approaches are as follows: a) use the Freeform software package provided free

of charge by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) National Geophysical Data Center

(Habermann 1991), b) use a commercial spreadsheet such

as Lotus 1-2-3 or Microsoft Excel, or c) write a customized

program, to reorder the columns or compute standardized

representations for spatial and temporal parameters.

The Freeform package, the first approach, allows specification of both the input and desired output file formats

in an ASCII text file, and eliminates the need for writing

a custom program to unpack each unique input format. It

also supports conversions between different representations

for space and time. However, this approach works only if

the input data is in a fixed set of columns and never varies,

since the start and end positions of each column must be

specified. In addition, headers can be read only if they are

found at the beginning of the file. Nevertheless, Freeform

has been useful for processing many of the more straightforward data sets.

Commercial spreadsheets, the second approach, are extremely useful when the input data are not in uniform

columns, but the columns are delimited in some fashion.

However, as described above, they have difficulty aligning

data when blanks have been used as the missing value.

Customized programs, the third approach, are a last

resort and the most time consuming, since testing of the

code is involved for each input format. This approach is

sometimes the only choice when the input cannot be processed with either of the other approaches. For example,

headers may be interleaved with the data. This sometimes

happens with station data where the header gives the location, time, and perhaps cruise information.

The output of any of the discussed approaches is a tabdelimited ASCII file in the format of Table 4. This file

is then easily imported into FoxPro (using the Append

From... menu option) or Sybase (using the bulk-copy, or

bcp, utility).

3.4 DATA HOLDINGS

Table 5 is a list of the current set of data holdings in

the historical pigment archive. Column 2 lists the institutional, or individual, source of the data (entries ingested

since the fall of 1993 are followed by a † symbol). Column 3

indicates the name of the provider’s original file, in either

ASCII or spreadsheet format. Column 4 indicates the general location of the data set. Columns 5 and 6 represent the

number of unique spatial points (i.e., one per unique location, even over multiple times and depths at that location),

broken down by data source. The values in column 5 are

computed independently for each data source, without regard to whether the data are present elsewhere in the other

data sets. The values in column 6 are computed over the

entire archive, then broken down by source, so that no duplicates are found between data sets. In cases where a data

source contains data found elsewhere in the archive, e.g.,

W. Balch (University of Miami/Rosenstiel School for Marine and Atmospheric Sciences data), column 6 values will

be smaller than those in column 5. Both columns 5 and

6 will be much smaller than the total number of observations in a data set when the data set is largely composed

of a time series (e.g., the JGOFS North Atlantic bloom

data is a time series, so only one unique location is listed

in columns 5 and 6).

Figure 5 is a depiction of all data locations in the historical pigment archive plotted on a world map. A program called PLOTPNT within the UNIX version of the SEAPAK (McClain et al. 1991a and 1991b) software system

was used to plot the locations, using the latitude and longitude columns in each data file as input. The area least

sampled continues to be the southern ocean, particularly

the Atlantic and Indian Ocean portions.

3.5 ACCESSING THE ARCHIVE

In order to make the pigment archive readily available

to the scientific community, the CVT has provided the data

to the JGOFS Distributed Object Oriented Data System.

This system, developed and overseen by G. Flierl of the

Massachusetts Institute of Technology (MIT), D. Glover

of Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), and J.

Bishopand S. Paranjpe of Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO), makes widely scattered data sets available to anyone having the JGOFS server installed on their

Sun Microsystems (Sun), Digital Equipment Corporation

(DEC), SGI, International Business Machines (IBM) or

similar UNIX workstations. With the software, data objects can be easily listed or displayed in a variety of ways,

18
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Fig. 5. Map depicting locations of historical pigment data holdings as of June 1994.

19
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

Table 5. Historical pigment data sets in the archive. Column 5 indicates the number of unique spatial points

for each data source. Column 6 indicates the number of unique spatial points over the entire data set for each

source.

Entry Data Original Geolocation Unique Stations in

No. Source File Name Description Source Database

1 French 7906F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 29 29

2 French 7910F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 49 49

3 French 7912F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 39 39

4 French 7992F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 9 9

5 French 7996F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 9 9

6 French 8001F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 17 17

7 French 8201F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 46 46

8 French 8301F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 68 68

9 French 8303F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 92 92

10 French 8401F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 94 94

11 French 8403F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 99 99

12 French 8601F.WK1 Equatorial Atlantic 136 136

13 Dandonneau Tri81 Equatorial Pacific 1,898 1,898

14 Dandonneau Tri82 Equatorial Pacific 4,464 4,464

15 Dandonneau Tri83 Equatorial Pacific 4,739 4,739

16 Dandonneau Tri84 Equatorial Pacific 3,505 3,505

17 Dandonneau Tri85 Equatorial Pacific 3,773 3,773

18 Dandonneau Tri86 Equatorial Pacific 3,333 3,333

19 Chavez CHAVEZ.TXT Equatorial Pacific 500 500

20 JARE§ J74 75.TXT Pacific 176 176

21 JARE J75 76.TXT Pacific 113 113

22 JARE J76 77.TXT Pacific 150 150

23 JARE J77 78.TXT Pacific 143 143

24 JARE J78 79.TXT Pacific 241 241

25 JARE J79 80.TXT Pacific 216 216

26 JARE J80 81.TXT Pacific 162 162

27 JARE J81 82.TXT Pacific 135 135

28 JARE DATA7-27.PRN Pacific 1,496 1,496

29 Oregon State U. OSU*.ASC Pacific 619 619

30 Russian/Sushkina RUSSBIOL.ASC Pacific 126 126

31 Balch† *.DAT Northern Hemisphere 8,669 7,946

32 Yentsch YENTSCH.TXT North Atlantic 2,460 2,460

33 Konovalov-Beljaeva RUSSIAN.WK1 Atlantic 120 120

34 JGOFS JGOFS.ASC North Atlantic Bloom 1 1

35 Atkinson BLMPIG.WK1 South Atlantic Bight 17 17

36 Yoder PREGABPG.WK1 South Atlantic Bight 15 15

37 Yoder GABEAPIG.WK1 South Atlantic Bight 21 21

38 Yoder GABISLPG.WK1 South Atlantic Bight 12 12

39 Yoder GULFPIG.WK1 Gulf of Mexico 20 20

40 Northeast Fisheries MARMAP.TXT Mid-Atlantic Bight 750 750

41 Muller-Karger VENIZPIG.WK1 Caribbean Sea 21 21

42 Barale ADRIAPIG.WK1 Adriatic Sea 31 31

43 Russian RUSS22AV.ASC Indian Ocean 158 158

44 Russian RUSS08PV.ASC Indian Ocean 109 109

45 Wright-Australia AAMBER2P.RYD Southern Ocean 46 46

46 Wright-Australia ADBEXNOV.198 Southern Ocean 34 34

47 Wright-Australia AAMBERTR.ANS Southern Ocean 36 36

48 Wright-Australia HEARDISJ.UNE Southern Ocean 61 61

49 Wright-Australia SIBEX2PR.YDZ Southern Ocean 46 45

§Japanese Antarctic ResearchExpedition * File name wildcard specifier. † Recent update to the database.

20
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Table 5. (cont.) Historical pigment data sets in the archive. Column 5 indicates the number of unique spatial

points for each data source. Column 6 indicates the number of unique spatial points over the entire data set for

each source.

Entry Data Original Geolocation Unique Stations in

No. Source File Name Description Source Database

50 Wright-Australia WOCE1-OCT.19 Southern Ocean 27 27

51 Dieckmann/Germany WEDDELL*.TXT Weddell Sea 82 74

52 Dieckmann/Germany ANTV *.WK3 Weddell Sea 57 57

53 Sullivan AM123CHL.WKS Weddell Sea 244 244

54 El-Sayed ELSAY*.WK1 Southern Ocean 397 397

55 British BIOMASS*.TXT Southern Ocean 474 474

56 New Zealand KIWI1978.TXT Southern Ocean 52 52

57 Sakshaug/Holm-Hansen POLSEAII.ASC Southern Ocean 207 207

58 Longhurst† BEDFORD.TXT North Atlantic 1,885 1,885

59 Biggs† BIGGSPRO.FIL Southern Ocean 34 34

60 Clark Along-Track† *.TLK United States Coastal 8,566 8,566

61 Clark Stations† * NOAA *.DAT United States Coastal 62 62

62 Mitchell† R2CHL.ASC Southern Ocean 345 69

63 JGOFS EqPac† PIGT*.PRN Equatorial Pacific 154 154

64 Marra JGOFS† P16CHL.ASC Equatorial Pacific 25 25

65 Siegel BBOP† E-mail messages Bermuda 28 28

66 Michaels BATS† PIG*.DAT Bermuda 17 17

Total Number of Stations 51,759 50,751

† Recent update to the database. * File name wildcard specifier. Current as of June 1994.

and certain derived quantities can also be included in the

output. J. Bishop of LDEO has written a method (data

reading program) to accompany the data. Together the

method and the data form a data object which is accessible from the JGOFS software. The GSFC pigment data is

found in the following object:

name::pigsn(/geochem/solar/data/pigs/pigsfc.asc)

where the internet protocol (IP) address of the system name

is 129.236.40.87. The CVT intends to provide periodic

updates of the archive to the JGOFS system. For a complete description of the design, installation procedures and

use of the JGOFS software, consult Flierl et al. (1993). A

capsule summary of the installation procedure taken from

this document is found in Section 3.7. The contents of

Flierl et al. (1993) can be found in the doc subdirectory

(after installation) as a series of .ps (PostScript) or .tex

(TEX) files for hardcopy output.

3.6 SUBMISSION GUIDELINES

The CVT encourages submission of historical pigment

data sets collected from specialized field expeditions or as

part of coordinated global programs such as JGOFS or

WOCE. The general guidelines for data submission are

detailed in Chapter 1. In addition, there are two additional

guidelines which apply specifically to the pigment data.

1. Record format: It is particularly important to

fill each column for the data records, even if data

is missing. The use of blanks for missing data

can make it more difficult to import the data

into the database. In lieu of blanks for missing

data, a code of -9999 must be used. Also, the

content of data headers (e.g., station names, locations, times, etc.), when possible, should be

converted to the columnar representation and

included with the data rather than remaining

text entries.

2. Extra characters: Do not include extra characters in the data, such as boolean operators.

There is currently no provision to store this level

of detail in the database.

3.7 JGOFS SOFTWARE

The procedures to install the JGOFS software are as

follows:

1. Set upa jgofs account on a local machine to

store the software.

2. Log in to the local jgofs account and telnet to

IP address pimms.mit.edu (18.83.0.104).

3. Log in as the account jgofs, using the password

object$data. The system asks for your machine name, possibly the IP address, and username (the name under which you would like to

receive mail).

4. Select option 1 (transfer JGOFS software). The

system executes an ftp command back to your

21
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

machine. Press a return if your local user name

is jgofs; otherwise, enter the user name. Then

enter the password.

5. Copy the software to your local machine by typing put jgofs.tar and then quit.

6. Exit from the control menu by typing 0.

7. On your local system, unpack the tar file by typing tar -xvf jgofs.tar.

8. Edit the file called Makefile. If you are not

on a Sun workstation, comment out the lines

for the Sun and activate the lines for your own

system (a # sign at the start of a line indicates

a comment).

9. Type setenv PWD ‘pwd‘.

10. Type make.

11. If this works, type bin/jgofs_serv & to start

the server.

12. Then, initialize the system for plotting by typing

source penplot.

13. Start the menuing system by typing the command source ~jgofs/jgofs. A three-window

display, with windows labeled xmenu, list, and

jgofs should pop up.

14. Click in the bottom portion of the window entitled xmenu.

15. Test the software by typing list "#test". A

printout of hydrographic data retrieved from a

local data object, which comes with the installation, should appear. Type q to quit.

16. Check the listing of remote objects by typing

list "#tco2".

17. If the menu system does not build properly, the

local machine may be missing portions of the

full X library. In this case, Glenn Flierl should

be contacted at either glenn@lake.mit.edu or

glenn@pimms.mit.edu for advice.

18. Normally, the JGOFS server, once started, will

run until the next system reboot. If the system

reboots, the user will need to manually start

the JGOFS server with step11 above (or you

can add it to your system startupprocedure in

/etc/rc.local. To stopthe server at any time,

type source bin/stopserver from your local

jgofs account.

22
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Chapter 4

The SIRREX Database

Stanford B. Hooker

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Todd L. Westphal

General Sciences Corporation, Laurel, Maryland

Yuntao Ge

University Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland

Abstract

This document describes the procedures used in obtaining and archiving the SIRREX data sets. These data

sets provide a calibration history for the various lamps, spheres, plaques, and radiometers used as a radiometric

standard for field measurements. Currently, there are two SIRREX data sets in the archive. This document

contains the file naming and header protocol used for SIRREX data, the procedure for archiving the original

data, and an example of an archived file.

4.1 INTRODUCTION

In keeping with the SeaBASS file architecture, SIRREX

data utilizes a condensed and expanded file naming convention. The former makes use of the so-called eight-pointthree 11-character format designed for PCs running MSDOS (the most restrictive naming convention commonly in

use); the latter is for any computer supporting 31-character

file names. All files in the database are stored in the condensed format, but users can request data in the expanded

format which is more readily deciphered.

4.2 CONDENSED CONVENTION

Every condensed file name starts with a three-character

time stampthat identifies when the data was taken, followed by a five-character primary test code identifying

what was measured and with what instrumentation, and

then a three-character extension identifying the type of

data recorded. The condensed file naming convention is as

follows:

DDDPPPPP.eee

where DDD is the date stamp, PPPPP is the primary test

code, and eee is the file extension. The date stampis composed of three characters: YMD where, Y is the year code, M

is the month code, and D is the day of the month code. The

primary test code is composed of three sub-codes: SSICC

where, SS is a two-character source identifier, I is a onecharacter measurement instrument identifier, and CC is a

two-character configuration identifier. The file extension is

also further divided into three codes: drs where, d is a onecharacter data type, r is a one-character run type, and s is

a one-character sequential run character (frequently a numeric sequence). Thus, the complete condensed file name

convention is:

YMDSSICC.drs

where, once again, the condensed convention makes full

use of the eight-point-three 11-character format designed

for MS-DOS PCs.

4.2.1 Condensed Date Code

The condensed time code is a three-character code, YMD,

and is decoded as follows: Y has the allowed values 1,..., Z,

where 1=1991, 2=1992, 3=1993, A=2000, and Z=2025;

M has the allowed values 1, 2, 3,..., A, B, C, where 1=Jan.,

2=Feb., 3=Mar., A=Oct., B=Nov., and C=Dec.; and D has

the allowed values 1, 2, 3,..., A, B,..., V, where 1=1, 2=2,

3=3, A=10, B=11, and V=31. If any part of the date field

is not known, the underscore (_) is used for the unknown

component.

4.2.2 Source Identifier Code

The source identifier code is a two-character code which

identifies what radiance source was employed, usually a

sphere, lamp, or plaque. Sources are associated with specific organizations or institutions, so it is typically made up

23
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

of a groupmain designator, G, and a groupsub-designator,

g, both of which have the allowed values 0,..., Z. Group

codes are usually one of the following:

A for UA,

B for BSI,

C for CHORS,

D for SIO,

E for SRT,

G for GSFC,

H for SBRC,

I for NIST,

J for NRIFSF (Japan),

M for UM,

N for NOAA/MLML,

R for NRaD,

S for Satlantic,

U for UCSB, and

W for WFF.

Groupsub-designators are separated into numbers and letters with numbers indicating spheres and plaques, and letters indicating lamps. Once combined, the common Gg

codes are as follows:

A1 for the UA 10 in Spectralon plaque,

AA for FEL lampF296,

AB for FEL lampF297,

B1 for the BSI 10 in Spectralon plaque,

B2 for the BSI 20 in sphere,

B3 for the BSI 18 in Spectralon plaque,

BA for FEL lampF310,

BB for FEL lampF321,

BC for FEL lamp91453,

BD for FEL lamp91537,

C1 for the CHORS 40 in sphere with 150 W lamps,

C2 for the CHORS 40 in sphere with 275 W lamps,

C3 for the CHORS 18 in Spectralon plaque,

CA for FEL lamp90572,

CB for FEL lamp91348,

CC for FEL lamp91534,

CD for FEL lamp91533,

CE for FEL lamp91349,

DA for FEL lampF12L,

G1 for the GSFC 42 in sphere,

GA for FEL lampF268,

GB for FEL lampF269,

GC for FEL lampF227,

GD for FEL lampF315,

GE for FEL lampF316,

H1 for the SBRC 20 in sphere,

HA for DXW lamp19,

HB for DXW lampSS27,

HW for the SBRC SeaWiFS instrument,

JA for FEL lampF123,

MA for FEL lampF12G,

MB for FEL lampF12H,

N1 for the NOAA 10 in plaque (S/N OO1900),

N2 for the NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL1315),

N3 for the NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL382),

N4 for the NOAA Optronics 420M (S/N 92106057),

N5 for the NOAA Gamma RS-13 (S/N HL411),

NA for FEL lampF307,

NB for FEL lampF308,

RA for FEL lampF265,

S1 for the Satlantic 18 in Spectralon plaque,

SA for DXW lampS724,

SB for DXW lampS721,

SC for FEL lamp91604,

SD for FEL lamp91591,

SE for FEL lamp91615,

U1 for the UCSB 20 in sphere,

U2 for the UCSB 18 in Spectralon plaque,

U3 for the UCSB 10 in Spectralon plaque,

UA for FEL lampF219,

UB for FEL lampF393,

UC for FEL lampF303,

UD for FEL lampF304,

UE for FEL lampF305,

W1 for the WFF 30 in sphere.

Note, the HW source identifier code is mentioned here, but

it is reserved for the SBRC database as described in Chapter 5.

4.2.3 Instrument Identifier Code

The instrument identifier code, I, is a one-character

code which identifies the instrument used to make the measurement. It has the allowed values 0,..., Z, but is generally one of the following:

1 for the NIST absolute radiometer number 1,

2 for the NIST absolute radiometer number 2,

8 for the Satlantic 7-channel radiometer (S/N 8),

A for the UA (EOS) 7-channel transfer radiometer,

B for the BSI 6-channel transfer radiometer,

C for the CHORS 11-channel transfer radiometer,

I for the GSFC Optronics 746 ISIC,

P for the NIST PR714 radiometer,

S for the Satlantic 7-channel radiometer (S/N 26),

T for the GSFC Optronics 746 T, and

X for the SeaWiFS 6-channel transfer radiometer

(SXR).

4.2.4 Configuration Code

The configuration code, CC, is a two-character code

which identifies the configuration of the source and instrument during the measurement process. CC has the allowed

values 0,..., Z for each character position. Unknown or

undetermined configurations are coded as __. The configuration codes for the various sources are as follows:

24
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

UA 10 in Spectralon Plaque A1

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

BSI 10 in Spectralon Plaque B1

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

BSI 20 in Sphere B2

00 aperture closed,

01 aperture in position 1,

02 aperture in position 2,

.

.

.

06 aperture in position 6.

BSI 18 in Spectralon Plaque B3

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

CHORS Spheres C1 and C2

00 0.000–0.000–0.000–0.000 (all apertures closed),

01 1.250–1.250–1.250–1.250,

02 0.875–0.875–1.080–1.080,

03 0.628–0.628–0.766–0.766,

04 0.438–0.438–0.531–0.531,

05 0.312–0.312–0.438–0.438,

06 0.000–0.312–0.000–0.438, and

07 0.312–0.000–0.438–0.000.

CHORS 18 in Spectralon Plaque C3

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

GSFC Sphere G1

00 all lamps off,

01 1 lampon,

02 2 lamps on,

.

.

.

16 16 lamps on.

SBRC Sphere H1

AA 6 5 W lamps and 2 4 W lamps on,

AB 1 45 W lampon,

AC 1 45 and 1 200 W lampon,

AD 6 5, 2 45 and 1 200 W lampon,

00 all lamps off,

01 1 200 W lampon,

02 2 200 W lamps on,

.

.

.

11 11 200 W lamps on.

Lamp Calibrations

C1 CHORS baffles with the lampat ∼100 cm,

C5 CHORS baffles with the lampat ∼50 cm,

G5 GSFC baffles with the lampat ∼50 cm, and

I5 NIST baffles with the lampat ∼50 cm.

NOAA 10 in Spectralon Plaque N1

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL1315) N2

WO without diffuser attachment, and

DA with diffuser attachment RS-70-1.

NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL382) N3

WO without diffuser attachment, and

DA with diffuser attachment RS-70-1.

NOAA Optronics 420M N4

01 slide=3, wheel=5, and distance ∼100, and

02 slide=3, wheel=6, and distance ∼40.

NOAA Gamma RS-13 (S/N HL411) N5

A2 aperture wheel=200,

A3 aperture wheel=300,

A4 aperture wheel=400, and

A9 aperture wheel=900.

Satlantic 18 in Spectralon Plaque S1

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

UCSB 20 in Sphere U1

UA FEL lamp F219 used at approximately 50 cm

and

UB FEL lamp F393 used at approximately 50 cm.

(If a lampother than a UCSB lampis used, its

two-character code is entered instead.)

UCSB 18 in Spectralon Plaque U2

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

UCSB 10 in Spectralon Plaque U3

11 viewed at approximately 45◦ and ∼150 cm.

WFF 30 in Sphere W1

00 apertures 1 and 2 open (no aperture cards inserted),

01 aperture 1 open and aperture 2 in position 1,

.

.

.

06 aperture 1 open and aperture 2 in position 6,

10 aperture 1 in position 1 and aperture 2 open,

11 aperture 1 in position 1 and aperture 2 in position 1,

.

.

.

66 aperture 1 in position 6 and aperture 2 in position 6.

4.2.5 Data Type

The data type, d, is a one-character code which identifies the type of data collected during the measurement

process and has the allowed values A,..., Z, but is generally one of the following:

A for averaged voltages,

C for (responsivity) calibration file,

D for derived file,

E for irradiance,

H for historical file,

L for radiance,

T for (text) documentation file,

V for voltage, and

for undetermined or unknown.

25
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

4.2.6 Run Type

The run type, r, is a one-character code which identifies

the type of run executed during the measurement process

and has the allowed values 0,..., Z, but is generally one of

the following:

C for sphere radiance calibration using a cosine

collector,

I for sphere irradiance,

L for lampirradiance calibration,

M for lampto lampratios,

P for plaque radiance instrument calibration,

Q for sphere responsivity,

R for sphere radiance calibration using a calibrated

radiometer,

S for sphere radiance instrument calibration,

X for system response file, and

for undetermined or unknown.

4.2.7 Sequence Character

The sequence character, s, identifies which run in a

series of runs was executed during the measurement process and has the allowed values 0,..., Z; the underscore

(_) is reserved to denote inapplicable, undetermined, or

unknown entries.

4.3 EXPANDED CONVENTION

The expanded file name uses the 0,..., Z character set

of the condensed file names and adds one more: the hyphen (-) which is used as a sub-field embedded separator.

The underscore (_) is used for undetermined or unknown

elements and the period (.) is used to separate the expanded name into smaller elements. Every expanded file

name uses 22 characters starting with 1) a seven-character

time stampthat identifies when the data was taken, followed by 2) a six-character primary test code identifying

what was measured, then 3) a three-character code giving the instrumentation used and its configuration during

data collection, and finally 4) a three-character sequence

identifying the type of data. The expanded file naming

convention is as follows:

YYMMMDD.GEEEEE.ICC.drs,

where, YYMMMDD is a Gregorian time stamp(YY is the decadal year with: 91 representing 1991, 92 representing 1992,

00 representing 2000, and 25 representing 2025, MMM is an

abbreviated month name which uses the first three characters of the month, and DD is the day of the month); G

is the groupcode (described earlier in the Source Identifier Code section of the condensed file naming convention);

EEEEE is an expanded source identifier described below; I

is the Instrument Identifier Code; CC is the Configuration

Code; d is the Data Type; r is the Run Type; and s is the

Sequence Character. Note that YY covers only the range

1991–2025, for consistency with the condensed SIRREX

convention described in Section 4.2. Purposely there is no

definitive file extension on the expanded file name, so the

user can append one based on local requirements.

The complete expanded source identification code is

made upof the groupcode G and an expanded source name

EEEEE. The hyphen is used to ensure a dense five-character

source name. The common GEEEEE codes are as follows:

A-10in for UA 10 in Spectralon plaque,

A-F296 for FEL lampF296,

A-F297 for FEL lampF297,

B-10in for BSI 10 in Spectralon plaque,

B-18in for BSI 18 in sphere,

B-20in for BSI 20 in sphere,

B-F310 for FEL lampF310,

B-F321 for FEL lampF321,

B91453 for FEL lamp91453,

B91537 for FEL lamp91537,

C-18in for CHORS 18 in Spectralon plaque,

C40in1 for CHORS 40 in sphere w/150 W lamps,

C40in2 for CHORS 40 in sphere w/275 W lamps,

C90572 for FEL lamp90572,

C91348 for FEL lamp91348,

C91349 for FEL lamp91349,

C91533 for FEL lamp91533,

C91534 for FEL lamp91534,

D-F12L for FEL lampF12L,

G-42in for GSFC 42 in sphere,

G-F227 for FEL lampF227,

G-F268 for FEL lampF268,

G-F269 for FEL lampF269,

G-F315 for FEL lampF315,

G-F316 for FEL lampF316,

H-20in for SBRC 20 in sphere,

H-SS27 for DXW lampSS27,

HDXW19 for DXW lamp19,

HSWiFS for SeaWiFS instrument,

J-F123 for FEL lampF123,

M-F12G for FEL lampF12G,

M-F12H for FEL lampF12H,

N-10in for NOAA 10 in plaque (S/N 001900),

N-420M for NOAA Optronics 420M (S/N 92106057),

N-F307 for FEL lampF307,

N-F308 for FEL lampF308,

NG1315 for NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL1315),

N-G382 for NOAA Gamma RS-10A (S/N HL382),

N-G411 for NOAA Gamma RS-13 (S/N HL411),

R-F265 for FEL lampF265,

S-18in for Satlantic 18 in Spectralon plaque,

S-S721 for DXW lampS721,

S-S724 for DXW lampS724,

S91591 for FEL lamp91591,

S91604 for FEL lamp91604,

S91615 for FEL lamp91615,

26
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

U-10in for UCSB 10 in sphere,

U-18in for UCSB 18 in sphere,

U-20in for UCSB 20 in sphere,

U-F219 for FEL lampF219,

U-F303 for FEL lampF303,

U-F304 for FEL lampF304,

U-F305 for FEL lampF305,

U-F393 for FEL lampF393, and

W-30in for WFF 30 in sphere.

Note again, the HSWiFS source identifier code is mentioned

here, but it is reserved for the SBRC database as described

in Chapter 5.

4.4 ARCHIVING PROCEDURES

The SIRREX protocol specifies a header format which

is inserted at the beginning of every file before it is archived.

Any relevant information in an existing header is incorporated into the SIRREX keyword vocabulary. Additional

notations are incorporated as comment lines, which begin with an exclamation point (!). The requirement for

tab-delimited text and a sequence column often requires

modification of the original data. While the data is being modified, a consistent numeric format is used for each

column of data. This format is chosen based on the range

and precision of the data taken by a particular instrument.

Using a consistent numeric format allows a quick visual inspection of the data to locate errors.

Investigators participating in a SIRREX are encouraged to provide data in a form as close to the established

protocol as is feasible. Many radiometers brought to SIRREXs use commercial software that creates output in a

specific format, which mandates modifying the data before the file can be archived. Each instrument has its own

log sheet which is used to record all the relevant information during each measurement. These log sheets are then

used to generate the header and archive filename for each

file.

4.4.1 Archived File Example

An example file, 36JG1P16.LS3, with a complete header

block, but abbreviated data block, is presented below:

/begin_header

/aperture_diameter=16[in]

/color_temperature=2964[K]

/column_headers=[nm],[W_m^{-2}_sr^{-1}_nm^{-1}]

/comment=Small_Field_Stop

/configuration=16_Lamps_On

/data_type=Radiance

/date=1993JUN19

/experiment=SIRREX_2

/group_identifier=GSFC

/group_sub_identifier=42_Inch_Sphere

/information_file=714_doc.t_2

/instrument_identifier=NIST_PR714

/investigators=Unknown

/lab_temperature=27[C]

/lamp_current=bank1_6.502[A],bank2_6.499[A]

/number_data_rows=173

/original_file_name=36IGSP00.VR3

/pr714_field_stop=0.125_x_0.125[deg]

/pr714_integration_time=628[msec]

/pr714_lens_distance=1.3[m]

/run_type=Sphere_Radiance_Instrument_Calibration

/sequence_number=3

/source_distance=51.75[in]

/sphere_position=centered_(0,0)

/time=17:10:03[PDT]

/total_radiance=207.1[W_m^{-2}_sr^{-1}]

/wavelength_range=380>1068;4[nm]

/wavelength_resolution=5[nm]

!Sphere was turned on at 15:49.

!PR714 was turned on at 9:30.

/end_header@

380 1.833e-002

384 1.962e-002

388 2.131e-002 .

.

.

1060 3.963e-001

1064 3.988e-001

1068 4.021e-001

4.4.2 Condensed File Name Example

The sample file name 36JG1P16.LS3 represents the following:

Year 3 = 1993,

Month 6 = JUN,

Day J = 19,

Source Identifier G1 = GSFC 42 in sphere,

Instrument Identifier P = NIST PR714 radiometer,

Configuration Code 16 = 16 lamps on,

Data Type L = Radiance,

Run Type S = Sphere radiance instrument calibration,

and

Sequence Number 3 = Run number three.

It is worth noting again that a verbose description of

the file name is included in the keywords:

/configuration,

/data_type,

/date,

/instrument_identifier,

/run_type,

/sequence_number, and

/source_identifier.

The configuration code used depends on the source used.

A configuration code of 16 indicates 16 lamps were used if

the source was the GSFC 42 in sphere.

27
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

4.4.3 Expanded File Name Example

Using the same sample file, the date stamp of 13 June

1993 would be coded as 93JUN13. The GSFC 42 in sphere

is represented as G-42in. Instrument and configuration

codes remain unchanged, (P16 in the example file), as do

data type, run type, and sequence codes, e.g., LS3. The

expanded file name is coded as:

93JUN13.G-42in.P16.LS3.

The expanded format uses only 22 of the 31 characters

normally available to many operating systems capable of

extended file naming. The remaining characters are available for use in local applications, perhaps for tracking postprocessing of the data.

4.5 KEYWORD GLOSSARY

The keyword glossary is composed of two sets: required

and approved keywords. The former must appear in every

SIRREX data file, while the latter appear only as needed

to fully describe the contents of the file. Of course, local

use of a data file permits the addition of locally defined

keywords, perhaps for tracking post-processing of the data.

4.5.1 Required Keywords

The required keywords for the SIRREX data sets are

as follows:

/begin_header This keyword does not have a value and

must be the first entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block.

/column_headers=sThis is a comma-delimited list of

the headers for the columnar data in the file. Usually the ith entry in the list is associated with the

ith column. In cases where a sequence of data is

taken, the data columns are indicated by a range.

Bands 1 through 6 would be band1>band6, and 25

data points and their average would be represented

as raw01>raw25,average.

/configuration=sThis string is a verbose description of

the specific configuration used as part of the file name

and describes the physical configuration or setup used

for the measurement in question. Usually orientation,

distances, and other parameters are specific to a type

of measurement.

/data_type=sThis is a verbose version of the data type

given in the file name.

/date=yyyymmmdd In this format, yyyy is the year, mmm

is the abbreviated three-character Gregorian month of

the year, and dd is the day of the Gregorian month.

The month abbreviations use the first three characters

of the month: Jan is January, Feb is February, etc.

/end_header@ This keyword does not have a value and

must be the last entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block. Note the at-sign (@) at the end.

/experiment=sThis entry identifies the experiment associated with the data collected, e.g., SIRREX_2.

/group_identifier=sThis string identifies the group

conducting the test, e.g., CHORS.

/group_sub_identifier=sThis string identifies the specific lamp, sphere, or plaque used during the test.

/instrument_identifier=sThis string identifies the instrument used to conduct the test.

/investigators=sThe string for this keyword contains

the names of the individuals (separated by commas)

who collected the data contained in the file.

/number_data_rows=nThis is the number of data rows

(or lines) after the /end_header@ keyword. If this

number is different than the actual number of data

rows in the file, there has been some kind of file corruption.

/original_file_name=sMost data is acquired on computer systems that have already adopted a particular

file naming convention. Once the data from such a device is transferred to the SIRREX database, it receives

a new name based on the condensed SIRREX naming

convention. This entry is reserved for keeping track of

the original file name.

/run_type=sThis string is a verbose version of the run

type recorded in the file name and identifies the type

of run executed during the measurement process. It

has the allowed values given in the Run Type section

discussed earlier.

/sequence_number=nThis number indicates which experiments, in a series of experiments, are contained

within this file. In general, the sequence numbering

is also used to distinguish archive file numbers that

would otherwise be identical.

There is no specific requirement regarding the ordering

of the keywords in the files, other than the /begin_header

and /end_header@ keywords, which must be first and last

respectively. It is recommended, however, that the second through next to last keywords be kept alphabetical to

maximize the readability of the file.

4.5.2 Approved Keywords

The approved keywords for the SIRREX data sets are

as follows:

/aperture_diameter=n[u] This is the diameter of the

source aperture.

/BSI_channels=nThese are the channels used on the

BSI radiometer, nominally 1>6.

28
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

/BSI_units=sThese are the units of the BSI radiometric

measurement, nominally volts.

/calibration_file=sThis is the file containing the calibration information for the radiometer in question.

The file contains the needed information to convert

from raw data to radiance.

/color_temperature=n[u] This field indicates the equivalent blackbody temperature of the source in degrees

Kelvin [K].

/comment=sThis field is intended for comment entries

included on most of the data logs.

/entrance_slit=n[u] This keyword is the monochrometer entrance slit width.

/exit_slit=n[u] This is the width of the monochrometer exit slit.

/gain=nThis is the viewing instrument gain and should

be recorded as a complete factor rather than just an

exponent, for example, 10^{2} or 100 rather than 2.

/information_file=sThis is a text (ASCII) file containing instrument and file format information.

/internal_averages_per_reading=nThis is the number of internal averages per reading for the BSI radiometer, nominally 100.

/lab_temperature=n[u] The temperature of the laboratory where the data was collected in units of Fahrenheit [F] or Celsius [C].

/lamp_current=n[u] The current applied to the lamp(s)

used. The units are usually amps [A]. A commadelimited list can be used for multiple lamp scenarios,

in which case, values for particular banks are indicated

by preceding the value with bank1_, bank2_, etc., indicators. For example, /lamp_current=bank1_10[A],

bank2_20[A].

/lamp_voltage=n[u] The voltage applied to the lamp(s)

used. The units are usually volts [V]. A commadelimited list can be used for multiple lamp scenarios,

in which case, values for particular banks are indicated

by preceding the value with bank1_, bank2_, etc., indicators. For example, /lamp_voltage=bank1_10[V],

bank2_20[V].

/number_of_readings_per_external_average=nThis

is the number of BSI readings, where each reading is

a number of internal averages, which are averaged externally, typically 30.

/plaque_distance=n[u] This is the distance between the

lampand the plaque.

/plaque_viewing_anglen[u] This keyword is the angle

of the viewing radiometer with respect to the plaque,

nominally 45[deg].

/pr714_field_stop=sThese are the field stops used with

the PR714 radiometer, either 0.125_x_0.125[deg] or

0.5_x_1.5[deg].

/pr714_integration_time=n[u] This is the integration

time of the PR714.

/pr714_lens_distance=n[u] The focal distance of the

lens mounted on the PR714, as determined by the scale

imprinted on the lens.

/radius_one=n[u] This keyword gives the aperture radius of the source.

/radius_two=n[u] This is the aperture radius of the collector.

/reference_lamp_id=sThis keyword is the conventional

name for the reference lampused, like, F269, 91453,

etc., used to illuminate the sphere or plaque.

/relative_humidity=n[u] This is the relative humidity

of the laboratory air during the test. The units are

usually [%].

/serial_number=sThis is the serial number of the recording instrument. It is shown here as a general character string, since many serial numbers include letters.

/source_distance=n[u] This is the distance between the

viewing radiometer and the source.

/sphere_diameter=n[u] This keyword is the diameter of

the source sphere.

/sphere_position=sThis is the viewing position of the

radiometer with respect to the source aperture, nominally centered_(0,0).

/sxr_channels=nThis entry gives the channels used on

the SXR, nominally 1>6.

/sxr_lens=s[u] This entry gives the f-stopand distance

used with the SXR radiometer; nominally, this keyword has a value of f/1.4_1.2[m].

/sxr_temperature=n[u] This is the temperature setting

of the thermoelectric cooler for the SXR.

/time=s[u] The format for sis hh:mm:ss.ss, where hh

is the 24-hour hour of the day, mm is the minute of

the hour, and ss.ss is the decimal second of the hour.

The ss.ss field is optional and the [u] field is used to

denote GMT, EST, EDT, etc., nominally [GMT].

/total_radiance=n[u] This is the total radiance collected in units of W_m^{-2}_sr^{-1}.

/ua_aperture=n[u] The aperture setting on the UA radiometer.

/ua_channels=sThe entry gives channels used with the

UA radiometer.

29
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

/ua_temperature=n[u] The temperature of the UA radiometer.

/wavelength_range=n[u] This is the wavelength range

for the data expressed as n1 > n2;n3, where n1 is the

lowest value in the range, n2 is the largest value in the

range, and n3 is the increment value. The units are

usually [nm].

/wavelength_resolution=n[u] This is the spectral resolution of the instrument performing the measurement.

Units are typically [nm].

4.6 DISCUSSION

The SIRREX archive contains files stored in an ASCII

text format that is independent of the platform in use.

Each file has a header block containing information regarding when, where, how, and by whom the data was

taken. This header also contains information specifying

how many rows and columns of data to expect. Headers from original data files are placed into SIRREX keywords, when appropriate, as well as information from the

log sheet. A sequence column is added if necessary. Each

column of data is written in a single numeric format before

the file is placed in the archive. The result is a file that

is usable on many platforms and has descriptive header

information in a known format that is easily parsed for

automated processing. This header contains the details of

how the data was obtained and how much and what type

of data is contained in the file.

30
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Chapter 5

The SBRC Database

Todd L. Westphal

General Sciences Corporation, Laurel, Maryland

Yuntao Ge

University Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland

Stanford B. Hooker

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland

Abstract

This document describes the naming convention and procedures used in archiving the SeaWiFS prelaunch

calibration data obtained from SBRC. The archive contains data from BTR, ASR, LSF, and temperature

dependence measurements, as well as images of the sun, moon, sky, and an integrating sphere. This data set

contains characterization information on the SeaWiFS instrument provided by the manufacturer. As such, it

serves as a baseline to the operation of the instrument on orbit.

5.1 INTRODUCTION

The SBRC database is a subset of the SIRREX database and closely follows that architecture as described in

Chapter 4. As part of SeaBASS, the SBRC archive has

both a condensed and an expanded file naming convention. The former uses the so-called eight-point-three 11-

character format used by MS-DOS computers; the latter is

intended for use on computers that support a 31-character

file name. All files are archived using the condensed file

name, but users can request files in the expanded naming

convention.

5.2 CONDENSED CONVENTION

Every condensed file name starts with a three-character

time stampthat identifies when the data was taken, followed by a five-character primary test code identifying

what was measured and with what instrumentation, and

then a three-character extension identifying the type of

data recorded. The condensed file naming convention is as

follows:

DDDPPPPP.eee

where DDD is the date stamp, PPPPP is the primary test

code, and eee is the file extension. The date stampis

composed of three characters: YMD where, Y is the year

code, M is the month code, and D is the day of the month

code. The primary test code is composed of two sub-codes:

SSRRR where, SS is a two-character source identifier, and

RRR is a three-character run type. The file extension is

divided into three codes: dbs where, d is a one-character

data type, b is a one-character band indentifier, and s is

a one-character sequential run character (0,..., 9). Thus,

the complete condensed file name convention is:

DDDSSRRR.dbs

where, once again, the condensed convention makes full

use of the eight-point-three 11-character format designed

for MS-DOS PCs.

5.2.1 Condensed Date Code

The condensed time code is a three-character code, YMD,

and is decoded as follows: Y has the allowed values 1,..., Z,

where 1=1991, 2=1992, 3=1993, A=2000, and Z=2025;

M has the allowed values 1, 2, 3,..., A, B, C, where 1=Jan.,

2=Feb., 3=Mar., A=Oct., B=Nov., and C=Dec.; and D has

the allowed values 1, 2, 3,..., A, B,..., V, where 1=1, 2=2,

3=3, A=10, B=11, and V=31. If any part of the date field

is not known, the underscore (_) is used for the unknown

component.

5.2.2 Source Identifier Code

The source identifier code is a two-character code which

identifies the data source as SBRC and the SeaWiFS instrument. It is always equal to HW.

5.2.3 Condensed Run Type

The run type has different allowed values depending on

the data type (d), although all data types allow DOC to indi31
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

cate their information file. All DOC files use the associated

data type as the value for this keyword. For example, the

information file for image data contains /run_type=Image.

For a data type of A, all files are assigned the run type

DAT.

For a data type of B, the first two digits indicate the

width of the bright target in pixels, and the third character

represents the illumination level. The allowed run types for

B data are:

01M for a 1 pixel wide target, mid-level illumination,

01H for a 1 pixel wide target, high-level illumination,

03M for a 3 pixel wide target, mid-level illumination,

03H for a 3 pixel wide target, high-level illumination,

06H for a 6 pixel wide target, high-level illumination,

10M for a 10 pixel wide target, mid-level illumination,

and

10H for a 10 pixel wide target, high-level illumination,

For a data type of D, all files are assigned the run type

LIN. For a data type of I, the three-character code describes what the sensor was viewing and has the following

allowed values:

INT for an image of the integrating sphere,

LUN for a lunar image,

SKY for an image of the sky, and

SOL for a solar image.

For a data type of L, the three-character code describes

in which direction the line spread function was measured

and has the following allowed values:

ASC for an along-scan measurement, and

ATR for an along-track measurement,

For a data type of T, the file is assigned the run type

FCT.

5.2.4 Condensed Data Type

This one-character code establishes the type of data

collected and has the following allowed values:

A for ASR,

B for BTR,

D for linearity data,

I for images,

L for LSF, and

T for temperature dependence and telemetry coefficients.

5.2.5 Band Code

The band code is comprised of a single character and

has the allowed values of 1,..., 8, A and N. A number indicates which one of the possible eight bands is in the data

file; whereas, A indicates all eight bands are included and N

indicates no bands are included. The N designation is used

only on documentation files; all other files must contain

data from at least one band.

5.2.6 Sequence Number

This digit represents which particular measurement in

a series of similar measurements is present in the data file.

The allowed values are 0,..., 9.

5.3 EXPANDED CONVENTION

The expanded file name uses the 0,..., Z character set

of the condensed file names. The underscore (_) is used

for undetermined or unknown elements and the period (.)

is used to separate the expanded name into smaller elements. Every expanded file name uses 22 characters starting with 1) a seven-character time stampthat identifies

when the data was taken, followed by 2) a six-character

primary test code identifying what was measured, then

3) a three-character code giving the instrumentation used

and its configuration during data collection, and finally

4) a three-character sequence identifying the type of data.

The expanded file naming convention is as follows:

YYMMMDD.EEEEEE.RRR.dbs,

where, YYMMMDD is a Gregorian time stamp(YY is the decadal year with 50 representing 1950 and 49 representing

2049, MMM is an abbreviated month name which uses the

first three characters of the month, and DD is the day of

the month); EEEEEE is an expanded source identifier which

is always set to HSWiFS for the SeaWiFS instrument; RRR

is the Run Type; d is the Data Type; b is the Band Code;

and s is the Sequence Character. Purposely, there is no

definitive file extension on the expanded file name, so the

user can append one based on local requirements.

5.4 ARCHIVING PROCEDURES

This protocol specifies a header format which is added

at the beginning of every archived file, as for all SeaBASS

files. All relevant information in an existing header is incorporated into the SBRC keyword vocabulary. The requirement for tab-delimited data columns and a sequence

column often require modifying the original data. In cases

where there was a pixel number or wavelength column, this

was used in place of a sequence number. Although neither

of these columns starts with 1, both are integer values that

are incremented by one.

While the data is being modified, a consistent numeric

format is used for each column of data. This format is chosen based on the range and precision of the data. Using a

consistent numeric format allows a quick visual inspection

of the data to locate errors.

5.4.1 Archived File Example

This example is identical in form to an actual file in

the SBRC archive. Some of the keyword values have been

edited to fit in the space provided. Also, not all 1288 lines

of data are presented.

32
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Sample Data File: 383HWSKY.IA5

/begin_header

/band=All

/column_headers=Pixel_#,Band_1>Band_8

/comment=looking_due_east,34.5_deg_elevation

/data_type=Image

/date=1993MAR07

/gain=B1_2,B2_2,B3_2,B4_2,B5_2,B6_2,B7_2,B8_2

/information_file=45AHWDOC.IN0

/instrument_identifier=SeaWiFS

/investigators=Alan_Holmes

/mirror_side=Side_A_and_Side_B

/modification_status=Before_Stray_Light_Mods

/number_data_rows=1288

/original_file_name=sky1145

/run_type=Sky

/sequence_number=6

/time=11:45[PST]

/end_header@

-001 10230000 10230000 10230000 10231023

0000 0022 0018 0019 0021 0017 0016 0020 0020

0001 10231023102310231023102310231023

0002 10231023102310231023102310231023

000310231023102310231023102310231023

0004 10231023102310231023102310231023

0005 10231023102310231023102310231023

.

.

.

1280 10231023102310231023102310231023

1281 10231023102310231023102310231023

1282 10231023102310231023102310231023

128310231023102310231023102310231023

1284 10231023102310231023102310231023

1285 10231023102310231023102310231023

1286 102310230000 0000 102310230000 1023

5.4.2 Condensed File Name Example

The sample file name, 383HWSKY.IA5, represents the

following:

Year 3 = 1993

Month 8 = August

Day 3 = 3

Source Identifier HW = SBRC and the SeaWiFS

instrument

Run Type SKY = Sky

Data Type I = Image

Band Number A = All Bands

Sequence Number 5 = 5th run

Note that a verbose description of the file name is included in the keywords: /date, /instrument, /run_type,

/data_type, /band, and /sequence_number.

5.4.3 Expanded File Name Example

Using the same file name, 383HWSKY.IA5, the expanded

codes are:

Year 1993 = 93

Month August = AUG

Day 3 = 03

Source Identifier HW = SBRC and the SeaWiFS

instrument

Run Type Sky = SKY

Data Type Image = I

Band Number All Bands = A

Sequence Number 5 = 5

So the expanded file name is:

93AUG03.HSWiFS.SKY.IA5

This format uses only 22 of the 31 characters available,

leaving the remaining characters available for use in postprocessing applications.

5.5 KEYWORD GLOSSARY

The keyword glossary consists of required and approved

keywords. Required keywords will be found in all archived

files, while approved keywords appear whenever the relevant value is known.

5.5.1 Required Keywords

The required keywords for the SBRC database follow

in alphabetical order:

/band=sThis string indicates the band measured and

has the allowed values of 1>8, A and N.

/begin_header This keyword does not have a value and

must be the first entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block.

/column_headers=sThis keyword is a descriptive list

of headers, which is comma-delimited, for the columnar data in the file. Usually the ith entry in the list

is associated with the ith column. In cases where a

sequence of data is taken, the data columns are indicated by a range. For example, bands 1 through

6 would be recorded as band_1>band_6 and the scan

number followed by pixels 865 through 1285 would be

represented as Scan_Number,pixel_865>pixel_1285.

Each column header is a description of the data, and

no abbreviations are used.

/data_type=sThis is a verbose description of the data

type recorded in the file name. See Section 5.2.4 for

allowed values.

/date=yyyymmmdd In this format, yyyy is the year, mmm

is the abbreviated three-character Gregorian month of

the year, and dd is the day of the Gregorian month.

The month abbreviations use the first three characters

33
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

of the month: JAN is January, FEB is February, etc. In

cases where the day is unknown, it is not used (for

example, 1994DEC).

/end_header@ This keyword does not have a value and

must be the last entry in the series of lines comprising

the header block. Note the at-sign (@) at the end.

/gain=sThis indicates the gain setting for each band.

Each gain value is preceded by a band designation.

For example, band 1 at gain 1 and band 3 at gain 2

would be designated B1_1,B3_2.

/instrument_identifier=sThis string indentifies the

instrument used during the test. For SBRC data, the

instrument is always SeaWiFS.

/investigators=sThe string for this keyword contains

the names of the individuals (separated by commas)

who collected the data contained in the file.

/modification_status=sThe string for this keyword

indicates whether the data was taken before or after

the stray light modifications were made to the SeaWiFS instrument.

/number_data_rows=nThis is the number of data rows

(or lines) after the /end_header@ keyword. If this

number is different than the actual number of data

rows in the file, there has been some kind of file corruption.

/original_file_name=sThis string provides a record

of the file name prior to archiving. The original files

are held in a separate archive complete with the original format and headers. The original files provide a

baseline reference to the archived data.

/run_type=sThis is a verbose description of the run

type recorded in the file name. Refer to Section 5.2.3

for allowed values.

/sequence_number=nThis is identical to the sequence

number recorded in the file name.

5.5.2 Approved Keywords

The approved keyword list for the SBRC data set is:

/collection_aperture=n[u] This describes the aperture

setting used during an ASR measurement.

/comment=sThis string is a record of any comment entered in the original header during testing.

/counts_per_amp=n[u] This specifies the value used to

convert digital counts into amperes during an ASR

measurement.

/factor=nThis is a unitless number used to force this

computed data to agree with data obtained from a

sphere measurement. A number greater than one implies more amps than expected.

/filter=n[u] This specifies the type and thickness of the

Schott color glass filter used.

/ifov=n[u] This specifies the instantaneous field-of-view

of the SeaWiFS instrument during an ASR measurement.

/information_file=sThis string provides the file name

of an ASCII text file containing additional information

regarding the measurement setupused and the format

of the data obtained.

/lamp=sThis string indicates the number and wattage

of lamps used during a BTR test.

/mirror_side=sThis string describes which side of the

half-angle mirror was used during the test. If both

sides of the mirror were used, it will be indicated here

and there will be a column to indicate which side was

measured for each data point.

/slit=n[u] This specifies the horizontal and vertical dimensions of the target slit in a BTR measurement.

/time=hh:mm:ss[u] This keyword records the time in the

hours:minutes:seconds format. The time zone is indicated in the unit field as a three character abbreviation, EST for Eastern Standard Time, GMT for Greenwich Mean Time, etc.

/wavelength_range=n[u] This string indicates the spectral range, increment, and units used during an ASR

measurement. For example, a measurement starting at

400 nm, and ending at 850 nm using a 4 nm increment

would be represented as: 400>850;4[nm].

5.6 DISCUSSION

The SBRC archive contains files compliant with the

SeaBASS protocol. Each file’s header contains the original

header information as well as information specific to the

data type and archive file name. The original image files

were split into separate bands to reduce the size of the

files and eliminate embedded headers between bands. Line

numbers were added to any file that did not already have

them as a means of determining gaps in the data. Files

that contained space-delimited data were converted to tabdelimited. The /column_headers keyword provides a list

of what data appears in each column. The result is a selfcontained file header that is similar to that of the SIRREX

database.

34
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Glossary

ASCII American Standard Code for Information Interchange

ASR Absolute Spectral Response

BATS Bermuda Atlantic Time Series

BBOP Bermuda Bio-Optical Profiler

BOFS British Ocean Flux Study

BSI Biospherical Instruments, Incorporated

BTR Bright Target Recovery

CHORS Center for Hydro-Optics and Remote Sensing (San

Diego State University)

COTS Commercial Off-The-Shelf

CVT Calibration and Validation Team

CZCS Coastal Zone Color Scanner

DAAC Distributed Active Archive Center

DAT Digital Audio Tape

DEC Digital Equipment Corporation

DXW Not an acronym, but a lamp designator.

E-mail Electronic Mail

EDT Eastern Daylight Time

EOS Earth Observing Satellite

EqPac Equatorial Pacific

EST Eastern Standard Time

FEL Not an acronym, but a lamp designator.

FTP File Transfer Protocol

GLOBEC Global Ocean Ecosystems dynamics

GMT Greenwich Mean Time

GSFC Goddard Space Flight Center

GUI Graphical User Interface

IBM International Business Machines

IDL Interactive Data Language

IP Internet Protocol

ISIC Integrating Sphere Irradiance Collector

JARE Japanese Antarctic Research Expedition

JGOFS Joint Global Ocean Flux Study

LDEO Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (Columbia University)

LOC Local Time

LSF Line Spread Function

MIT Massachusetts Institute of Technology

MLML Moss Landing Marine Laboratory

MO Magneto-Optical

MOBY Marine Optical Buoy

MOCE Marine Optical Characterization Experiment

MS-DOS Microsoft/Disk Operating System

NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration

NET NIMBUS Experiment Team

NIMBUS Not an acronym, a series of NASA experimental

satellites containing a wide variety of atmosphere,

ice, and ocean sensors.

NIST National Institute of Standards and Technology

NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration

NRaD Naval Research and Development

NRIFSF National Research Institute of Far Seas Fisheries

(Japan)

OSC Orbital Sciences Corporation

PAR Photosynthetically Available Radiation

PC (IBM) Personal Computer

PR Photo Research

QC Quality Control

RDBMS Relational Database Management System

SBRC (Hughes) Santa Barbara Research Center

SeaBASS SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System

SEAPAK Not an acronym, an image display and analysis

package developed at GSFC.

SeaWiFS Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor

SGI Silicon Graphics, Incorporated

SI International System of Units (SI), or Syst`eme International d’ Unit`es

SIO Scripps Institution of Oceanography

SIRREX SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiment

S/N Serial Number

SRT Sigma Research Technology, Incorporated

STM Science Team Member

Sun Sun Microsystems

SXR SeaWiFS Transfer Radiometer

UA University of Arizona

UCSB University of California at Santa Barbara

UM University of Miami

UNIX Not an acronym, a computer operating system.

WFF Wallops Flight Facility (NASA)

WHOI Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute

WOCE World Ocean Circulation Experiment

References

Barnes, R.A., A.W. Holmes, W.L. Barnes, W.E. Esaias, and

C.R. McClain, 1994: The SeaWiFS Prelaunch Radiometeric Calibration and Spectral Characterization. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 23, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, (submitted).

Clark, D.K., 1981: Phytoplankton algorithms for the Nimbus7 CZCS. Oceanography from Space, J.F.R. Gower, Ed.,

Plenum Press, 227–238.

Evans, R.H., and H.R. Gordon, 1994: CZCS “system calibration:” A retrospective examination, J. Geophys. Res., 99,

7,293–7,307.

Flierl, G., D. Glover, J. Bishop, and S. Paranjpe, 1993: The

JGOFS Distributed Object Oriented Data System User

Guide. Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Cambridge,

Massachusetts, 90 pp.

Habermann, T., 1991: Freeform—A Flexible System of Format

Specifications For Data Access. National Geophysical Data

Center, NOAA, 37 pp.

Hooker, S.B., W.E. Esaias, G.C. Feldman, W.W. Gregg, and

C.R. McClain, 1992: An Overview of SeaWiFS and Ocean

Color. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 1, S.B. Hooker

and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 24 pp., plus color plates.

35
The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1

, W.E. Esaias, and L.A. Rexrode, 1993: Proceedings of

the First SeaWiFS Science Team Meeting, NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 8, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 61 pp.

McClain, C.R., M. Darzi, J. Firestone, E-n. Yeh, G. Fu, and

D. Endres, 1991a: SEAPAK Users Guide, Version 2.0,

Vol. I—System Description. NASA Tech. Mem. 100728,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 158 pp.

, , , , , and , 1991b: SEAPAK Users

Guide, Version 2.0, Vol. II—Descriptions of Programs.

NASA Tech. Mem. 100728, NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 586 pp.

, W.E. Esaias, W. Barnes, B. Guenther, D. Endres, S.B.

Hooker, G. Mitchell, and R. Barnes, 1992: Calibration and

Validation Plan for SeaWiFS. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566,

Vol. 3, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 41 pp.

Mitchell, B.G., and O. Holm-Hansen, 1991: Bio-optical properties of Antarctic Peninsula waters: differentiation from

temperate ocean models. Deep-Sea Res., 39, 1,009–1,028.

Mueller, J.L., 1993: The First SeaWiFS Intercalibration RoundRobin Experiment, SIRREX-1, July 1992. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 14, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 60 pp.

, and R.W. Austin, 1992: Ocean Optics Protocols for SeaWiFS Validation. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 5, S.B.

Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space

Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 43 pp.

, B.C. Johnson, C.L. Cromer, J.W. Cooper, J.T. McLean,

S.B. Hooker, and T.L. Westphal, 1994: The Second SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiment, SIRREX-2, June 1993. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 16,

S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 121 pp.

Woodward, R.H., R.A. Barnes, C.R. McClain, W.E. Esaias,

W.L. Barnes, and A.T. Mecherikunnel, 1993: Modeling

of the SeaWiFS Solar and Lunar Observations. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 10, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 26 pp.

The SeaWiFS Technical Report Series

Vol. 1

Hooker, S.B., W.E. Esaias, G.C. Feldman, W.W. Gregg, and

C.R. McClain, 1992: An Overview of SeaWiFS and Ocean

Color. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 1, S.B. Hooker

and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 24 pp., plus color plates.

Vol. 2

Gregg, W.W., 1992: Analysis of Orbit Selection for SeaWiFS:

Ascending vs. Descending Node. NASA Tech. Memo.

104566, Vol. 2, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds.,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 16 pp.

Vol. 3

McClain, C.R., W.E. Esaias, W. Barnes, B. Guenther, D. Endres, S. Hooker, G. Mitchell, and R. Barnes, 1992: Calibration and Validation Plan for SeaWiFS. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 3, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 41 pp.

Vol. 4

McClain, C.R., E. Yeh, and G. Fu, 1992: An Analysis of GAC

Sampling Algorithms: A Case Study. NASA Tech. Memo.

104566, Vol. 4, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds.,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 22 pp., plus color plates.

Vol. 5

Mueller, J.L., and R.W. Austin, 1992: Ocean Optics Protocols

for SeaWiFS Validation. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol.

5, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 43 pp.

Vol. 6

Firestone, E.R., and S.B. Hooker, 1992: SeaWiFS Technical

Report Series Summary Index: Volumes 1–5. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 6, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 9 pp.

Vol. 7

Darzi, M., 1992: Cloud Screening for Polar Orbiting Visible

and IR Satellite Sensors. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol.

7, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 7 pp.

Vol. 8

Hooker, S.B., W.E. Esaias, and L.A. Rexrode, 1993: Proceedings of the First SeaWiFS Science Team Meeting. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 8, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 61 pp.

Vol. 9

Gregg, W.W., F.C. Chen, A.L. Mezaache, J.D. Chen, J.A.

Whiting, 1993: The Simulated SeaWiFS Data Set, Version 1. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 9, S.B. Hooker

and E.R. Firestone, and A.W. Indest, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 17 pp.

Vol. 10

Woodward, R.H., R.A. Barnes, C.R. McClain, W.E. Esaias,

W.L. Barnes, and A.T. Mecherikunnel, 1993: Modeling

of the SeaWiFS Solar and Lunar Observations. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 10, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 26 pp.

Vol. 11

Patt, F.S., C.M. Hoisington, W.W. Gregg, and P.L. Coronado,

1993: Analysis of Selected Orbit Propagation Models for

the SeaWiFS Mission. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol.

11, S.B. Hooker, E.R. Firestone, and A.W. Indest, Eds.,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 16 pp.

Vol. 12

Firestone, E.R., and S.B. Hooker, 1993: SeaWiFS Technical Report Series Summary Index: Volumes 1–11. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 12, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 28 pp.

36
Hooker, McClain, Firestone, Westphal, Yeh, and Ge

Vol. 13

McClain, C.R., K.R. Arrigo, J. Comiso, R. Fraser, M. Darzi,

J.K. Firestone, B. Schieber, E-n. Yeh, and C.W. Sullivan, 1994: Case Studies for SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation, Part 1. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 13,

S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 52 pp., plus

color plates.

Vol. 14

Mueller, J.L., 1993: The First SeaWiFS Intercalibration RoundRobin Experiment, SIRREX-1, July 1992. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 14, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, 60 pp.

Vol. 15

Gregg, W.W., F.S. Patt, R.H. Woodward, 1994: The Simulated SeaWiFS Data Set, Version 2. NASA Tech. Memo.

104566, Vol. 15, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds.,

NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 42 pp., plus color plates.

Vol. 16

Mueller, J.L., B.C. Johnson, C.L. Cromer, J.W. Cooper, J.T.

McLean, S.B. Hooker, and T.L. Westphal, 1994: The Second SeaWiFS Intercalibration Round-Robin Experiment,

SIRREX-2, June 1993. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol.

16, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard

Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 121 pp.

Vol. 17

Abbott, M.R., O.B. Brown, H.R. Gordon, K.L. Carder, R.E.

Evans, F.E. Muller-Karger, and W.E. Esaias, 1994: Ocean

color in the 21st century: a strategy for a 20-year time

series. NASA Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 17, S.B. Hooker

and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight

Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 20 pp.

Vol. 18

Firestone, E.R., and S.B. Hooker, 1994: SeaWiFS Technical Report Series Summary Index: Volumes 1–17. NASA Tech.

Memo. 104566, Vol. 18, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone,

Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt,

Maryland, (in press).

Vol. 19

McClain, C.R., R.S. Fraser, J.T. McLean, M. Darzi, J.K. Firestone, F.S. Patt, B.D. Schieber, R.H. Woodward, E-n. Yeh,

S. Mattoo, S.F. Biggar, P.N. Slater, K.J. Thome, A.W.

Holmes, R.A. Barnes, and K.J. Voss, 1994: Case Studies

for SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation, Part 2. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 19, S.B. Hooker, E.R. Firestone,

and J.G. Acker, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center,

Greenbelt, Maryland, (in press).

Vol. 20

Hooker, S.B., C.R. McClain, J.K. Firestone, T.L. Westphal,

E-n. Yeh, and Y. Ge, 1994: The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical

Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Part 1. NASA

Tech. Memo. 104566, Vol. 20, S.B. Hooker and E.R. Firestone, Eds., NASA Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Maryland, 40 pp.

37
 Form Approved

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 July 1994 Technical Memorandum

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 Stanford B. Hooker, Charles R. McClain, James K. Firestone, Todd L. Westphal,

Laboratory for Hydrospheric Processes 94B00104

Goddard Space Flight Center

Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

9. SPONSORING/MONITORING AGENCY NAME(S) AND ADDRESS(ES) 10. SPONSORING/MONITORING

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17. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 18. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 19. SECURITY CLASSIFICATION 20. LIMITATION OF ABSTRACT

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SeaWiFS, Oceanography, Calibration, Validation, Data Set, SeaBASS, SIRREX, 40

Historical Pigment, Bio-optical Data

This document provides an overview of the Sea-viewing Wide Field-of-view Sensor (SeaWiFS) Bio-Optical Archive and

Storage System (SeaBASS), which will serve as a repository for numerous data sets of interest to the SeaWiFS Science

Team and other approved investigators in the oceanographic community. The data collected will be those data sets suitable

for the development and evaluation of bio-optical algorithms which include results from SeaWiFS Intercalibration

Round-Robin Experiments (SIRREXs), prelaunch characterization of the SeaWiFS instrument by its manufacturer–Hughes/

Santa Barbara Research Center (SBRC), Marine Optical Characterization Experiment (MOCE) cruises, Marine Optical

Buoy (MOBY) deployments and refurbishments, and field studies of other scientists outside of NASA. The primary goal of

the data system is to provide a simple mechanism for querying the available archive and requesting specific items, while

assuring that the data is made available only to authorized users. The design, construction, and maintenance of SeaBASS is

the responsibility of the SeaWiFS Calibration and Validation Team (CVT). This report is concerned with documenting

the execution of this task by the CVT and consists of a series of chapters detailing the various data sets involved. The topics

presented are as follows: 1) overview of the SeaBASS file architecture, 2) the bio-optical data system, 3) the historical

pigment database, 4) the SIRREX database, and 5) the SBRC database.

 Unclassified Unclassified Unclassified Unlimited

 REPORT DOCUMENTATION PAGE OMB No. 0704-0188

NSN 7540-01-280-5500 Standard Form 298 (Rev. 2-89) Prescribed by ANSI Std. 239-18, 298-102

 SeaWiFS Technical Report Series

Volume 20–The SeaWiFS Bio-Optical Archive and Storage System (SeaBASS), Code 970.2

 Part 1

 Eueng-nan Yeh, and Yuntao Ge

 Series Editors: Stanford B. Hooker and Elaine R. Firestone

Yuntao Ge: University Space Research Association, Columbia, Maryland