When completed, the entire DAC archive of WOCE surface meteorological data will better define forcing fields for ocean models and climatologies over the oceans. The DAC QC procedure is a four step process fully detailed in a technical report by Smith et al. After the arrival of a WOCE meteorological data set and accompanying metadata, the data is converted to a standard format. Once converted, the data is run through an automated preprocessing program that checks for values outside a realistic range, statistical outliers, unrealistic ship movements, etc. When the meteorological data has passed all final inspections, the data are converted to a standard format suitable for public distribution and a QC report is written.
Data are also available via disk, tape, and hard copy upon request.
Currently, only a portion Chilean WOCE meteorological data are transmitted in real time to the Global Telecommunications System and the use of these transmitted data in the global operational weather analyses is unlikely. As a result, the SAC plans to compare the complete meteorological data from the Chilean, and other, WOCE cruises to the global surface analysis fields from numerical weather prediction centers, e.g. European Centre for Medium Range Weather Forecasts or National Center for Environmental Prediction. The differences between the analyses and the observed conditions will likely be large, especially over the southern oceans. Other SAC activities will include providing fields of surface meteorological variables and fluxes based on in- situ and remotely sensed data. References Carleton, A.M. 1988.