E-ASAPProgramme

Report on the EUMETNET ASAP

Presentation by Rudolf Krockauer, E-ASAP Programme ManagerApril 2007, Geneva, SOT-IV

E-ASAPProgramme

Contents:

1. E-ASAP fleet2. Performance 2006 (and 2007)3. Plans and activities 2007/2008

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EimskipIceland – North East USV2XMSkogafoss16

Instituto Social de la MarinaOff Mauretania and Canary IslandsEBUQEsperanza del Mar15

14

Royal Arctic LineDenmark – West coast GreenlandTwo units are distributed among five ships.

ASDK01,ASDK02

Irena/Naja/Mary/Arina/Nuka Arctica

13

CMA CGMNorth West Europe – French West IndiesASFR2Fort St. Pierre12

CMA CGMNorth West Europe – French West IndiesASFR1Fort St. Louis11

National ASAPs:

Hapag LloydMontreal – North EuropeASGB01Mississauga Express10

Horn LinieNorth Europe - CaribbeanASDE04Hornbay9

MaerskHouston – East Coast US – North EuropeASDE03SL Motivator8

Ministry of Technology and ResearchResearch vessel, no dedicated routeASDE02FS Meteor7

Atlantic Container LineNorth Europe – East coast USASDE01Atlantic Compass6

Thien & HeyengaWestern Europe – Halifax – CaribbeanASEU05EWL Central America II (*)5

Hapag LloydWestern Mediterranean – MontrealASEU04Power4

Hapag LloydWestern Mediterranean – MontrealASEU03Endurance3

MaerskHouston – East Coast US – North EuropeASEU02SL Achiever2

MaerskHouston – East Coast US – North EuropeASEU01SL Performance1

E-ASAP and integrated national ASAPs:

Shipping companyRouteASAP stationShipNo

Current E-ASAP fleet 2007

E-ASAPProgramme

Contents:

1. E-ASAP fleet2. Performance 2006 (and 2007)3. Plans and activities 2007/2008

E-ASAPProgramme

Distribution of soundings 2006 (Jan-Dec)

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Ship ASAP station Managed by Received soundings

1 SL Performance ASEU01 E-ASAP 305

2 SL Achiever ASEU02 E-ASAP 330

3 Endurance ASEU03 E-ASAP 235

4 Power ASEU04 E-ASAP 212

5 Melfi Italia II ASEU05 E-ASAP 375

6 Atlantic Compass ASDE01 E-ASAP 277

7 FS Meteor ASDE02 E-ASAP 243

8 SL Motivator ASDE03 E-ASAP 359

9 Hornbay ASDE04 E-ASAP 293

10 Mississauga Express ASGB01 E-ASAP 265

11 Fort St. Louis FQFL Meteo France 268

12 Fort St. Pierre FQFM Meteo France 271

13 5 ships Royal Arctic Line

DMI unit 1 DMI 277

14 DMI unit 2 DMI 231

15 Esperanza del Mar EBUQ INM 191

16 Skogafoss V2XM Vedurstofa Islands 168

Total 4,300

E-ASAPProgramme

No Ship ASAP station Managed by Timeliness * (HH+)

Burst height ** (hPa)

1 SL Performance ASEU01 E-ASAP 69 28

2 SL Achiever ASEU02 E-ASAP 69 27

3 Endurance ASEU03 E-ASAP 59 40

4 Power ASEU04 E-ASAP 60 28

5 Melfi Italia II ASEU05 E-ASAP 63 20

6 Atlantic Compass ASDE01 E-ASAP 83 30

7 FS Meteor ASDE02 E-ASAP 88 44

8 SL Motivator ASDE03 E-ASAP 83 30

9 Hornbay ASDE04 E-ASAP 52 39

10 Mississauga Express ASGB01 E-ASAP 71 20

11 Fort St. Louis FQFL Meteo France 47 34

12 Fort St. Pierre FQFM Meteo France 37 32

13 DMI unit 1 DMI 52 30

14 5 ships Royal Arctic Line DMI unit 2 DMI 52 28

15 Esperanza del Mar EBUQ INM 72 26

16 Skogafoss V2XM Vedurstofa Islands 93 30 * Mean average

** Median average

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Availability key figures:

• 5150 soundings set as target for 2006.

• 5153 launches according to log books.

• 4300 soundings received on the GTS.

• 83% average efficiency.

• Reduced soundings since Oct 06 due to - Closure of receiving station Goonhilly, - Helium shortage.

E-ASAPProgramme

Quality key figures:

• Mean timeliness < HH+100 (new timeliness target).

• Median burst heights < 50 hP for all units.

• Median burst heights slightly better for 350g than 200 g balloons, but no difference in achieving the EUCOS targets (90% 100 hPa, 75% 50 hPa).

Comparison 200g vs 350g balloons:

Size Helium needs (m³) Average height 200 g 1.3 21 km 350 g 1.7 22 km

=> 30% more helium is needed to achieve 5% more height

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Received soundings 01/Feb – 12/Mar 2007

Performance 2007

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Performance 2007

Key figures and occurrences:

• Code 41 transmissions changed from Goonhilly to Aussaguel.

• KNMI is working on a solution to accept sounding data via station Burum.

• Low performance in Jan/Feb due to storm season (e. g. 8 in 19 launches from ASEU01 crashed at launch in Feb).

• Return to ususal schedule since Feb (soundings at 00, 12, and 18 UTC on dedicated ships) despite helium supply problems.

• Completion of replacements of station PCs by semi rugged notebooks on E-ASAP ships.

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Contents:

1. E-ASAP fleet2. Performance 2006 (and 2007)3. Plans and activities 2007/2008

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Plans and activities:

• Establish a wider network of supporting PMOs

• Improving the satellite communication - Decoupling sounding and transmission systems, - Direct e-mail transmission to DWD and forwarding to GTS.

• IPY: - additional soundings for GFDex campaign 19/Feb – 10/Mar, - further support, if requested

• EURORISK: - providing facilities for position tracking for targeted soundings.

• Assess options for high resolution BUFR data - TEMP: 2 KB - Edited 5sec BUFR: 65 KB

E-ASAPProgramme

Summary:

• 16 units delivered 4300 sounding data (5153 launches) in 2006

• Average timeliness < HH+60

• Average burst height < 50 hPa

• Decoupling of transmission and sounding

• Changeover to e-mail transmission instead of SAC 41