Surface Marine Metadata

Prepared for 1st meeting of WCRP Working Group on Surface Fluxes

Halifax, 11-12 October 2004

Metadata Projects• WMO Publication No. 47

o Digitisation of metadata from 1953-1972 (US CDMP)o Full metadata from 1973 to 1st quarter of 2004 now availableo 2nd quarter should be available this weeko Delivery of current metadata has been a problem in the pasto SOT Task team recommended changing format, approved by

JCOMM ETMCo Shortly to become available as an ICOADS attachment for 1973

to 1997

• JCOMM ODAS buoy metadata databaseo Development by JCOMMOPS should be complete this yearo Early-mid 2005 all metadata available by ftp in XMLo Database to be hosted by China

SAMOS Metadata Template

• Shipboard Automated Meteorological and Oceanographic System Initiativeo Has draft metadata template - circulate

• Template divided into three sections: ship profile, data tracking, and quality control

• Aims to provide searchable, updateable fields through on-line ship profile database

o Proposing free and open access to datao Template being considered by IODE GOSUD

project

SAMOS Metadata Template

o Ship profile includes information:• to maintain contacts with data provider and vessel

technicians• to describe instruments used and their location on the

vessel (including photos and manufacturer specs.)• to define all aspects of data sampling rates, averaging

periods, and reported data intervals• to maintain updated calibration information• to describe data format and allow for automated QC

o Feedback to Shawn Smith from WGSF would be very welcome

Other metadata projects

• Marine XMLo Aims to provide global standards for use of XML

with marine metadata.

• JCOMM/ETDMP Metadata Pilot Projecto The Metadata Pilot Project was proposed by the

ETDMP meeting in May of 2003. The project defined some basic areas of activity:

o review existing metadata "standards" used in the JCOMM community to determine requirements for fully describing ocean and marine meteorological data

• recommend a mapping between these standards• identify additional metadata that is needed but not included in

any of these standardso review existing lists of descriptive keywords and recommend a

JCOMM keyword list, if appropriate• identify metadata elements that require a controlled vocabulary• match ODAS terms to other keyword thesaurus terms

o review mechanisms/software that facilitate online access to distributed metadata databases

o review/analyze ODAS metadata recommendation to determine how to integrate ODAS metadata into other metadata standards and software requirements

o test some of the software reviewed above in an operational setting

Contact: Donald.Collins@noaa.gov

• They would appreciate help in looking at what types of metadata may be missing from the standards

• ... and expertise for keyword analysis

• Shawn and I have agreed to participate in this pilot project: o does anyone else want to be directly involved?o ...or be consulted?

Questions/Actions

• Q: Does the WG want to be involved in metadata standards beyond individual contributions?

• Q: Does the WG want to interact with ETDMP metadata initiative? Or any individual WG members? Or appropriate colleagues?

• Action: Feedback on SAMOS metadata format

• Statement: Welcome improved availability of VOS metadata in Pub 47

Routine Flux Data Requirements

Prepared for 1st meeting of WCRP Working Group on Surface Fluxes

Halifax, 11-12 October 2004

Global in situ fluxes

• Need source of basin-wide fluxes independent of model data.

• Data can come from some moored buoys and research ships but mainly from merchant ships participating in the WMO Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) program.

• SOC Climatology uses VOS data but has no error bars on flux fields.

• Need to define data requirements for VOS as an important contribution to the GCOS.

Flux errors and monitoring

• Once we are able to estimate uncertainties on VOS/in situ flux fields we can start monitoring data collected against various requirements.

• Observing systems are being defined /redesigned and, at the moment, our requirements for gridded fluxes (and other products) are not being taken into account.

Potential Progress• I shall be talking to the UK Met Office shortly

about a proposal to monitor observations (observation networks) against climate /oceanographic criteria

• If this doesn't happen we cannot know if e.g. GCOS is providing the data we need

• We need to ensure that flux requirements have been properly defined to feed into any monitoring activity

• We need to lobby for the observations required for the flux products that are needed

Actions

• Review requirements for flux products• Ensure the GCOS plan will give us the

flux accuracy we require over enough of the global ocean. Other plans?

• Feed requirements into national reviews of observing networks

• Encourage the start of observation monitoring for surface fluxes