world meteorological organizationintergovernmental oceanographic commission of unesco ship...

World Meteorological Organization Intergovernmental OceanographicCommission of UNESCO

Ship Observations Team ~ integrating and coordinating international ship-based observing programmes for JCOMM ~

SOT-IV16-21 April 2007, Geneva, Switzerland

Sarah North

The Status, Operation and Future

of the VOSClim Project

© Crown copyright 2007

VOS CLIMATE SHIP OBSERVATIONS

NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICESNATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

PORT MET. OFFICERSPORT MET. OFFICERS

Delayed Mode Data ( IMMT 3 Code Data )

Real Time Data (Ship Code or compressed data)

Metadata(WMO Pub 47 Data)

BUFR Code Data (Observation and Model Data )

Monitoring Data (Statistics + suspect lists)

GLOBAL COLLECTING

CENTRES

GLOBAL COLLECTING

CENTRES

Data Users

DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER(Project Web Site)


REAL TIME MONITORING

CENTRE


CENTRE

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project


VOS CLIMATE SHIP OBSERVATIONS

NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICESNATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES

PORT MET. OFFICERSPORT MET. OFFICERS

Delayed Mode Data ( IMMT 3 Code Data )

Real Time Data (Ship Code or compressed data)

Metadata(WMO Pub 47 Data)

BUFR Code Data (Observation and Model Data )

Monitoring Data (Statistics + suspect lists)

GLOBAL COLLECTING

CENTRES

GLOBAL COLLECTING

CENTRES

Data Users




CENTRE


CENTRE



Updating Ship List on Project Website

Failure to collect & submit delayed mode data

Volume of project data is low

VOSClim data is not being widely used

Availability of Project data on Project Website

Availability of Metadata on WMO Website

Main Problem Areas - Since SOT III



Main Successes since SOT III

Participation - Target of 200 Ships Achieved !!

Website now updated

Project procedures active (apart from delayed mode problems)

Majority of Action items arising from SOT III now done, or part done – see Overview and Action list at Appendix A to VOSClim Task Team Report


CountryNumber of Active

VOSClim ships at SOT III

Number of Active VOSClim ships

at SOT IV

Australia 10 12

Canada 14 40

France 6 23

Germany 11 22

India 21 22

Japan 5 5

Netherlands 1 19

UK 33 62

USA 12 12

TOTALS 113 217

SOT IV - The VOSClim ProjectRecruitment levels

Initial Target of 200 Participating ships now met !!

Please check your ship lists are correct on project website


Project Ship Lists Monitoring statistics/data Observation data Project newsletter Project focal points Photographs Ship survey inspection

forms Project document,

updates, information, links

http://lwf.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/vosclim/vosclim.html

SOT IV - The VOSClim ProjectProject Web Site


SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address

1. Recruited and withdrawn ships on project website not kept up to date – so monitoring not performed and data not available to users. How can this be improved ??

2. Although number of ships has reached target level the volume of project data is poor. Strategies for increasing participation and data volume needed.

3. A comparison of the algorithms used in electronic logbook software is needed

See issues raised in Report of Task Team



4. GCC Reports show that there are an increasing number of ships ‘Self-Recruiting’….

- Is password protection needed on TurboWin software ??

- Or should all ships using electronic logbooks be encouraged to report the additional project groups (provided that they are not confused with registered VOSClim ships) ??




5. Vital delayed mode IMMT 3 project data is not being consistently collected, quality controlled, or submitted by all VOSClim participants

- SOT to encourage participants to make submissions ( even if MQCS not applied ) and to consider strategies to improve delayed mode data flow

- Should GCC’s be invited to take a more proactive role in collection of members IMMT data ??




6. The original concept was that all data streams (real time, model, delayed mode and metadata) should be available via a single location on the project website maintained by the DAC. Whilst this concept remains valid, it has not been fully achieved and has therefore hindered evaluation of the data by the scientific advisers. How can this be resolved ???

7. Availability of Pub 47 metadata is essential for the project but is hindered through slow delivery to WMO website (discuss under agenda items 1-5.1.2 and IV/3.6)




8. The issue of how (and where) to store digital metadata imagery is not fully resolved, although some photos are on the project website.

- As such imagery is also collected for standard VOS is there a more appropriate method of storage ?




9. The inclusion of a method of collecting Pub 47 metadata at source in TurboWin offers the possibility to maintain more up to date metadata records. This would help with keeping ships lists up to date and therefore assist the RTMC with issuing monitoring statistics

- should ship’s observers be requested to check and send in their updated metadata listings to their recruiting NMS at, say, monthly intervals?

- should such requests be programmed into TurboWin (i.e. linked to computer time?)

10. Should observing officers be trusted with updating metadata themselves ? (This could help in the case of ships that rarely return to the recruiting country, and the data could be vetted before making WMO Pub 47 submissions). Or,

- should the metadata module in Pub 47 be password protected ??




11. Do PMOs still need to complete the hardcopy VOSClim recruitment/update form if most of the metadata can now be collected electronically on board using TurboWin ??

- Should the form be discontinued for VOSClim ships fitted with TurboWin?

(national inspection form requirements would be unaffected)




12. Although the RTMC is sending the VOSClim monitoring statistics and suspect lists to the DAC each month, there have been recent problems with their availability on the project website. Monitoring problems for these ships are not therefore being resolved. This appears to be a resource issue for the DAC to resolve ?


13. Does the hardcopy VOSClim brochure need revision/reprinting ?

– or is the electronic copy sufficient ?

– If a reprint is needed how should it be funded ?



14. There are now a variety of different certificates being issued to VOS (e.g. SOT, AMVER, National Certificates etc) including two certificates for VOSClim ships.

- It is suggested that only the ‘VOSClim Certificate of Participation’ (for presentation to the ship is needed) and that the ‘VOSClim Certificate of Appreciation’ should be discontinued and removed from the website.




15. Masking of project ship call signs could be a serious problem for VOSClim if the DAC and RTMC are not able to identify ships. Changes in data traffic systems in the RTMC may be needed.

( for discussion under agenda item IV/4.1.2 )

16. Differences in content and availability of different data streams have been identified

( was discussed at ETMC ? )

17. Although VOSClim parameters have been included in the latest draft BUFR template, the suitability of BUFR for VOSClim data transfer is questioned

( for discussion under agenda item 1/6.2.2 )

18. Bearing mind that a back up of the VOSClim BUFR data will also be made available on the Met Office’s external FTP server it is questioned whether GTS exchange remains the preferred (or required) system for exchanging between the RTMC and the DAC

Overarching VOSClim issues



19. Now that the target of 200 project ships has been reached and the project data delivery process is established (albeit with some outstanding issues) the SOT is invited to consider whether…..

VOSClim should remain a PROJECT or be integrated into the VOS SCHEME as a separate or integrated long term PROGRAMME ???

- If so how should this be achieved ??

- Should it remain a climate subset of the VOS, or should the aim be to upgrade all VOS to VOSClim standards

Fundamental VOSClim policy issue

world meteorological organizationintergovernmental oceanographic commission of unesco ship...

Documents

availability of project

vosclim project slide

vosclim project issues

project website slide

low vosclim data

mode data immt

project website failure

vosclim participants