1. Data Assembly Center (DAC) Example Data Quality Procedures VRCO Discussions, 06 December 2006

2. The Mission of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is to Deliver Real-Time Meteorological and Oceanographic Data to Weather Forecasting Offices Real-Time is generally considered < 2 hours after measurement acquisition (< 6 hr, NDBC receives credit) The NDBC is currently quality controlling nearly 500 remote marine stations (buoys and fixed-stations) and number is growing

3. Data Management and Communications Branch Status 11 September 2006

4. Generalized Data Flow

5. Automated Real-Time QC is performed on incoming data at the National Weather Service Telecommunications Gateway. Limited algorithms are applied (range checks and time continuity).

6. DAC Watch-stander Schedules

7. Data Assembly Center Day Watch Routine (Weekday) I:\\DAC\Procedures\Daywatch Routine.xls Date: _______________________________Analyst: __________________________________ Time TaskReportInitialsRemarks 6:00 Watch Turnover 6:15 Review Synoptic situation and Yosimite displays 6:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 7:00 Evaluate Location Report 7:30 Review Brief, add late changesFinal Brief 8:00 Post Briefing Slides to web and send 5-Day Forecast Report 5-Day Forecast Report 8:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 9:00 Evaluate DAPS reports 9:30 Perform DART review on web 10:00 Analyze IOOS/NOS metdiffs (12z-12z) 10:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 11:00 Analyze IOOS/NOS metdiffs (12z-12z) 11:30 12:00 Analyze IOOS/NOS plots IOOS/NOS Daily Update 12:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 13:00 Review Wave Validation Wave Validation Report 14:00 Analyze DART Summary Report 14:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 15:00 Evaluation Long Island Time Tab 15:30 Review Critical Buoys Critical Buoy Report 16:00 Evaluate Communication Summary 16:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 17:00 Review Buoys no reportingNo Data Report 17:30 Prepare for Turnover 18:00 Turnover

8. Data Assembly Center Night Watch Routine (Weekday) I:\\DAC\Procedures\Nightwatch Routine.xls Date: _______________________________Analyst: __________________________________ Time TaskReportInitialsRemarks 18:00 Watch Turnover 18:15 Review Synoptic situation and Yosimite displays 18:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 18:45 AIS check 19:00 Evaluate Location Report 19:30 Preliminary Briefing Slides Preparations 20:00 Analyze Power Data 20:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 21:00 21:30 Perform DART review on web 22:00 Analyze NDBC metdiffs (00z-00z) 22:30 23:00 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 23:30 Analyze NDBC plots NDBC QC Update 0:00 0:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 1:00 Evaluate Communications Summary 1:30 Evaluate Station Location Report and prepare Drifting Buoy Report Drifting Buoy Report 2:00 Analyze DART Summary Report 2:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 3:00 3:30 Prepare Briefing Slides 4:00 4:30 WEB, Yosimite and Iridium Checks 5:00 Finalize Briefing Slides 5:30 Prepare for Turnover 6:00 Turnover

9. Manual (DAC Watch-stander) Real-Time QC Marta Systems (Yosemite Weather Workstation) Wind barbs Yellow circles indicate comms loss (data > 2 hours old) Overlaid satellite stitched graphics and looping Watch-standers must actively look at Screen – Not as many screens as Geographical Regions

10. Marta Display – Overall View

11. Marta Display – Gulf of Mexico

12. Near-Real-time QC (After Automated Real-Time QC) Intensive Database Set-up ASCII IDs Associated with measured parameters Analysts run programs to search for anomalous data Program output on line printers DAC Analysts set-up all stations in database

13. Oracle Database – NEMIS GUI Front-end

14. Oracle Database – ASCII ID Assignment

15. Example METDIFF Printout Page Lower-case flags, warning-only Does not stop data Generates stacks of paper

16. Example METDIFF Printout Page ‘D-Flagged’ Data Upper-case Flags Data flow is terminated until released by analyst

17. Example METDIFF Plots Region Stations Data Displays

18. Oracle Database – Raw Data Report

20. Oracle Database – Interactive Plotting

21. Communications Report Looking for data dropouts due to communication problems Analyst runs program and scans output

22. Oracle Database – Communications Report “M” – Missing Data (Comms)

23. Buoy Location Report Looking for buoys off-station “drifting buoys” Analyst runs program and scans output

24. Oracle Database – Buoy Location Report % of Watch circle >100% is drifting