The Marine Climatological Summaries Scheme (MCSS) & the Expert Team on Marine Climatology (ETMC ) SOT-IV Geneva, April 2007 Scott Woodruff and Elizabeth Kent NOAA Earth System Research Laboratory National Oceanography Centre, Southampton Two underlying questions…

Q1: Role of DM VOS data?  Often-overlooked benefits by VOS to GCOS for Essential Climate Variables  Complex issues largely impact GTS flow: RT provision of metadata (META-T) RT provision of metadata (META-T) Call sign masking WIS and BUFR/CREX  Possible more divergent approach for future: RT/GTS data more for NWP DM data more for climate-quality products

Q2: Role of ICOADS? International Comprehensive Ocean-Atmosphere Data Set Current period of record: Current period of record: VOS data (and metadata) plus: VOS data (and metadata) plus: Drifting and moored buoys Drifting and moored buoys Near-surface oceanographic profile “SST” Near-surface oceanographic profile “SST” Proposed enhanced/new linkages to JCOMM Proposed enhanced/new linkages to JCOMM International Maritime Meteorological Archive (IMMA) format International Maritime Meteorological Archive (IMMA) format Internationalization of some tasks? Internationalization of some tasks?

ETMC Background Major past focus: MCSS (c. 1964) -- components: 1)Delayed-mode VOS data management (IMMT, MQCS, etc.) 2)MCSS Summaries (MCS): tabular/graphical summaries ETMC-II: March -- selected recommendations: ETMC-II: March -- selected recommendations: SOT TT on eLogbooks [rev. here at SOT] SOT TT on eLogbooks [rev. here at SOT] Documentation for calculations of DPT/etc. Documentation for calculations of DPT/etc. Importance of AWS reports plus visual obs. Importance of AWS reports plus visual obs. Concerns about impacts of ship ID masking Concerns about impacts of ship ID masking  ID should not be masked in DM data

2 New Task Teams (TT) 1)Delayed-Mode VOS (TT-DMVOS) data mgmt. Established by DMCG, cross-cutting with OPA/SOT Established by DMCG, cross-cutting with OPA/SOT Reinvent data flow (GCCs, IMMT, MQCS) Reinvent data flow (GCCs, IMMT, MQCS) Explore convergences/streamlining Explore convergences/streamlining 2)Marine and Oceanographic Climatological Summaries (TT-MOCS) Proposed by ETMC-II Proposed by ETMC-II Resolve future of the MCS Resolve future of the MCS

MCS Decadal Summaries MCS Decadal Summaries Mandated by Manual/Guide to Marine Met. Services produced irregularly/not by some RMs AT (nobs, mean, SD)

TT-MOCS  WG to draft TOR (August 2007) Cross-cutting with SPA (ETWS and ETSI) Cross-cutting with SPA (ETWS and ETSI)  JCOMM-II (2005): Urged ETMC to examine how marine, oceanographic, and ice climatologies could be “coordinated so as to been seen as an integrated product.”  QC linkages (MQCS, satellite data for in situ) Related: Scoping document on ship QC Related: Scoping document on ship QC Tasked by DMCG-II (2006) Tasked by DMCG-II (2006) Commonalities: VOS, GOSUD, SAMOS Commonalities: VOS, GOSUD, SAMOS

TT-DMVOS  Major task areas: Streamline data flow -- including GCCs Streamline data flow -- including GCCs Manage and update IMMT and MQCS Manage and update IMMT and MQCS  Explore possible convergences: IMMT and IMMA formats IMMT and IMMA formats IMMA includes features suggested for IMMT-IV IMMA includes features suggested for IMMT-IV E.g.: Higher-res. of lat/lon and wind speed E.g.: Higher-res. of lat/lon and wind speed ICOADS (note: IMMT data not blended >1997) ICOADS (note: IMMT data not blended >1997) Delayed-mode vs. GTS Delayed-mode vs. GTS GOSUD, SAMOS GOSUD, SAMOS

Structure & Reporting  Proposed membership ETMC: GCCs as two Co-chairpersons Plus RMs on ETMC, etc. SOT (its Chair + VOSPanel Chair) US NOAA/NCDC member also planned  Reporting mechanisms Project plan for next 3 years (Aug. 2007) Reporting to ETMC and SOT + website

IMMA format: Key Format Design Requirements Simplicity: Members process/manipulate Simplicity: Members process/manipulate Use ASCII and eliminate complex encodings Use ASCII and eliminate complex encodings e.g., numeric mixed with “+”, “/” e.g., numeric mixed with “+”, “/” Flexibility & extensibility (e.g., historical) Flexibility & extensibility (e.g., historical) Abbreviated (“core”) record type useful Abbreviated (“core”) record type useful BUFR physical format not appropriate BUFR physical format not appropriate Consider convergence w/ BUFR tables Consider convergence w/ BUFR tables

ICOADS recent data/metadata mix Delayed-mode (DM) v. RT GTS data in IMMA > GTS drifter reports consolidated in DM WMO Pub (upcoming: )

IMMA record types core icoadsimmt suppl. meta... Key for archival: attm of complete original (suppl.) data: Experience has demonstrated that format translations frequently:  contain small (or large) errors  or are incomplete (core + optional attms…)

E.g.: NCEP wind speed, 2006 BUFR vs. FM 13 grey: BUFR - kts / (NCEP, GEMPAK) blue: BUFR - kts / (ICOADS, Int. Nautical Mile)

BUFR: Requirements for marine climatology (from ETMC-II) Need for certified en- and de-coders (action, CBS) Need for certified en- and de-coders (action, CBS) Access to the originally reported data is critical: Access to the originally reported data is critical: NCEP practice: attach FM 13 (FM 18) to BUFR NCEP practice: attach FM 13 (FM 18) to BUFR non-SI units required for consistency non-SI units required for consistency wind speed in kts and cloud cover in oktas wind speed in kts and cloud cover in oktas Establish unique “tracking” identifiers for VOS reports Establish unique “tracking” identifiers for VOS reports BUFR reports need to be more carefully validated BUFR reports need to be more carefully validated  General requirements first; detailed templates later?  JCOMM -- CBS interaction on this sooner vs. later?

CLIMAR-III JCOMM Workshop on Advances in Marine Climatology 6-9 May 2008, Gdansk/Sopot/Gdynia, Poland Local and Scientific Organizing Committees: initiated Broadened JCOMM involvement: from OPA & SPA Possible new sessions: climate indices, sea state + ice Updating: ‘Dynamic Part’ of the Guide to the Appl. MC