1. OSCAR/Surface
The Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review tool
for Surface-based observations
Luis Nunes
WIGOS Project Office

2. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

3. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

4. The Observing Systems Capability Analysis and Review tool - OSCAR
Web-based platform for WIGOS
Land, air, ocean and space observations
Current and historic metadata
Requirements vs capabilities (RRR)
Facilitating network planning
For all WMO Application Areas
Supporting your service to society.

5. The Rolling Review of Requirements (RRR)
Congress resolution:
All WMO and WMO co-sponsored observing systems shall use the RRR to design networks, plan evolution and assess performance.
RRR is the WMO process to collect, check and record user requirements for all WMO application areas and match them against observational capabilities
Statements of Guidance are the result of gap analysis:
They show us how well each application area is supported by WIGOS;

6. The WMO Application Areas
Global numerical weather prediction
High-resolution numerical weather prediction
Nowcasting and very short range forecasting
Seasonal and inter-annual forecasting
Aeronautical meteorology
Forecasting atmospheric composition
Monitoring atmospheric composition
Atmospheric composition for urban applications
Ocean applications
Agricultural meteorology
Hydrology
Climate monitoring (as undertaken through GCOS)
Climate applications
Space weather

7. The WIGOS Pre-Operational Phase (2016-2019)
Five main priority areas:
National WIGOS Implementation, coordination and governance mechanisms
WIGOS Regulatory Material, supplemented with necessary guidance material
WIGOS Information Resource, including OSCAR, especially OSCAR/Surface
WIGOS Data Quality Monitoring System (WDQMS)
Regional Structure; Regional WIGOS Centers
Priority areas III and IV will enable us to:
Describe what WIGOS is, and
Measure how well it performs
Initial role of this priority area (RWCs):
Provide support for areas III and IV

8. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

9. OSCAR WIGOS and the RRR are supported by 3 databases of OSCAR:
OSCAR/Requirements,
Requirements for observations (each AA) independent of technology ,
Expressed in units of geophysical variables (260 in total currently);
OSCAR/Space
Capabilities of all satellite sensors, whether historical, operational or planned
OSCAR/Surface
Surface-based capabilities; developed by MeteoSwiss for WMO
oscar.wmo.int/surface
"What is WIGOS"

10. OSCAR/Requirements
For each AA, the following requirements are included:
Spatial resolution (horizontal and vertical)
Temporal resolution (Observing cycle)
Uncertainty,
Data latency,
Each requirement is expressed in terms of 3 separate values:
Threshold (observations not useful unless this is met)
Break-through (optimum cost-benefit ratio)
Goal (exceeding this provides no additional benefit)
Established by CBS and other WMO Expert Teams and Task Teams with contributions from the scientific community

11. Example of Variable: horizontal wind

12. OSCAR/Surface (1)
Repository of metadata for all surface-based observations
Highly heterogeneous with multiple owners and operators
For surface and upper-air stations, aircraft, ships, buoys, radars
Practical implementation of the WIGOS Metadata Standard
What should go into OSCAR/Surface?
All WIGOS stations - mandatory for those exchanging data internationally
Use OSCAR even when data is not shared
OSCAR can be used as national station DB
Use it for network planning and documenting observing systems evolution

13. OSCAR/Surface (2)
OSCAR/Surface is replacing WMO Pub. 9, Volume A, will also include information from inventories for non-GOS components
Developed jointly by WMO and MeteoSwiss
Operational mode started May 2, 2016
Transition period will last for 2 years:
Members should provide their WIGOS metadata directly in OSCAR
Or continue to use the existing WMO procedures for Vol.A
Major priority for :
Training to Members in populating, editing and using OSCAR/Surface

14. Initial data integration into OSCAR/Surface
# stations
GAWSIS
Global Atmosphere Watch stations = 1.053
WMO Pub 9 Vol A
Catalogue of GOS stations >13.026
JCOMMOPS
Marine element of GOS / GOOS >11.387
WMO Radar DB
World-wide weather radars >762
Amdar
Coming soon …

15. First Results of OSCAR/Surface operational
Worldwide distribution of access

16. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & Other Developments
Training efforts

17. WIGOS Metadata Standard (WMDS)
WIGOS metadata = observational metadata:
enables data values to be interpreted;
It is not discovery metadata, related to data access and retrieval:
part of WIS - WMO Information System
WMDS is a semantic standard:
Describes the elements to be reported
Applicable to all observing systems:
In-situ, remote, fixed, mobile, on land, on sea, on ice, on rivers, etc
Meant to be used by all 14 Application Areas:

18. WIGOS Metadata Standard (WMDS)
Developed by Task Team on WIGOS Metadata of ICG-WIGOS
1st version approved by Cg as part of Manual on WIGOS:
It has entered into force for WMO Members on 1 July 2016
What Members will have to do to comply with the Tech.Regs. (WMO-No. 49, Vol. I, Part I – WIGOS and Manual on WIGOS):
Collect and keep records of WIGOS metadata
Provide WIGOS metadata for observations exchanged internationally
Review current entries in OSCAR/Surface and keep them up-to-date
Guidance on WMDS is included in the 1stEd. of Guide to WIGOS:
available online since June 2016

19. WIGOS Metadata Standard (WMDS)
Metadata reporting obligations:
Mandatory - Required for all WIGOS stations/platforms
Conditional - Required if applicable
(e.g. instrument calibration is not applicable to a human observer)
Optional – Desirable/useful, but non-compulsory
WMDS Implementation Phases:

20. WIGOS Metadata Standard (WMDS)
Implementation Phases
Extract of the WMDS elements per Implementation Phases

21. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

22. OSCAR/Surface Website: oscar.wmo.int/surface

23. OSCAR/Surface Website, Screenshots of West Asia
Zoom in…

24. Example of the Details of a station

25. Security and user management
The authorization process is based on «trust-relationships» and various «user roles»
Edit all stations in country
Also: register new contact
NFP
Station contact
Admin
Register
Edit assigned stations
Each Member need to have an active National Focal Point for OSCAR/Surface

26. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

27. The Machine-to-machine interface (M-2-M)
To be used by individual Members:
WIGOS metadata exchange format is under review
Based on standards OGC O&M / ISO19156
Supports XML, possibly JSON
Possibly provision of CSV templates for station, observations, instruments, contacts, etc.
Specification of API is in progress
Transactions of full records
Transactions of partial records («deltas»)
Approval planned by CBS-16 in Nov 2016

28. Outline OSCAR and the RRR The three Databases of OSCAR
The WIGOS Metadata Standard
The Website of OSCAR/Surface
The Machine-to-Machine API & other developments
Training efforts

29. Training efforts Several workshops/training events were held in 2015
Need hands-on training for OSCAR/Surface Nat.Focal Points
Type of training
Content
Audience
Region
Language
Date
Classroom
Web interface
NFPs O/S
RA I
French
4th Q 2016
English
1st Q 2017
RA III/IV
Spanish
RA VI
2nd Q 2017
RA II
RA V
3rd Q 2017
Webinar
M-2-M interface
Members IT staff
RA IV/VI
RA III/VI
RA II/V
4th Q 2017

30. Credits Project Team at MeteoSwiss (current) Project Team at WMO
J Klausen, L Cappelletti, B Calpini, M Musa, M Brändli, L Koppa, C Walder, E Grüter, S Sandmeier, M Schäfer, A Rubli, T Hager, Attila Loos; (past) J Mannes, S Spreitzer, M Leutenegger, C Sigg, M Abbt, W Brunelli, J Mettler
Project Team at WMO
W Zhang, LP Riishojgaard, E Charpentier, J Lafeuille, T Pröscholdt
Project Team at European Dynamics
N Michas, T Galousis, C Kaskoura, M Ulmann, L Christou, N Pappa, …
ICG-WIGOS, TT-WMD, IPET-MDRD (current)
S Barrell, B Calpini, …
K Monnik, J Klausen, J Swaykos, T Boston, U Looser, E Büyükbas, L Zhao, A Mestre, T Oakley, S Foreman, D Lockett, L Nunes; (past) R Atkinson
D Lowe, J Tandy, …
JCOMMOPS, GAW WDCs, NDACC, ET-WDC, …

31. Thank you