From Ocean Teacher Library

Quality Control of Marine Current Data

Contents 1 Background 2 Standards Recommendation 3 Decisions 4 Additional Resources 5 Subsections of this Article 6 Information about this article 7 Contact

Background

In January, 2008, the IOC and JCOMM convened a workshop entitled the IODE/JCOMM Forum on Oceanographic Data Management and Exchange Standards (IOC Workshop Rept. 206) to consider selected principal issues on establishing marine data standards, with the goal of furthering marine data interoperability. In particular the aim of the workshop was to get broad agreement and commitment to adopt a number of standards related to ocean data management and exchange, thereby assembling not only the agreed conditions by which we operate, but in fact enact these agreements in the participants' respective organizations.

Standards Recommendation

Dr. Lesley Rickards (UK BODC) introduced the Marine Currents item and moderated discussions. She reviewed the various quality control procedures that exist for verifying current observations. Dr. Rickards noted that her discussion was restricted to data from recording current meters and from moored acoustic Doppler current profilers (ADCPs) but not from surface drifters and shipboard ADCPs. The quality control requirements may be different depending on sampling interval, latency and use to which data are put. The scope of quality control includes: (i) information (metadata) to accompany the data; (ii) automatic checks (iii) “scientific” quality control; and (iv) quality flags. She noted that the following documentation is available:

• SIMORC Data Quality Control Procedures
• Manual of Quality Control Procedures for Validations of Oceanographic Data (IOC M&G 26)
• ICES Guidelines for Moored Current Meter Data
• ICES WGMDM Guidelines for Moored ADCP Data
• Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) I: Standards for Calibration, QA/QC methods and metadata
• Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) 2: wave and current measurements
• Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) 3: CTDs, in-situ currents, remote currents and waves
• Quality Assurance of Real-Time Oceanographic Data (QARTOD) 4: QC for CTDs, in-situ currents, remote currents, and waves
• Handbook of Automated Data Quality ControlChecks and Procedures of the National Data Buoy Center (NDBC Tech Doc 03-02)
• TAO Data Quality Control
• Quality Control at the WOCE Current Meter DAC

The meeting was informed that documentation for data management standards for High Frequency radar data is available from the U.S. IOOS programme.

Decisions

• The meeting did not identify a recommended standard;
• It was agreed that Ms. Z. Willis (US NOAA) will provide a document on moored ADCPs and current meters to Dr. L. Rickards who will consolidate these with IOC Manuals and Guides No. 26 (see above) and provide the result for inclusion in an Ocean Data Standards reference web site
• It was agreed that Ms. J. Bosch (US NOAA) will provide HF-radar documentation for inclusion in the reference web site

Additional Resources

None at this time.

Subsections of this Article

No subsections available

Information about this article

Short title: Marine Current

Description: none

Expertise level: beginner

Author: Murray.Brown

Approval status: approved

Approved by: Murray.Brown

Last change: 2008-9-9

Subsection of: Marine Data Quality Control

Contact

If you have any direct comments or suggestions for the author of this page then please feel free to send an email to the author (listed above). For discussions on this page please use the discussions page.,