The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel DBCP

1
The Data Buoy Cooperation Panel (DBCP)

• An official body of
• World Meteorological Organization (WMO)
• Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC)
• Created in 1985 for coordinating drifting buoy
  programmes
• Moored buoys included in 1993

2
Principal Objectives

• Review and analyse requirements for buoy data.
• Co-ordinate and facilitate deployment programmes
  to meet requirements
• Initiate and support action groups
• Improve quantity and quality of buoy data on GTS
• Information exchange and technology development
• Liaison with relevant bodies and programmes.

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Principal modes of action

• Action Groups
• Regional
• E-SURFMAR (North Atl.)
• IABP (Arctic)
• IPAB (Antarctic)
• ISABP (South Atlantic)
• IBPIO (Indian Ocean)
• NPDBAP (North Pacific)
• Global
• GDP (Global Drifter Program)
• TIP (Tropical moored buoy Impl. Panel)
• Technical Coordinator
• Seminars and workshops

4
Points of contact

• Chairman
• David Meldrum
• Leader, Technology Development
• Scottish Association for Marine Science
• Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory
• Dunbeg Tel [phone]
• Oban PA37 1QA Fax [phone]
• Scotland Email dtm_at_sams.ac.uk
• Vice-Chairs
• Elizabeth Horton (North America)
• Naval Oceanographic Office
• Aircraft Operations, NS3
• 1002 Balch Boulevard Tel [phone]
• STENNIS SPACE CENTER, MS 39522-5001 Fax (1)
  228 688 5514
• USA Email hortone_at_navo.navy.mil
• K. Premkumar (Asia)

5
History achievements
1978-1980 Southern hemisphere buoy array for
FGGE. 1981-1985 Decrease in deployments 1985 Drift
ing Buoy Cooperation Panel established 1987 Techni
cal Coordinator position established 1987-1994 Acc
eptance of regional action groups EGOS, IABP,
IPAB 1992 QC Guidelines implemented 1993 Argos
GTS processing sub-system implemented 1992-1995 DB
CP participates in SVPB evaluation 1994 First
operational deployments of SVP-B
drifter 1994 ISABP established by panel 1994 DBCP
technical documents series initiated 1996 IBPIO
established by panel 1996 Global Drifter
Programme joins DBCP as an action
group 1998 Tropical Atmosphere Ocean array
Implementation Panel (TIP) joins DBCP as an
action group
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History achievements
1998 DBCP Implementation strategy
plan 1999 SVP/SVPBW evaluation group
established 2000 Southern Ocean Buoy Programme
(SOBP) 2000 Decision to distribute buoy data in
BUFR as of 2003 2001 Active role is establishment
and funding of JCOMMOPS 2002 North Pacific Data
Buoy Advisory Panel (NPDBAP) 2003 Relay of
quality information via dedicated web
page 2003 Buoy data distributed in BUFR
code 2004 Substantial increase in drifting buoy
deployments 2004 Coordination of deployment
opportunities via JCOMMOPS 2004 Buoy metadata
collection scheme implemented 2005 E-SURFMAR
replaces EGOS as Action Group 2005 Smart buoy
concept being developed with users
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DBCP Action Groups

• Independent self-funded body that maintains an
  observational buoy programme in support of the
  WWW, WCRP, GCOS, and GOOS.
• Good quality Data
• Real-time data on GTS
• Exchange information on activities and
  development
• Submit annual reports to the DBCP
• DBCP supports AG activities and may assist AG
  through DBCP officers, Technical Coordinator, and
  WMO and IOC secretariats.

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DBCP Action Groups

• E-SURFMAR
• EUCOS Surface Marine Programme
• North Atlantic NWP
• COST-43 programme, established in 1979
• COST-43 became a DBCP-AG in 1987
• EGOS established in 1989 becomes DBCP AG
• E-SURFMAR replaces EGOS as Action Group in 2005
• IABP
• International Arctic Buoy Programme
• Established DBCP-AG in 1991
• IPAB
• International Programme for Antarctic Buoys
• Sea Ice Zone
• Established DBCP-AG in 1994

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DBCP Action Groups

• ISABP
• International South Atlantic Buoy Programme
• Established DBCP-AG in 1994
• IBPIO
• International Buoy Programme for the Indian
  Ocean
• Established DBCP-AG in 1996
• NPDBAP
• DBCP-PICES North Pacific Data Buoy Advisory
  Panel
• Established DBCP-AG in 2002

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DBCP Action Groups

• GDP
• Global Drifter Programme
• Former WOCE-TOGA Surface Velocity Program (SVP),
  established in 1988
• GDP established in 1996
• DBCP-AG in 1996
• TIP
• Tropical moored buoy Implementation Panel
• Established for TOGA in 1985
• DBCP-AG in 1998

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Action group map
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Status by country
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Status by variable
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Data Collection Distribution

• Moored buoys
• Inmarsat
• Meteosat, GOES
• Argos
• Drifting buoys
• Argos (location data collection)
• GPS occasionally for location

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GTS Data processing

• For buoy data collected via Argos
• GTS distribution via a dedicated sub-system
• No interference with Argos users needs
• Flexible system capable of processing almost any
  kind of binary format
• Wide range of calibration curves
• Simple Automatic QC checks
• Gross error limits
• User limits
• Checksum compression index by sensor
• All bits identical
• Sensor blockage

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GTS data processing

• Argos GTS sub system, also
• Data encoded according to WWW standards
• BUOY Drifting and moored buoys
• SYNOP Land stations
• SHIP Ship reports
• BATHY XBTs (temperature/salinity profiles)
• TESAC Temperature/Salinity/Current profiles
• HYDRA Hydrological stations
• BUFR Binary table driven code
• Multiplexing methods for large amount of data
• Geo magnetic variation correction for wind
  direction
• Reduction to sea level for land stations
• Dew Point Temperature computation
• Processing of GPS positions

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Quality Control Guidelines

• Decided at DBCP-7, Oct. 91
• To rationalise speed-up
• status change process
• of buoys reporting on GTS
• Incorporated as part of WWW (Nov. 92, CBS-X)
• Principles
• Met. Centres in best position for QC
• PIs and Met. centres share responsibility of QC
• DBCP-TC acts as a focal point
• Argos is responsible for elimination of gross
  errors

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Quality Control Guidelines
Present actorsPMOC BOM, Australia MSC,
Canada MEDS, Canada ECMWF IMO, Iceland JMA,
Japan Météo France MS, New Zealand NDBC,
USA NCEP, USA PMEL, USA SAWB, South
Africa MetOffice, United Kingdom PGCDesignated
by Principal Investigators for asking Service
Argos for platform status changes DBCP-TCActs
as a focal point between PMOCs and PGCs Service
ArgosActually implements requested status
changes
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QC Guidelines
Status change
Service Argos
PGC
request
feed back
BUOY-QIR mailing list
GTS
partly automated
QC messages
PMOC
DBCP-TC
operate QC
Also distributed via BUOY-QIR WMO/Argos list,
PGC list, buoy monitoring statistics
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Implementation Strategy

• For DBCP and AG
• In support of Global and National programmes
• Included in GOOS/GCOS implementation strategy
• Autonomy of Action Groups recognized

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Implementation Strategy

• The strategy
• Climatology of drifter tracks
• Development of deployment reseeding strategy
• Promote development on new buoys sensors
• Encourage buoy operators to join
• Monitor data-flow
• Negotiations with manufacturers telecom.
  Systems
• Focus for information on new telecom systems
• Sensor evaluation trials