Ship Observations Team integrating and coordinating international

Ship Observations Team ~ integrating and coordinating international ship-based observing programmes for JCOMM ~ World Meteorological Organization Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission of UNESCO The Status, Operation and Future of the VOSClim Project SOT-IV 16 -21 April 2007, Geneva, Switzerland Sarah North

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project VOS CLIMATE SHIP OBSERVATIONS Real Time Data (Ship Code or compressed data) Metadata (WMO Pub 47 Data) Delayed Mode Data ( IMMT 3 Code Data ) BUFR Code Data (Observation and Model Data ) Monitoring Data (Statistics + suspect lists) © Crown copyright 2007 PORT MET. OFFICERS NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES REAL TIME MONITORING CENTRE GLOBAL COLLECTING CENTRES DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER (Project Web Site) Data Users Page 2

VOS CLIMATE SHIP OBSERVATIONS Real Time Data (Ship Code or compressed data) Metadata (WMO Pub 47 Data) Delayed Mode Data ( IMMT 3 Code Data ) BUFR Code Data (Observation and Model Data ) Monitoring Data (Statistics + suspect lists) © Crown copyright 2007 PORT MET. OFFICERS NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL SERVICES REAL TIME MONITORING CENTRE GLOBAL COLLECTING CENTRES DATA ASSEMBLY CENTER (Project Web Site) Data Users Page 3

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Main Problem Areas - Since SOT III L Updating Ship List on Project Website L Failure to collect & submit delayed mode data L Volume of project data is low L VOSClim data is not being widely used L Availability of Project data on Project Website L Availability of Metadata on WMO Website © Crown copyright 2007 Page 4

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Main Successes since SOT III J Participation - Target of 200 Ships Achieved !! J Website now updated J Project procedures active (apart from delayed mode problems) J Majority of Action items arising from SOT III now done, or part done – see Overview and Action list at Appendix A to VOSClim Task Team Report © Crown copyright 2007 Page 5

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Recruitment levels Initial Target of 200 Participating ships now met !! Number of Active VOSClim ships at SOT III Number of Active VOSClim ships at SOT IV Australia 10 12 Canada 14 40 France 6 23 Germany 11 22 India 21 22 Japan 5 5 Netherlands 1 19 UK 33 62 USA 12 12 113 217 Country TOTALS Please check your ship lists are correct on project website © Crown copyright 2007 Page 6

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Web Site http: //lwf. ncdc. noaa. gov/oa/climate/vosclim. html § § § § © Crown copyright 2007 Project Ship Lists Monitoring statistics/data Observation data Project newsletter Project focal points Photographs Ship survey inspection forms Project document, updates, information, links Page 7

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 1. Recruited and withdrawn ships on project website not kept up to date – so monitoring not performed and data not available to users. How can this be improved ? ? 2. Although number of ships has reached target level the volume of project data is poor. Strategies for increasing participation and data volume needed. 3. A comparison of the algorithms used in electronic logbook software is needed © Crown copyright 2007 Page 8

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 4. GCC Reports show that there an increasing number of ships ‘Self-Recruiting’…. - Is password protection needed on Turbo. Win software ? ? - Or should all ships using electronic logbooks be encouraged to report the additional project groups (provided that they are not confused with registered VOSClim ships) ? ? © Crown copyright 2007 Page 9

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 5. Vital delayed mode IMMT 3 project data is not being consistently collected, quality controlled, or submitted by all VOSClim participants - SOT to encourage participants to make submissions ( even if MQCS not applied ) and to consider strategies to improve delayed mode data flow - Should GCC’s be invited to take a more proactive role in collection of members IMMT data ? ? © Crown copyright 2007 Page 10

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 6. The original concept was that all data streams (real time, model, delayed mode and metadata) should be available via a single location on the project website maintained by the DAC. Whilst this concept remains valid, it has not been fully achieved and has therefore hindered evaluation of the data by the scientific advisers. How can this be resolved ? ? ? 7. Availability of Pub 47 metadata is essential for the project but is hindered through slow delivery to WMO website (discuss under agenda items 1 -5. 1. 2 and IV/3. 6) © Crown copyright 2007 Page 11

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 8. The issue of how (and where) to store digital metadata imagery is not fully resolved, although some photos are on the project website. - As such imagery is also collected for standard VOS is there a more appropriate method of storage ? © Crown copyright 2007 Page 12

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 9. The inclusion of a method of collecting Pub 47 metadata at source in Turbo. Win offers the possibility to maintain more up to date metadata records. This would help with keeping ships lists up to date and therefore assist the RTMC with issuing monitoring statistics updated metadata listings to their recruiting NMS at, say, monthly intervals? - should such requests be programmed into Turbo. Win (i. e. linked to computer time? ) 10. Should observing officers be trusted with updating metadata themselves ? (This could help in the case of ships that rarely return to the recruiting country, and the data could be vetted before making WMO Pub 47 submissions). Or, © Crown copyright 2007 Page 13

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 11. Do PMOs still need to complete the hardcopy VOSClim recruitment/update form if most of the metadata can now be collected electronically on board using Turbo. Win ? ? - Should the form be discontinued for VOSClim ships fitted with Turbo. Win? (national inspection form requirements would be unaffected) © Crown copyright 2007 Page 14

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 12. Although the RTMC is sending the VOSClim monitoring statistics and suspect lists to the DAC each month, there have been recent problems with their availability on the project website. Monitoring problems for these ships are not therefore being resolved. This appears to be a resource issue for the DAC to resolve ? 13. Does the hardcopy VOSClim brochure need revision/reprinting ? – or is the electronic copy sufficient ? – If a reprint is needed how should it be funded ? © Crown copyright 2007 Page 15

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address See issues raised in Report of Task Team 14. There are now a variety of different certificates being issued to VOS (e. g. SOT, AMVER, National Certificates etc) including two certificates for VOSClim ships. - It is suggested that only the ‘VOSClim Certificate of Participation’ (for presentation to the ship is needed) and that the ‘VOSClim Certificate of Appreciation’ should be discontinued and removed from the website. © Crown copyright 2007 Page 16

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address Overarching VOSClim issues 15. Masking of project ship call signs could be a serious problem for VOSClim if the DAC and RTMC are not able to identify ships. Changes in data traffic systems in the RTMC may be needed. ( for discussion under agenda item IV/4. 1. 2 ) 16. Differences in content and availability of different data streams have been identified ( was discussed at ETMC ? ) 17. Although VOSClim parameters have been included in the latest draft BUFR template, the suitability of BUFR for VOSClim data transfer is questioned ( for discussion under agenda item 1/6. 2. 2 ) 18. Bearing mind that a back up of the VOSClim BUFR data will also be made available on the Met Office’s external FTP server it is questioned whether GTS exchange remains the preferred (or required) system for exchanging between the RTMC and the DAC © Crown copyright 2007 Page 17

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project Issues for SOT to Address Fundamental VOSClim policy issue 19. Now that the target of 200 project ships has been reached and the project data delivery process is established (albeit with some outstanding issues) the SOT is invited to consider whether…. . 20. VOSClim should remain a PROJECT or be integrated into the VOS SCHEME as a separate or integrated long term PROGRAMME ? ? ? 21. - 22. - Should it remain a climate subset of the VOS, or should the aim be to upgrade all VOS to VOSClim standards © Crown copyright 2007 If so how should this be achieved ? ? Page 18

SOT IV - The VOSClim Project