A Training Course on Buoy Programme Implementation and Data Management

11 - 15 June 2007,

IOC Project Office for IODE Wandelaarkaai 7
8400 Ostend
Belgium

Annotated Agenda

1 Overview of marine observing systems
1.1 Satellites
1.1.1 Active
1.1.2 Passive
1.2 Ships
1.2.1 OWS, VOS
1.2.2 XBTs, XCTDs
1.2.3 ASAP
1.2.4 Manual observations
1.2.5 Shipboard AWS
1.3 Fixed Platforms
1.3.1 Oilrigs, lighthouses
1.3.2 Moored Buoys
1.4 Profiling Floats
1.5 Drifting Buoys
1.6 Tsunameters and Tide Gauges
1.7 Autonomous Vehicles
1.8 Seabed Observatories
2 The need for buoy observations
2.1 Role of oceans in weather and climate
2.2 Limitations of satellite observations
2.3 Limitations of ship observations
2.4 Value for money considerations
2.5 Specific needs in terms of:
2.5.1 Observed variable
2.5.2 Spatial coverage
2.5.3 Temporal coverage
2.5.4 Availability and timeliness
3 Buoy hardware: platforms
3.1 Fixed platforms
3.1.1 Construction
3.1.2 Mooring
3.1.3 Safety and Vandalism
3.2 Profilers
3.2.1 Profiling engines
3.2.2 Other design issues and calculations
3.2.3 Ballasting calculations
3.3 Drifters
3.3.1 Hull design
3.3.2 Drogue design and validation
3.3.3 Drag calculations
3.3.4 Submersion issues and calculations
3.3.5 Deployment packages
3.4 Marine animals
3.5 Energy
3.5.1 Sources
3.5.2 Budget calculations
4 Buoy hardware: sensors
4.1 SLP and baro port design
4.10 Wave spectra
4.11 Ocean depth, sea level
4.12 Other (e.g. pCO2, bio, tracers)
4.2 T (air and sea surface)
4.3 T(z)
4.4 Submersion
4.5 C and the computation of S
4.6 Wind speed and direction
4.7 Rainfall and humidity
4.8 Location (GPS)
4.9 Current velocity
5 Buoy hardware: sensor processing
5.1 Sensor connection and interfacing
5.1.1 Connectors
5.1.2 Networking protocols and technologies (Hard-wired, Radio, Optical, Acoustic)
5.2 Microprocessors, microcontrollers, onboard memory
5.3 Timing sources
5.4 Sampling, averaging, despiking
5.5 Smart data processing
5.6 Data formats and message handling
6 Buoy hardware: communications
6.1 GSM and radio
6.2 Satellite
6.2.1 LEOs: Argos, Orbcomm, Iridium, Globalstar
6.2.2 GEOs: Meteosat/GOES/GMS, Inmarsat
6.3 Acoustics
6.4 Energy considerations
7 Buoy and float deployment
7.1 Strategic issues
7.1.1 High impact areas
7.1.2 Optimisation strategies
7.1.3 Remote areas
7.1.4 Contact with national focal points and high level sponsors
7.2 Practical issues
7.2.1 Air and sea deployment opportunities
7.2.2 Coordination with other agencies
7.2.3 Deployment techniques and handling of deployment packages
7.2.4 Pre-deployment tests
7.2.5 Safety issues
8 Shore-side data processing, dissemination and archiving
8.1 Data reception
8.2 Location techniques
8.3 Data delays
8.4 Conversion issues
8.4.1 Transfer functions, calibrations
8.4.2 End-user formatting (GTS formats)
8.5 Metadata
8.6 Dissemination routes
8.6.1 GTS
8.6.2 Other data pathways
8.7 Archival mechanisms
8.8 Developments by service providers
8.8.1 Argos
8.8.2 Iridium
8.8.3 Inmarsat
9 Quality Control (QC)
9.1 Importance of QC
9.2 Techniques available
9.2.1 Initial calibration and validation
9.2.2 Gross error checks (Sensor values, Location accuracy)
9.2.3 Nearest-neighbour checks
9.2.4 Comparison with model fields
9.3 RMS differences and biases
9.3.1 Météo France real-time QC data
9.3.2 Delayed-mode buoy monitoring statistics
9.4 Practical implementation
9.4.1 Real-time automatic checks
9.4.2 Delayed mode procedures
9.4.3 Identification of steady offsets
9.4.4 Rescaling procedures
9.4.5 Post-calibration tests
10 Data access and consultation
10.1 Data access policies
10.2 Data pathways (revision: also under section 8)
10.3 Data centres and their products
10.3.1 Designated archiving centres: RNODC/DB, SOC/DB
10.3.2 Operational support centres: JCOMMOPS, OSMC, NDBC
10.3.3 Other on-line centres: Coriolis, CLS, DBCP, SHOM
11 International coordination
11.1 WMO
11.2 IOC
11.3 JCOMM and JCOMMOPS
11.4 DBCP and its action groups
11.5 Case study : IBPIO, Indian Ocean activities and coordination
11.6 Argo
11.7 Other emerging initiatives: GEOSS, EU FP7
11.8 Future visions
12 Conclusions
12.1 Feedback on assignments and project reports
12.2 User feedback
12.3 Next steps
12.3.1 Network creation
12.3.2 Continuation support