6.3 Marine-based surface observations

The options available in the WDQMS web tool control menu when we select to monitor the quality of “Marine Surface” (in the near-real-time NWP monitoring module) are summarised in Table 15. By selecting the date, time, monitoring centre and variable, a map will show how the observing network complies with the NWP requirements set for the selected variable. Note that the marine quality map by default displays observations from ship, moored, and drifting buoys, although there are two toggles on the side of the map to filter by SHIP or BUOY observation reports.  The map shows the platforms whose observations are considered useful for NWP purposes (greenish dots), and highlights major anomalies regarding observations that deviate from the model forecasts quite significantly (orange and red dots) and exceed the limits set for “Threshold” (Table 7).  Clicking on a dot on the map opens a screen with detailed information about the station data quality over time (30 days for 6-hourly and daily aggregations), namely time series with O-B calculated for the selected interval/variable. It is worth noting that the 6-hourly intervals for a particular monitoring centre will allow to see the details of individual observations that contribute to the average value displayed on the map. This means that it is possible to check the O-B value, the usage (Status, i.e., used or not used because it was rejected by/before the assimilation) and the type of report (Type, i.e., SHIP, Moored or Drifting BUOY in either TAC or BUFR format) of a particular observation (identified by date and time) by hovering the mouse over each dot in the time series. Additionally, in the pop-up window it is possible to view the observing platform route for the selected period by clicking on ‘Display route’. In the route map, the dot with a white halo indicates the last position of the platform for the period. Note that if the Monitoring Centre option is set to "all," the positions provided by different centres may overlap and it could be challenging to distinguish between the various routes. However, it is always possible to check the route provided by individual centres by selecting it accordingly in the Monitoring Centre option and then visualise the route in the pop-up.

Table 15 - This table summarises the content of WDQMS web tool views when the options to monitor the quality of marine surface observations are selected in the NWP monitoring module  (i.e., near-real-time NWP: Marine Surface).