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Objective

The purpose of the present page pages is to report on the progress of TAC to BUFR migration for surface and upper air marine observations (buoys and ships) and , possibly, for oceanographic instruments such as Argo floats, gliders, XBT and Thermo-salinographsXBTs and Thermosalinographs... in other words, for all platforms relevant to JCOMM. Concerned TAC codes are FM13 SHIP, FM18 BUOY, FM 36 TEMP SHIP, FM62 TRACKOB, FM63 BATHY, FM64 TESAC and FM65 WAVEOB.

An Excel file, regularly updated, tries to list the platform networks that report their observations in BUFR. Information about the template which is used, the TTAAii CCCC headers and some remarks and/or plans are provided for each network.

 

Conventional VOS ships

Conventional VOS observations are sent ashore through different way.

The most traditional way consists in sending a FM13 SHIP message ashore through the Inmarsat GMDSS terminal of the ship. This terminal is mandatory on all ships over a certain tonnage. The communication is paid by the meteorological centre that receive the data. Short Access Code (SAC) 41 may be used.

Two other use of GMDSS terminals exists: for AMVER SEAS messages (NOAA) and for E-SURFMAR half compression messages. SEAS messages require the terminal is put in Data Mode whilst E-SURFMAR messages look like BinHex characters. In both case, observation data are binary (i.e. compressed). The conversion to GTS codes (FM13 SHIP and FM94 BUFR) is ensured at the processing centre that receives the raw data. Metadata may be added to observation data there. Communications are also paid by meteorological services. Raw E-SURFMAR dataformat #101 was designed to save communication costs while at the same time being closer to BUFR requirements in matter of accuracy and meeting new requirements for ship data (VOSClim parameters).  

More and more observation messages are sent ashore by email at the ship expenses. For the moment, most of them are FM13 SHIP messages.

By mid-2014, several centres receiving FM13 SHIP messages from the ships, convert them into FM94 BUFR without any metadata.

SEAS and E-SURFMAR raw data are converted in FM13 SHIP and FM94 BUFR (information to be checked with regards to SEAS). A few metadata, such as the level of the different main sensors as well as the type of the station are added in BUFR messages to E-SURFMAR observation data prior to their transmission onto the GTS.

BUFR template used for ship data is presently TM308009 (B/C10). It should be replaced by TM308014 (not yet validated) on next year.

 

Shipborne Automated Weather Stations (S-AWS)

In general, S-AWS send their observations ashore thanks to their own transmitter. This latter may be Inmarsat-C, Iridium SBD, Meteosat DCP, Argos... Data may be raw (binary or alphanumeric) or FM13 SHIP messages (in the case of Meteosat DCPs). FM13 SHIP messages are forwarded onto the GTS as they are and possibly converted in BUFR without any metadata added. Raw data from many European S-AWS (E-SURFMAR dataformat #100) are converted in both WMO codes. In case of BUFR, metadata are added to observation data prior to the GTS transmission. BUFR templates are the same than those for conventional VOS.  

 

Drifting buoys

For more than 30 years, drifting buoys had been sending their observations ashore thanks to the Argos system, exclusively. Argos data are processed by CLS in Toulouse (France) and in Largo (USA). For many years, data are sent onto the GTS in FM18 BUOY and FM94 BUFR (unvalidated template), in parallel.   

Since 2008, Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) is more and more used for the transmission of drifting buoy data ashore. Several centres are processing the raw data in order to send them onto the GTS in FM18 BUOY. Out of them, some are transmitted in FM94 BUFR (unvalidated template), in parallel.

Although never validated by WMO, a template has been widely used for many years. It should be now replaced by TM315009 recently validated. 

 

Moored buoys

Argo floats

(to be completed)      

A list of BUFR bulletins is also available on the WMO website. 

What's New

Summary of templates in use

(updated on 03 October 2019)

Image Added

Excerpt from information presented by David Berry (National Oceanography Centre UK) at the 10th session of the JCOMM Ship Observations Team (SOT-10) in April 2019


Platforms

Other issues

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