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 had been sent onto the GTS in FM18 BUOY and FM94 BUFR (never-validated WMO template), in parallel.   

Since 2008, Iridium Short Burst Data (SBD) has been 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 (never-validated WMO template), in parallel.

Since the June 1st, 2015, drifting buoy data processed by CLS (Toulouse and America) and Meteo-France have been sent onto the GTS according to template TM315009. This should represent about 90% of drifting buoy data. A more accurate survey will be performed in September 2015.

GTS headers for drifting buoy data start with character string 'IOB'.

Warning to data users: Two timestamps are included in each drifing buoy observation message. Each timestamp is preceded by its related time significance (BUFR element 0 08 021). It must be noted  that, in template TM315009, the first timestamp is this of the last known position (value is 26). This of the observation (time significance = 25), also called "nominal reporting time" is in second position. Do not confuse both.

Drifting buoy BUFR data - Survey on October 12th, 2014

(Data received and processed at Meteo-France)

Observations sent in BUFR are also sent in FM18-BUOY code in parallel, excepted those of KWBC