International Argo Data Management Team

1. InternationalArgo Data Management Team S Pouliquen 10th Argo Steering Team meeting Hangzhou 22-23 March 2009 AST10 Hangzhou March 22-23 2009

2. Current Status: Active Floats by DAC 2009 Compared to 2008 Active Floats: 3 272 (255 on Grey List) + 240 floats( +8 % ) Total Floats: 6 128 (725 on Grey List) +842 floats ( +16 %) 10 Dacs (+ GTS) + 0 Dac AST9 Exeter March 18-20

3. Current Status: Real-time Distribution • 90% within 24 hours • GTS problems solved – mostly • Most of active floats are processed by DACs and therefore very few GTS only floats =>GTS directory has been removed from official GDAC FTP site. It's only used by AIC to check GTS only floats… • BUFR distribution started end 2007 at JMA and MEDS . Most of the Dacs are able to generate BUFR using the tools to transform NetCDF into BUFR provided by JMA and MEDS. DAC BUFR data ate under validation with MEDS AST9 Exeter March 18-20

4. Data available at GDAC and on GTS AST10 Hangzhou March 22-23 2009

5. What need to be improved • Some bad data still passing through the automatic tests Some improvements were tested in 2008 but result not convincing • Perform RT consistency test in near-real time to detect earlier that in DMQC suspicious floats. • Better used of Statistical analysis residual at Coriolis • Quarterly check against Altimetry • Monthly Check against enhanced climatologies • Improve the feedback to DACS to allow automatic processing AST9 Exeter March 18-20

6. Delayed mode processing Total Profiles: over 530 576 (407472 eligible for DMQC) Delayed Mode 269 472 66 % +55% DM profiles compared to 2008 _

7. Delayed mode processing • All teams are making progress but slower then planned as man power insufficient to resume the backlog NB : Argo generates 100 000 profiles per year and the DM Operators process about 100 000 profiles per year • More training in some “difficult” areas should be pursued • Feedback from DM processing to update on RT flags : Would be useful to have a recommendation from AST for all Dacs to update the RT flags with DM correction • The issue of Pressure correction for Apex ; a lot of discussions went on . A method was decided both in RT and DM . Implementation just started but not in all Dacs • More in S Riser talk AST9 Exeter March 18-20

8. Developments Done at GDACS • US-GDAC has been moved to NRL-Monterey last December • GDAC are stable and working • GDAC synchronization : it’s working. Improvement in monitoring and reporting has been done • D-File checker under development at US-GDAC _ AST9 Exeter March 18-20

9. DMQC on trajectory • Coriolis (M. Ollitrault and J.P. Rannou) worked on this issue and corrected the Coriolis DAC fleet (PROVOR and APEX) • Coriolis started to correct Apex and Solo in collaboration with AOML (feedback was provided to AOML) • Decoding problem of the WHOI Solo floats; new decoder written • Similar work started with JMA • When decoding errors are solved, the floats are working very well • Good collaboration between Coriolis and the other DACs • Results will be presented by M. Ollitrault/Ifremer at ASW3 meeting AST9 Exeter March 18-20

10. DMQC on trajectory Lessons learned Metadata files may be incorrect Important to standardized Technical files Simple coherency tests between metadata/profiles/traj/tech files should help detecting some anomalies Progress at national level but missing a leader at the international Argo level on this activity Need feedback from the DMQC of the profiles (pressure and salinity) Need to determine the mandatory data to accurately estimate float trajectory Need to revive the trajectory working group ? A format checker should be derived from the expertise gained by Coriolis to prevent incoherent data to be submitted on GDAC AST9 Exeter March 18-20

11. Reference DB for Argo • Decision on how to progress : • Provide visibility on what exists • Coordinate with NODCs and CCHDO to set up appropriate data flows • Develop procedures for yearly updates • July 2008 : new version of the Reference DB including WOD2005 and CCHDO/NODC updates was available • October 2008 : First ARGO Ref DB issued • ADMT9 : first priority Southern Ocean • More in S Diggs talk AST9 Exeter March 18-20

12. Data Format • Technical Parameters : a nomenclature was proposed to name the parameters . Has been validated at ADMT9. Implementation is under dev at DACs • Gdacs have to accept this new format : USGDAC is updating the format checker • All Dacs have to regenerate their tec files • Hope to be one in coming months... • Issue on how report new parameters measured by floats to be addressed by AST, AST9 Exeter March 18-20

13. Argo Regional Centers • Argo Regional Centers • Developing at very different rates • Lack of scientific man power on the Data consistency issue which is not as trivial as expected even if some ARC are started some activities especially to detect suspicious floats. • More dev on product generation ( Catalogue started at AST level) • No ARC coordination presently • Funding and Man power remains an issue… AST9 Exeter March 18-20

14. ADMT • The group is dynamic and very responsive at the ADMT meeting • Difficulties between meetings to make progress on the actions • Lack of man power at GDAC and DAC level • Reprocessing is expensive AST10 Hangzhou March 22-23 2009

15. Messages to AST • RT processing is automatic and bad data are passing through: important to get tools to detect bad data in the Argo dataset earlier than DMQC • There are still bad flagging/data in DM files and it’s urgent to review the DM dataset… Moreover some training on the method is needed • Need a leader who can dedicate significant time on trajectory data to steer the work • Man power is an issue in data management and must be taken into account while setting priorities AST9 Exeter March 18-20