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WMO BUFR Format for NRT Dissemination of RO Data. Dave Offiler. What’s BUFR??. Binary Universal Format for the Representation of data (aka WMO FM-94 ) WMO standard (binary) format for observational data (like GRIB is for 2-d fields) For transmission on GTS/RMDCN
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WMO BUFR Format for NRT Dissemination of RO Data Dave Offiler
What’s BUFR?? • Binary Universal Format for the Representation of data (aka WMO FM-94) • WMO standard (binary) format for observational data (like GRIB is for 2-d fields) • For transmission on GTS/RMDCN • Often used for archiving and interface to NWP assimilation systems • Self-defining data stream by use of common tables
BUFR Bits (1) A BUFR message consists of 6 sections: 0) “BUFR” 1) Header - IDs, Date/Time etc 2) Optional data (not often used) 3) List of descriptors 4) User data (bit stream) 5) “7777”
BUFR Bits (2) BUFR is table-driven by descriptors Descriptors types: Element (observation parameters) - Table ‘B’ Repetition (repeated sequences) Operator (change scale, reference values…) Sequence (common sequences) - Table ‘D’ Can give modest compression (typically 2:1) when several like observations are encoded together.
RO in BUFR Guiding Principles • BUFR format is for NRT users - principally NWP • KISS • Minimise number of new Table entries • Re-use existing entries where-ever possible • Only encode parameters useful to the target user-base (sub-set of ‘Level 2’ data) • Generic (mission-independent) RO • Full data still available by other means
Result? • Working prototype at Met Office (see draft doc) • Satellite Ids, Date/Time, RoC, SSV (1 per occ.) • 200 samples for profiles of Impact Parameter and Bending Angle • 150 samples of profiles of Refractivity, P,T,q (incl. B/g T) • Total number of elements: 3088 • Total expanded descriptors: 3496 • Each occultation (uncompressed): 6144 bytes
What Next? • Feedback from this forum • Use ‘delayed’ instead of ‘fixed’ replication - more complex to encode & decode, but more flexible. (Fixed is limited to max. 254 replications). Will we ever need >250? • Remove B/g T & associated meta-data? • Add Q/C information (per sample) • Update & test BUFR; one more round; submit to WMO for formal approval; use on GTS/RMDCN
Over to you! • But remember Guiding Principle No.1: • It’s for NRT dissemination over GTS/RMDCN • It’s targeted specifically for NWP users An intermediate, generic file content and format is also in development, which could provide an interface between mission-specific files and BUFR or other applications. Feedback on this also welcome. Ultimately, users will continue have access to the mission- (and processing centre-) specific full-content files from EUMETSAT (CGS & GRAS SAF), UCAR, JPL, GFZ….