JCOMM Data Buoy Cooperation Panel October 16, 2006 National Data Buoy Center 2006 Review: A Year of Growth Paul F. Moersdorf, PhD, Director.

JCOMM Data Buoy Cooperation PanelJCOMM Data Buoy Cooperation PanelOctober 16, 2006October 16, 2006

National Data Buoy CenterNational Data Buoy Center

2006 Review:2006 Review:

A Year of GrowthA Year of Growth

Paul F. Moersdorf, PhD, Director

National Data Buoy Center

Objective: Build and sustain a global observing system and ensure consistently high quality data responsive to the long-term climate and maritime service requirements.

Part 1 of briefPart 2 of brief

Part 1:

NOOSS

NDBC

Ocean Observing

System of Systems

Observing Growth at NDBC

• NOAA’s major national and international contributions are through its coastal marine and global climate observation initiatives.

• NDBC has collected meteorological data in U.S. coastal waters for over 30 years.

• NDBC now has a global responsibility that includes:

• Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array• Pilot Research Array in the Tropical Atlantic• Tsunami detection network• Hurricane buoy network

IOOS Required Parameters*

Lower Ocean OceanAtmosphere Surface Sub-surface Temperature Temperature TemperaturePressure Salinity SalinityWind Currents CurrentsPrecipitation Wave Height / Period Dissolved OxygenHumidity Wave Direction Carbon DioxideRadiation Sea Height / Level ChlorophyllFluxes Fluxes NutrientsVisibility Radiation Radiation“Air quality” Ocean color Marine monitoring

Sea Ice BathymetryToxins / pollutants Toxins / pollutants

Acoustic Signals* GREEN parameters can be operationally observed by NDBC.

Wind speed / directionAir temp / humidity / pressure

Tracking / communications

Navigational beacon

Solar panels

Magnetometer, compass, computer, batteries, position tracking

Wave height, period, direction*Ocean temperatureSurface currentsSurface salinity

Current profiler

MooringBottom tsunami pressure sensors*

AirWater

* Not on all buoys

Observing System Platforms

C-MAN station

C-MAN station

6-meterNOMAD

DART II

TAO

3-meterdiscus

Coastal Weather Buoys

06-062 (May 2006)

9292

Tropical Atmosphere Ocean

06-062 (May 2006)

5555

Deep-ocean Assessment and Reporting of Tsunamis

06-007 Group 7A (Aug 2006)

1919

DART (planned)

1919

11

99

Stations to be EstablishedLocations Conceptual

Stations to be EstablishedLocations Determined

06-007 Group 7A (Aug 2006)

Stations PresentlyEstablished

Hurricane Supplemental Buoy

06-062 (May 2006)

15

Coastal Automated Stations

06-062 (May 2006)

5656

Part 2:

IOOS DAC

Integrated Ocean Observing System

Data Assembly Center

• Occupy a leadership role in developing and setting IOOS standards and protocols through workshops, meetings, etc.

• Obtain marine weather and ocean observations from NDBC and other NOAA platforms, regional observing systems, universities and commercial sites.

• Ensure the consistent, high quality of these observations in a timeframe consistent with needs of forecasters, mariners, modelers, and archive centers.

• Disseminate the data to diverse user communities via multiple U.S. IOOS recommended transmission paths.

Data Assembly Center Activities

PARTNERS

06-062 (May 2006)

271271271271

NDBC IOOS DAC Partners*

• Present data providers and station numbers:– National Water Level Observation Network – 138 stations– Scripps Institute of Oceanography – 26– Coastal Ocean Monitoring and Prediction System – 17 – Gulf of Maine Ocean Observing System – 10– Long Island Sound Ferry – 10– Great Lakes Environmental Research Laboratory – 8– Chesapeake Bay Observing System – 7– Carolina Coastal Ocean Observation and Prediction System – 6– LSU Wave-Current Surge Information System for Coastal Louisiana – 5– Texas Automated Buoy System – 5– Weather Forecast Office Green Bay – 4

* Not including oil and gas industry ocean current data sites.

NDBC IOOS DAC Partners(continued)

• Present data providers and station numbers:– University of Connecticut – MYSOUND – 4 stations– Texas Coastal Ocean Observation Network – 4– Louisiana Universities Marine Consortium – 4– Stevens Institute of Technology – 4– Skidaway Institute of Oceanography – 3– Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute – 3 (includes CIMT)– Coastal Ocean Research and Monitoring Program – 3– Dauphin Island Sea Lab – 3– Shell Oil – 3 – CORIE – 2– Center for Integrated Marine Technology – 1 – North Carolina Coastal Ocean Observing System – 1– University of Southern Mississippi – 1– Forest Oil – 1– SF Beams – 1

Joint Project with Oil & Gas Industry

Real-time ocean current data is transmitted from each of the ~50 platforms to NDBC for standard QA/QC processing and distribution.

North CentralGulf of Mexico

New Orleans

Weekly Platform Count

0

50

100

150

200

250

300

350

400

450

500

550

Date

Nu

mb

er

of

Pla

tfo

rms

NDBC DART IOOS NOS O&G TAO Total

NDBC IOOS Data Assembly Center

Katrina

TAOO & G

Closing Thoughts

This is a good time to be in Ocean Observing!

Long term success depends on technology: Low / No cost maintenance; smaller, power efficient,

economical (but still accurate) sensors;survivable platforms.

Thank YouThank You

photo courtesy of MeteoFrance