Quantitative Quality Control (QC) procedures for the Australian National reference stations: Sensor data

Abstract

The National Reference Station (NRS) network, part of Australia's Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS), is designed to provide the baseline multi decadal time series required to understand how large-scale, long-term change and variability in the global ocean are affecting Australia's coastal ocean ecosystems. High temporal resolution observations of core variables are taken across the network using a standard instrument, the Wetlabs Water Quality Monitors (WQMs). These data are freely available to the scientific community and the general public and thus need to be controlled by means of a system that will ensure their consistency and fitness-for-use. This document provides insights into the Quality Control (QC) guidelines proposed for these data, towards a system that incorporates uncertainty into the standard qualitative flag system, making it quantitative.