The Data Management System for the Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme

Abstract

The Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme (GTSPP) is a joint program of the International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange committee (IODE) and the Joint Commission on Oceanography and Marine Meteorology (JCOMM) of the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) and the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC). Tasks in the GTSPP are shared amongst the participating countries including but not limited to Argentina, Australia, Canada, China, France, Germany, India, Italy, Japan, UK, and USA. Scientists and data managers in these countries contribute their time and resources to ensure the continued functioning of the program. The paper describes a framework for developing and implementing operationally a state-of-the-art data and information portal with capabilities of exploring in-situ data from near real-time data streams and integrating the data streams with historical data. The paper also provides recommendations to ensure the interoperability of data and information systems being developed in different countries. 1. GTSPP BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES The international oceanographic community‟s interest in creating a timely global ocean temperature and salinity dataset of known quality in support of the World Climate Research Programme (WCRP) dates back to the 1981 IODE (International Oceanographic Data and Information Exchange committee) meeting in Hamburg, Federal Republic of Germany. The community's interest led to preliminary discussions by the Australian Oceanographic Data Center (AODC), the Marine Environmental Data Service (MEDS), now the Integrated Science Data Management (ISDM), of Canada and the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) during the second Joint IOC–WMO (Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission-World Meteorological Organization) Meeting of Experts on Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS)IODE Data Flow in Ottawa, Canada in January 1988. The development of the GTSPP began in 1989, and went into operation in November 1990. The GTSPP (Global Temperature and Salinity Profile Programme) has four primary objectives: (a.) to provide a timely and complete data and information base of ocean temperature and salinity profile data of known and documented quality in support of global and local research programs, and national and international operational oceanography, (b.) to implement data flow monitoring and reporting systems for improving the capture and timeliness of the GTSPP real-time and delayed mode data to prevent data losses, (c.) to improve and implement agreed and uniform quality control and duplicates management systems by coordinating activities among all participating countries and (d.) to facilitate the development and provision of a wide variety of useful data, analyses, information products to clients. 2. GTSPP INFRASTRUCTURE The GTSPP is a collection of volunteer organizations, and therefore role adjustments are needed to accommodate changes in levels of participation. Over the life of the program, there are consistently 5 to 7 countries, and up to 10 to 12 organizations participating in operations of the GTSPP. Currently, the GTSPP consists of three components: (a.) Global Telecommunication System (GTS): The WMO provides the use of the GTS for the transmission of oceanographic messages collected through various JCOMM (Joint World Meteorological Organisation (WMO)/Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Technical Commission for Oceanography and Marine Meteorology programs. The GTSPP uses this service to acquire real-time data exchanged. Real-time data processing services are provided by the ISDM, (b.) IODE Data Centers: Historical data are acquired either from other IODE National Oceanographic Data Centres (NODCs), or from cooperation with projects such as the Climate Variability and Predictability (CLIVAR), the World Ocean Database (WOD) [7] and the Ship Of Opportunity Programme (SOOP) [2], and (c.) Continuously Managed Database (CMD): The NODC provides data processing services for the long-term preservation of oceanographic data and the maintenance of the GTSPP CMD. GTSPP manages the acquisition, ingest processing, quality control and the long-term preservation for both low resolution data from the GTS, and the full resolution data from XBT‟s (Expendable Bathythermograph), CTD‟s (ConductivityTemperature-Depth), Moorings, profiling floats, and instrumented marine mammals. Figure 1 illustrates the GTSPP data flow and data management procedure. A given international JCOMM or IODE centre may fit within several boxes in carrying out its national and international responsibilities.