Buoys data: data set description page


Data set source
Information on available Data
Quality Control Processing
Additional information
Data format
Data selection page

Data set source
  • Buoys in the North Atlantic
  • Data from BUOY messages over the FASTEX domain (20N-90N ; 140W-40E)

    • Information on available data in the FASTEX Central Archive

  • Available since :13 MAR 1997 - Last Updated: 30 NOV 1998
  • Time Coverage (YYYYMMDD): between 19970101 and 19970228
  • Geographic Coverage (decimal degrees): latitude between 20 and 90, longitude between -140 and 40
  • Number of observations: 133000 (about 2260 messages a day)


    • Quality Control Processing

  • Data retrieved from argos raw data files (EGOS buoys)

    • Météo-France/Centre de Météorologie Marine (CMM, Brest) received in delayed time the raw data from the Argos centre (French Global Processing Centre (FRGPC)) of Toulouse. The data calibration use both the ECMWF, NOAA/NCEP/NCO, METEO-FRANCE and UKMO buoys monitoring statistics, and the changes applied to the buoys data by the Argos Centre in real time (see the "Quality Control Guidelines for GTS buoy data" on the DBCP Internet site (http://dbcp.nos.noaa.gov) - Quality Contol page)
  • Generally, meteorological measurements and Argos locations have different times. So, the positions obtained before and after the time of each observation are used to compute an interpolated position.
  • The time of observation is taken from the argos buoy message if it is included. If not, the time of the message transmission between the buoy and the satellite is considered as the time of observation.
  • The eroneous meteorological measurements are set to the missing value. If necessary, recalibration based on the buoys monitoring statistics is applied on the meteorological measurements.

  • Data retrieved from GTS and controlled by CMM

    • (WMO codes:41529 41530 44513 44910 44918 44919 44923 44924 47541) Due to the redundancy of information, only the GTS messages sent by service Argos were processed (LFPW-Toulouse and KARS-Landover). GTS messages from the LUT of Oslo (ENMI-Norway) and this of Sondre Stronfjord (BGST-Greenland) were suppressed. This avoids possible errors such as possible duplication of observations having different times and non homogeneous calibration values applied by the different centres to retrieve physical values.
  • Messages without meteorological information are suppressed
  • When the position seems erroneous, the positions set to the previous and the next observations were used to computed an interpolated position.
  • The eroneous meteorological measurements are set to the missing value. If necessary, recalibration based on the buoys monitoring statistics are applied on the meteorological measurements.

  • Data retrieved from GTS and not controlled by CMM (other buoys)

  • FASTEX Central Archive Buoy Quality Controls,
    in delayed time (last update: 30 Nov,1998)
  • for a number of buoys, latitude and longitude data are directly taken from a file provided by the CMM and the NOAA; when necessary, the position is interpolated using the closest previous and next observations available in the file (last update: 30 Nov,1998)
  • The real time quality control processing, as recommended by The World Meteorological Organization (WMO), was applied on operational data received at Météo-France (in Toulouse, France) from the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) and provides quality control flags on several parameters. Real time quality control procedures are explained in the quality control procedures handbook (last update: 13 Mar,1997).

    • Additional information

  • 8 Feb,1999: 46632, 46707, 46953, 47540, 48523, 48531, 48579:
    lots of peaks in the temporal evolution of latitude and longitude; position must be used with care
  • 1 Dec,1998:
    44555, 44569, 46607, 46958, 61514, 61527, 66511:
    buoy ashore during the period
    41912: data seem to be used with care
    41926: SST data seem to be used with care
    44763: buoy obviously ashore after 19970215 18:36
    46515: buoy obviously ashore on 20th February
    46519: buoy obviously ashore on february the 28th.
    61522: buoy obviously ashore on 29th January
    •

    Data format

    Data provided in     ASCII files including date, position, meteorological measurements and quality flags.


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    Updated: 29 Jan 1999