NCAR-TN/IA-111 Data Sets for Meteorological Research

NCAR-TN/IA-1 11NCAR TECHNICAL NOTE

U.

July 1975

Data Sets for Meteorological Research

Roy L. Jenne

ATMOSPHERIC TECHNOLOGY DIVISION

NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCHBOULDER, COLORADO

a II ~~~-C -- -- ~~~~~-C- ~~~~-- I

iii

FOREWORD

Primary emphasis is given to describing the data sets that are available

for meteorological research. Some of the main sets for physical oceanography are

also included. Conventional instrumental data and satellite data are discussed;

the proxy data such as tree rings and pollen receive only limited attention. We

have attempted to refer to the major sets of data held within the United States.

Many of the data sets give global coverage. Most of the data sets listed are

stored in such a way that they can be read by computers.

v

ACKNOWLEDGEMENTS

I would especially like to acknowledge the many people in different organi-

zations who have shared their knowledge about the various data sets. The time

taken by several of these organizations to help prepare the information about their

data and to proofread the completed chapters is appreciated very much.

J. Fletcher (Office of Polar Programs-NSF, then NOAA Environmental Research

Labs) and Uwe Radok (NSF) encouraged the expansion of the scope of this work and

its early completion to help with some of the aspects of establishing national

climate programs. Close contact has also been maintained with W. Sprigg of the

NOAA office that is responsible for helping to draft the U.S. Climate Program

Plan.

In December 1974, working group II (organized under the Office of Climate

Dynamics, NSF, and with NOAA input) met at NCAR to consider the assembly of

conventional data. I am very indebted to the other members of this group for

portions of the information in this Technical Note. Members were:

Maj. William Buchan - USAF ETAC (Environmental Technical Applications

Center, Washington, D.C.)

James Churgin - NODC (National Oceanographic Data Center,

Washington, D.C.)

Richard Davis - NCC (National Climatic Center, Asheville, N.C.)

Tadepalli Murty - Ocean and Aquatic Affairs, Dept. of the Environment,

Ottawa.

Richard Wert - NORPAX, Northern Pacific Ocean Experiment, Scripps

Institution of Oceanography, California.

James Zuver - FNWC, Navy Fleet Numerical Weather Central, Monterey,

California.

Roy Jenne - NCAR, Chairman.

W. Buchan and Ralph Russell (ETAC operating location in Asheville) have

been extremely helpful in assembling and proofreading the material for the ETAC

chapter. James Churgin played a similar role for the NODC chapter. Richard

Davis and Vincent Hagarty of NCC spent a lot of time checking information and

answering questions. Robert Quayle and Frank Quinlan of NCC also fielded many

vi

questions. Tad Murty shared his wealth of knowledge about the availability of

oceanographic products. Richard Wert provided information about data preparation

being done at NORPAX, and J. Zuver helped in the preparation of the FNWC chapter.

I also wish to acknowledge the efforts of several other people in both

helping us to obtain data and answering questions: Arthur Bedient, James McDonell,

and Robert Gelhard of NMC; Thomas Gray and Charles Bristor of National Environmental

Satellite Service (NESS); Thomas Flattery of National Meteorological Center (NMC)

and USAF; James Vette and Leland Dubach of the National Space Science Data Center

(NSSDC).

I also wish to acknowledge the administrative-level support that the various

organizations have given: Thomas Austin and Arnold Hull of the NOAA Environmental

Data Service; William Haggard, NCC; Robert Ochinero, NODC; Col. Robert Gottuso,

ETAC; Capt. Conley Ward, FNWC; Francis Bretherton and G. Stuart Patterson, NCAR.

The typing of the manuscript by Ruby Fulk, Sara Ladd, Colleen Velie, Nancy

Wright, Billie Wheat, Dianne Bernier, and Mary Buck is appreciated very much.

The preparation of the information about the NCAR data sets has been aided

by Dennis Joseph, Paul Mulder, and Wilbur Spangler.

Other review and proofreading efforts have been very helpful: by Bram Oort,

J. M. Wallace, Jay Winston, Thomas Vonder Haar, and Hugh O'Neil.

Finally I wish to acknowledge the patience of Harold Crutcher, of NCC, who

has been waiting for the completion of a project to clean up the monthly mean

rawinsonde data. The project has been further delayed by the preparation of

this text.

vii

TABLE OF CONTENTSPAGE

FOREWORD IIIACKNOWLEDGEMENTS VTARLE SHOWING LOCATION OF INFORMATION XIIINTRODUCT ION1

CHAPTER 1. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT DATA SETS AT NCAR 51. DAILY GRID DATA2. AVERAGE GRIDS3. SYNOPTICALLY FILED UPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA4. TIME SERIES OF UPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA5. SYNOPTICALLY FILED SURFACE OBSERVED DATA6. MONTHLY MEAN SURFACE DATA7. MONTHLY MEAN RAWINSONDE DATA8. SATELLITE BRIGHTNESS DATA9. GEOGRAPHIC DATA

10. DATA HANDLING METHODS

CHAPTER 2. SELECTED DAILY GRIDS AT NCAR (PRESSURE, HEIGHT, TEMPERATURE) 131. SEA LEVEL PRESSURE GRIDS 1899-CURRENT2. SEA LEVEL PRESSURE AND SURFACE TEMPERATURE FROM AFGWC3. SEA LEVEL PRESSURE AND SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE FROM MNC B-34. SEA LEVEL PRESSURE AND 700 MB HEIGHT AND TEMPERATURE5. 300 MB DATA FROM UNIVERSITY OF WISCONSIN6. 433L ESSPO PROJECT GRID DATA7. IGY NORTHERN HEMISPHERE STRATOSPHERIC DATA8. HEIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ANALYSES FROM AFGWC9. ANALYSES FROM NMC

10. WESTERN HEMISPHERE ANALYSES OF THE HIGH STRATOSPHERE11. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE DAILY GRID DATA12. IGY SURFACE AND 500 MB DAILY TROPICAL GRID

CHAPTER 3. NMC. ANALYSIS DATA FROM THE NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTER 191. INTRODUCTION2. MAIN STACK OF N. HEM. HEIGHT AND TEMP GRIDS THRU DEC 72-3. VERTICAL MOTION DATA4. ANALYZED WINDS FROM NMC B-35. TROPICAL GRID DATA FROM NMC6. SELECTED N. HEM. GRIDS FROM NMC7. THE SELECTION OF NMC GRID DATA STARTING IN JAN 19738. NMC FORECASTS AVAILABLE AT NCAR (WRITTEN SEP 1973)9. GLOBAL ANALYSES FROM NMC

CHAPTER 4. CLOUD, HUMIDITY, RAIN. MOISTURE, AND WATER DATA 291. DEW POINT AND NEPH DATA FROM AFGWC2. LAYER HUMIDITY FROM NMC B-3 TAPES (AT NCAR)3. U.S. NAVY MOISTURE ANALYSES4. TROPICAL NEP ANALYSIS DATA5. CLOUD COVER BASED ON SATELLITE BRIGHTNESS DATA6 AVERAGE CLOUDS BASED ON SURFACE OBSERVATIONS7. DAILY STREAMFLOW DATA8. PRECIPITATION DATA FROM RADAR9. SOIL MOISTURE AND DROUGHT DATA

viii

CHAPTER 5. MISCELLANEOUS DATA SETS 331 GULF OF MEXICO OCEANOGRAPHIC AND ATMOSPHERIC DATA2. OZONE DATA3. EOLE FRENCH BALLOON DATA4. LINE ISLANDS EXPERIMENT5. AIRCRAFT DATA FOR GATE6. S.E. ASIA MESOSCALE UPPER AIR DATA7. WATER VAPOR SPECTRUM LINES8. STATION LIBRARY INFORMATION9. DATA FROM NATIONAL HAIL RESEARCH EXPERIMENT10l DATA AT THE NATIONAL SEVERE STORMS LABORATORY11. DATA AT THE ILLINOIS STATE WATER SURVEY

CHAPTER 6. ETAC. ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SETS AT USAFETAC 371. INTRODUCTION2. SURFACE DATA -- SYNOPTIC CODE AND AIRWAYS3. UPPER AIR DATA4. SATELLITE SOUNDINGS5. TDF 13 SURFACE SYNOPTIC DATA6. ANALYSES FROM AFGWC7. OTHER DATA SETS AT ETAC

CHAPTER 7. NCC. DATA AT THE NATIONAL CLIMATOLOGICAL CENTER 491. INTRODUCTION2. LISTINGS OF DATA HOLDINGS3. RAWINSONDE DATA4. WINDS ALOFT DATA5. ROCKETSONDE DATA AT NCC (JAN 1975)6. SURFACE SYNOPTIC OBSERVATIONS7. AIRWAYS DATA8. DAILY SURFACE DATA FOR UNITED STATES9. OTHER DAILY SURFACE OBSERVATIONS

10. RAINFALL DATA11. MISC. SETS OF SURFACE DATA12. SOLAR RADIATION13. DATA FROM BOMEX EXPERIMENT14. CYCLONE POSITIONS15. TOWER DATA - CEDAR HILL, TEXAS16. DATA SETS STORED ELSEWHERE THAT ARE RELATED TO NCC DATA17. OZONE SOUNDINGS FROM BALLOON ASCENTS18. COASTAL OBSERVING STATIONS19. ATMOSPHERIC TURBIDITY DATA20. DATA FROM GATE EXPERIMENT

CHAPTER 8. UPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA 63SECTION A. UPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA IN SYNOPTIC ORDER

1. FROM NMC2 FROM AFGWC3. AT FNWC4. NORTHERN HEMISPHERE FROM UNIVERSITY OF MISSOURI, MITT NCC5 AIRCRAFT DATA6 PRINTED UPPER AIR DATA ON MICROFILM

SFCTION B. UPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA IN TIME SERIES ORDER

ix

CHAPTER 9. SURFACE SYNOPTIC OBSERVED DATA

1. INTRODUCTION2. FILED IN SYNOPTIC SEQUENCE3. FILED IN TIME SERIES ORDER

CHAPTER 10. CLIMATOLOGICAL YR-MO SURFACE AND UA DATA, TREE RINGS

1* MONTHLY MEAN RAWINSONDE DATA

2. MONTHLY MEAN REPORTS FROM' SURFACE STATIONS

3. ATLAS OF MEAN SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND PRESSURE BY MONTHS 1881-1960

4. TREE RING DATA FOR WESTERN AMERICA

5. N. AMERICAN CLIMATE DATA TO 109000 YEARS

6. DATA BANK OF EARLY CLIMATOLOGICAL SOURCES

67

69

CHAPTER 11. GLOBAL CLIMATOLOGICAL GRID DATA 73

1. GLOBAL CLIMATOLOGY TO 100 MB

2. CLIMATOLOGICAL GRID DATA PREPARED BY RAND

3. STRATOSPHERIC CLIMATOLOGY

75CHAPTER 12. STRATOSPHERIC DATA

1. INTRODUCTION

2. IGY NORTHERN HEMISPHERE STRATOSPHERIC DATA

3. HEIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ANALYSES FROM AFGWC (AIR FORCE)

4. DAILY HEIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ANALYSES FROM NMC

5. DAILY HEIGHT AND TEMPERATURE ANALYSES PREPARED IN GERMANY.

6. WEEKLY CONSTANT PRESSURE GRIDS AT 59 29 AND .4 MB

7. STRATOSPHERIC ANALYSES FROM GERMANY

8. STRATOSPHERIC CLIMATOLOGY9. RAWINSONDE DATA

10. MONTHLY THICKNESS DATA FROM SATELLITES AT NCAR

11. ROCKETSONDE DATA AT NCC

CHAPTER 13. SATELLITE DATA 81

1. INTRODUCTION2. SATELLITE BRIGHTNESS DATA FROM NESS

3. ARCHIVE OF NESS SCANNER IR AND VISIBLE DATA

4'. LRIR DATA5. OTHER SATELLITE IR DATA

6. MOISTURE DATA FROM NESS

7. CLOUD DRIFT WINDS AND MOVIE LOOPS

8. SOLAR PROTON MONITOR DATA

9. GENERAL INFORMATION ABOUT SATELLITE SIRS AND VTPR DATA

10. VTPR SATELLITE IR SOUNDING DATA FROM NESS

11. DEFENSE METEOROLOGICAL SATELLITE PROGRAM (DMSP) (WAS DAPP)

12. SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE DATA FROM NESS

13. SCR SOUNDING DATA FROM NIMBUS-4 SATELLITE

14. NIMBUS-5 DATA15. OZONE SOUNDING DATA FROM SATELLITE

16. ICE AND SNOW AND ESMR MICROWAVE DATA

17. SATELLITE DATA FOR THE GATE EXPERIMENT

18. SEASAT SATELLITE19. ERTS DATA

x

CHAPTER 14. FNWC. METEOROLOGICAL AND OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA AT FLEET 107NUMERICAL WEATHER CENTRAL

SFCTION A. DAILY ANALYZED DATA1. INTRODUCTION2. COVERAGE OF SURFACE DATA3. SEA LEVEL PRESSURE4. SURFACE AIR TEMPERATURE5. UPPER AIR DATA IN ANALYZED GRIDS--ALL TWICE DAILY COVERAGE6. MOISTURE AND CLOUD GRIDS7. DERIVED SURFACE WIND8. HEAT FLUX90 TEMPERATURE AT DEPTH (DAILY GRIDS)

10. WAVES11. SURFACE CURRENTS12. TROPICAL GRIDS13. GLOBAL SEA LEVEL PRESSURE ANALYSES AND WATER TEMPERATURE14. SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE ANALYSES

SECTION B. OBSERVED DATA15. SYNOPTIC SURFACE OBSERVATIONS16. SYNOPTIC UPPER-AIR OBSERVATIONS17. RECENT SURFACE AND UPPER AIR SYNOPTICALLY FILED DATA18. SPECIAL MARINE OBSERVATIONS19. EXPENDABLE BATHYTHERMOGRAPH SOUNDINGS

SECTION C. AVERAGE OCEAN TEMPERATURE AT DEPTH20. AVERAGE OCEAN TEMPERATURES AT DEPTH PREPARED AT FNWC21. NORTHERN HEMISPHERE OCEAN TEMPERATURE ANALYSES

SECTION D. AVERAGE ANALYSIS DATA22. LONG TERM (NORMAL) MONTHLY GRID STATISTICS PRODUCED AT FNWC.23. MONTHLY AND HALF MONTHLY GRID MEANS FOR EACH YEAR AT FNWC

CHAPTER 15. NODC. DATA AT THE NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER 1191. INTRODUCTION2. OCEANOGRAPHIC STATION DATA FILE3. MBT4. XBT5. OCEAN WEATHER STATION DATA6. SURFACE TEMPERATURE AND SALINITY7. SURFACE AND SEABED CURRENTS8. DATA FROM CURRENT METERS AND FROM SELECTED DRIFTERS

CHAPTER 16. SEA SURFACE WATER TEMPERATURE GRID DATA 1231. NAVY SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE GRIDS2. NMC SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES3 BUREAU OF COMMERCIAL FISHERIES SST GRID DATA4. LONG-TERM MEAN SEA SURFACE WATER TEMPERATURE5. SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURES6. HALF MONTHLY PACIFIC OCEAN GRIDS PREPARED BY NORPAX7. SATELLITE DATA

xi

CHAPTER 17. WORLD SURFACE SHIP DATA 1251 INTRODUCTION2. PROJECTS THAT AID IN THE DEVELOPMENT OF THIS DATA SET3. RECOMMENDATIONS CONCERNING THE DATA FLOW AND CHECKING4. ASPECTS OF DATA MANAGEMENT5. STATUS OF THE DATA SETS BASED ON SHIP LOGS6. SYNOPTIC FILE OF SHIP OBSERVATIONS7. AN EVALUATION OF THE GLOBAL TELECOMMUNICATIONS SYSTEM (GTS) AS A

MARINE CLIMATIC DATA SOURCE

CHAPTER 18. GEOGRAPHICAL DATA 1311. ELEVATION DATA FROM USAF, 1 DEG, 30 MIN, 5 MIN2. AVE ONE DEGREE ELEVATION, DEPTH, AND ICE DATA FROM SCRIPPS3* TEN MINUTE ELEVATION DATA FOR THE WORLD4. ICE AGE SURFACE ELEV AND SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE5. ELEVATION DATA--HIGH RESOLUTION6. CONTINENTAL SHELF DEPTH AND MAP DATA

CHAPTER 19. DATA FOR ASSESSMENT STUDIES 135SFCTION A. CROP ,DATA

1. CROP YIELDS BY STATES2. US COUNTY AND CROP DISTRICT DATA3. USDA CROP DISTRICT DATA4. CROP STATISTICS FOR THE WORLD5. CROP DATA FROM FAO IN ROME6. LACIE(LARGE AREA CROP INVENTORY PROGRAM)

SECTION B. AIR QUALITY DATA7. AIR QUALITY DATA8. DATA FROM LOS ANGELES REACTIVE POLLUTANT PROGRAM

SECTION C. CENSUS AND ECONOMIC DATA9. DATA AT LAWRENCE BERKELEY LABORATORY

CHAPTER 20. SELECTED INFORMATION ABOUT DATA SETS HERE AND IN OTHER 139COUNTRIES

1. FEDERAL DATA CENTERS IN THE US2. WMO CATALOG OF DATA FOR RESEARCH3. ENDEX SYSTEM FOR DATA SET INFORMATION4. WORLD SURVEY OF OCEANOGRAPHIC PRODUCTS AND METHODS5. DATA SETS IN CANADA6. INFORMATION ABOUT DATA HOLDINGS IN OTHER COUNTRIES

CHAPTER 21. SELECTED ASPECTS OF DATA SET PREPARATION 1411. INTRODUCTION2. CONSIDERATIONS NECESSARY IN PLANNING EACH SET OF DATA3. DATA VOLUME

APPENDIX' 1 ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SETS AT USAFETAC 149APPENDIX 2. A LISTING OF DATA SETS AT THE NATIONAL CLIMATIC CENTER 157APPENDIX 3. NEWS CLIPPINGS ABOUT DATA 165APPENDIX 4. SOURCES OF INFORMATION AND DATA 169

ADDRESSES 181REFERENCES 187INDEX 193

xii

Table Showing Location of Information in this Text

For selected data types, this table shows where information about the data may be

found in the text. An * means data are there but are not specifically described

in this text. The number 2.11 is Chapter 2, Section 11. The NMC data are

covered in the NCAR column. Also, see the Index at the end of the text.

Data Type

Sea level pressure grids

Northern hemisphere analyses

Tropical analyses

Southern hemisphere analyses

Stratosphere grids

Cloud analyses

Ocean analyses

Climatology grids

Average grids

Surface synoptic

Surface synoptic time series

Ship synoptic

Airways

Rainfall

Drought

Upper air synoptic file

Upper air time series

Rocketsonde

Crops

Solar

Satellite

Ocean currents

Ocean soundings

Geographical

NCAR

2.

2., 3.,4.1, 4.2

2.12, 3.5

2.11, 3.92.12

2.7, 3.2.10, 12.

4.1, 13.

11.

1.2, 11.3

1.5, 9.

9.

9.

10.

1.3, 8.A

1.4, 8.B

FNWC

14.3

14.

14.12

14.13,14.14

14.5

14.6

14.

ETAC

6.6

6.6

6.6

6.6

6.6

6.

14.D 6.6

14.15 6.2

6.2,

14.15, 17. 6.2,

6.2

6.2 6.2

6.5

9.

6.7

6.3

6.3

13.

14.11

14.B

NODC OTHERS

.~~~~5 18

NCC

dC~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.

*

*

*

7, 2.2.7, 2.10

20.6

12., 13.

*

13.

20.4

10.3

10.3, 16.6

6.2

6.2, 7.6

9., 17.

6.2, 7.7

7.8, 7.67.10, 10.

7.11

6.3

7.3, 7.4

7.5

4.

7.12

13.

19.

13.

13.

15.

15.

18. 18.

1

INTRODUCTION

This document is intended to provide information about various data sets for

meteorological and oceanographic research. We provide a few details about the data,

but generally avoid voluminous information such as station lists, and detailed

methods. Although several years ago this was conceived as a relatively brief write-

up describing the data sets archived at NCAR, it has been expanded to cover many of

the data sets held in other centers. Given this general information about various

data sets, people can more quickly approach a specific data bank to satisfy their

needs.

NCAR has an extensive set of grid point data. Our set of upper-air

synoptically filed observed data is also fairly complete. Other types of data

are usually in more complete sets at NOAA's National Climatic Center (NCC) in

Asheville, N.C., which is the basic national archive for meteorological data.

Since NCAR has data from sources other than NCC, and because we have often re-

formulated the data in a way that may be convenient for other groups, NCAR also

makes its data available (at cost) as a service to members of the research

community. The data can be accessed by approved projects run on the NCAR computers,

or they can be sent on tape. Because we have only a very small staff, requests for

hard copy output or for changes of format usually cannot be met. We anticipate

that most requests for data will continue to be directed to the data centers of

NOAA's Environmental Data Service and to NASA.

Those who wish to run their own research programs on the NCAR computer may

write to the Director of the NCAR Computing Facility, requesting the necessary

application forms.

In planning for data sets, NCAR attempts to emphasize multiple-use data

sets, continuity in time, and sufficient information to monitor some of the

changes in the global atmosphere.

We are preparing a data base for studies of climatic change and long-range

prediction. We routinely archive synoptic-scale data, and will archive an aug-

mented set of data during the GARP experiments.

We believe that it is most cost-effective for the data banks to spend a good

deal of time in cleaning the various errors out of the data and in making certain

that the formats are as stated. If this is done once at the centers, it means

that each user will not need to cope with all of these problems. Thus many of the

2

data sets that NCAR receives are processed to reduce the error content, and are

put into formats that often reduce the data volume and the time necessary to unpack

the data. Such cleanup work is always in progress at other data banks also. How-

ever, with hundreds of millions of observations, it is clear that the amount of

manual intervention involved in the cleanup process must be limited. Thus there

will always be some problems in the various data sets; however they are usually

reduced to the point that the data can be easily used. Feedback about problems

also helps; thus a listing or cards saying that station A for January 1949 reported

a mean temperature of 22° but it should have been 27° are helpful. However, since

there are a number of rather extreme rare events, one must be very cautious in

changing data (and normally changes should be flagged). Program checks for

extreme values (sometimes poorly known) have caused problems, such as the deletion

of jet stream winds.

We also note that various instrumental errors may be included in the data.

Finally, even if the instruments are perfect, there is the question of whether a

sample is representative of only a small area (such as the top of a black roof, a

heat island in a city, or the edge of a thunderstorm) or of a much wider area.

In the case of the analysis data, there are questions about how much observed data

were available for the analyses, how much smoothing was done, and whether the

procedures that were used tried to build in vertical consistency between levels.

We have included a few statements in the text about the content, reliability, and

methods used in preparing the sets. The basic point that we wish to make about

the observations and analyses is that although they are not perfect, if they are

used wisely they can help us find answers to a number of problems.

In organizing the material, we have compromised between a complete listing

of what each organization is doing, and a grouping of information according to

type of data. The text leans somewhat toward a listing by organization but a

number of chapters discuss given types of data. The Table of Contents, the table

showing the location of information (p. XII), and the index also help to track

individual types of data.

Chapter 1 gives an overview of the data sets at NCAR; Chapters 2 and 3 give

details about grid-point data at NCAR. Chapter 4 about cloud and moisture data

and Chapter 5 about other data sets include information about some sets of data

not available at NCAR. Chapter 6 discusses ETAC (Air Force Environmental

Technical Applications Center) and Chapter 7 covers NCC (National Climatic Center);

3

these centers have huge archives of meteorological data. Chapters 8-13 discuss

atmospheric data according to data type: upper air observed data, surface

synoptic, year-month mean data, climatological grid data, stratospheric data,

and satellite data.

In Chapter 14 we include more about the ocean data by considering both the

atmospheric and the ocean data at FNWC (Fleet Numerical Weather Central). We

then consider NODC (National Oceanographic Data Center). Chapters 16 and 17

discuss sea surface water temperature grid data and world surface ship data. In

Chapters 18 and 19 we consider geographical data and data for assessment studies

such as crop data. Chapter 20 discusses a few of the other sources of informa-

tion and includes information about a directory of federally supported information

analysis centers and about a world survey of oceanographic products. Finally,

in Chapter 21 we consider aspects of data set preparation that make it easier for

us to share data sets.

In order to make the current information widely available, we have arbitrarily

limited the scope of this writeup. The list of addresses, references, Appendix 4,

and comments in the text will indicate the best places to get other questions

answered.

Some comment on the relationship between the world data centers and the

national data centers may also be helpful. For example, World Data Center-A

for oceanography is located with NODC. However, it does not list all of NODC's

data holdings as belonging in its files. The reason is that all data that are

part of a WDC are supposed to be equally accessible at the sister WDCs overseas,

and it is not practical to exchange all data.

5

Chapter 1: General Information about Data Sets at NCAR

In this chapter we will discuss the data at NCAR in a general way. Other

chapters will provide more specific information about data sets located at NCAR

and elsewhere.

1. Daily Grid Data

We have northern hemisphere sea level pressure daily grid data starting in

1899. Ten missing months in 1945 may soon be obtained from Scripps. Height and

temperature grids at 700 mb start in 1947, heights at 500 mb start in 1946, 300 mb

heights start in 1950, and 100 mb heights start in July 1957. Other stratospheric

grids are available from July 1957 through June 1959, and then start again in 1962

or 1964, depending on the source. The earlier grids often have a resolution of

only about 5° latitude by 10° longitude, whereas the later grids usually have a

spacing of about 400 km. Figure 1-1 shows the availability of height and tempera-

ture grids.

Dew point analyses are available for 850, 700, 500, and 400 mb, and neph-

analyses for low, middle, high, and total clouds start 1 September 1963. Only

total clouds are available until April 1964, when the layered clouds were added.

Cloud analyses in this form stop in November 1969. We also have grids of

1000-500 mb average relative humidity starting in March 1968.

We have wind analyses 850-100 mb for 1963 to date except that lower level

grids are missing during selected periods. We also have tropical analyses of

winds for 700-200 mb starting in 1968 and of temperature starting in 1970

(48°S - 48°N). There are analyses of southern hemisphere sea level pressure and

500 mb height for 18 months during the IGY.

Sea surface temperature grids are available for the northern hemisphere

starting in November 1961.

2. Average Grids

Long-term mean monthly climatological data are available on one magnetic tape

for each hemisphere, surface to 100 mb. Included are heights, temperature, dew

point, and geostrophic winds. Another tape has a climatology of the northern

hemisphere stratosphere from 100 to 10 mb. We also have global sea surface water

temperature data.

6

Chapter 1

The German stratospheric analyses for each month start in about 1957 or 1964,

depending on level and type. Monthly grids of surface water temperature in the

North Pacific cover the period January 1949 through December 1962.

3. Synoptically Filed Upper Air Observed Data

We have upper air data in synoptic sequence starting in May 1958. The first

five years were from MIT, and the later data from NMC (and sometimes from the

USAF). The coverage on the NMC tapes became global (as received operationally)

in June 1966. The data coverage for typical times in 1968 and 1974 is shown in

Figure 1-2.

The NMC tapes include aircraft wind reports, wind data from the cirrus blowing

off from cumulonimbus clouds ("blowoff winds"), wind data from the drift of clouds

seen on ATS film loops, and "bogus" data put in by analysts to help the objective

analysis programs. Figure 1-3 shows the coverage of these data on a given day in

1970. Figure 13-1 shows wind data coverage in 1974.

4. Time Series of Upper Air Observed Data

NCAR also has data from about 1,600,000 rawinsonde ascents in time-series

sort (on 48 tapes). We are attempting to obtain all available mandatory level

rawinsonde data for the stations south of about 30°N. We have also just obtained

the U.S. and Canadian data starting with 1961. The primary source of data has

been NCC with additional data from England, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina,

Singapore, and Mauritius. We hope to soon obtain data from Brazil. We are also

corresponding with several other countries to try to make this set more complete.

5. Synoptically Filed Surface Observed Data

NCAR has observed surface data (synoptically filed) for 19 February 1967,

through 25 April 1967, and for December 1967. We are obtaining more of these

data. Three other organizations have more complete sets (see Chapter 9).

6. Monthly Mean Surface Data

We now have about 887,000 monthly reports from surface stations. In the period

from 1731 to 1860, the number of stations increased from 1 to 84; by 1900, there

7

General Information

were 438 stations. In the 1961-1970 decade, there were 1722 stations, of which

541 were in the southern hemisphere.

7. Monthly Mean Rawinsonde Data

We are cooperating with NCC to make available a set of about 75,000 mean monthly

rawinsonde reports (CLIMAT reports - global coverage). The southern hemisphere

climatology project made extensive use of these data. Error detection and correc-

tion work on the northern hemisphere reports is not yet complete.

8. Satellite Brightness Data

Daily global brightness data, averaged by 5° latitude-longitude squares are

available for 1 January 1967 through 31 August 1972. One average brightness value

is given for each grid point. These satellites view the earth at about 1500 local

time each day. To produce this data set, the Satellite Service summarized the

mesoscale brightness data, which are given for squares that are about 50 km on a

side (one-eighth of NMC grid). For each square there is a count of how many of the

64 sub-squares have brightnesses in categories one through five.

9. Geographic Data

We have two sets of global 1° elevation data; one of these also has water

depth and ice thickness. Elevation data for each 5 min are also available for

North America and Europe. A set with points each 208 ft is available for the

United States from the Army Map Service. A set of 5° global mean elevation data

is included on the climatology tape for the southern hemisphere.

10. Data Handling Methods

Our input data are received in a number of different formats on cards and

on tape. Much of the data would be easier to use if the formats were changed.

For example, some of the card formats have overpunches on the data, and some

binary packed data require the bits to be reordered in order to be meaningful.

The various levels for individual rawinsonde balloon ascents often are not

together in a data set. We have taken time to restructure many of these formats

so that the information is easy and quick to use. For example, one set of 602,000

rawinsonde reports on 56 tapes was repacked into a variable length binary format.

8

Chapter 1

The volume dropped by a factor of 3.9 and the time to unpack all of the data on the

Control Data 6600 dropped from 464 to 34 min.

Often we choose a format that uses packed positive numbers in order to save

storage volume and machine time. Most of the data are kept under checksum

protection.

In order to use the binary packed data easily on another computer, that

computer must have a binary capability (nearly all computers now have this).

Also, one standard general purpose routine (GBYTES) must be written for the

machine in question. Such a routine has now been written for 360 systems and for

the Univac 1108. We have prepared a technical note (Jenne and Joseph, 1974) which

discusses some of the techniques for the processing, storage, and exchange of data.

It describes some of the considerations involved in choosing formats and presents

some time and volume comparisons for different options. It also describes some of

the methods that can be used to process data that have been received in any of a

variety of formats.

9

General Information

45 50 55 60I I I I I i i I I I II I I I I I

NORTHERN HEMISPHERE DAILYGRID ANALYSES

LEVELS GIVEN IN MILLIBARSH = Height AnalysesT = Temperature Analyses

65I I , I I T

MAY 1963MAY 1963

10 H,T

JULY 1957 JAN. 196230 H,T A

50 H,T -

100 H 1100 T

APRIL 1956200 H,T r//

JAN. 1950

300 T =---

400 H,T

JAN. 1946

500 T

JAN. 1947

850 H,T

MAY 1963 Surface TemperatureNOV. 1945 bea Level Pressure

I I I 1 1 )I I I I I I

45 50I I I I I I

55I I I I I

60I I I I I I I I I I I

65 70

YEAR

Northern hemisphere analyses of sea level pressures, heights, and

temperatures. The daily sea level pressure analyses start in 1899.

The southern limit for most grids is about 15 or 200N. The resolution

of the more recent grids is about 400 km and the grids are usually two

per day. Hashed lines show time periods when analyses are not avail-

able for every day of every month. Some levels, such as 250, 150, and

70 mb, are available but are not listed in the figure.

40 70 75

300 H

500 H

700 H

- 1899

40

Fig. 1-1.

75

I

II , i' _C'

---- II-�

"L I' rl �

P ��Is'' -e� ' - ·I L '� L�- IbQ�Q�I I�

�ga

IBI ·I -- -r I-C·�ks�CI

I L I I I IL I II I I I I I I I I a a I· --- - -

,T

vvw ·

.1. 00%A - l a --- I IP~ -- --

10

Chapter 1

NMC DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 68 7 15 0ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE X=RAOB, O=WIND OR RAWIN. V=ACF'

625 RAOB RPTS

246 RAWIN RPTS

257 WIND RPTS

672 ACFT RPTS

GATE ARCHIVE DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 74 9 2 12ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE X=RAOB, O=WINDS ONLY , V=ACPT

Fig. 1-2a. Datacoverage of conven-tional observed upperair data from the NMCfor a typical time in1968 (0000 GMT on 15July). Separate wind-with-height soundingsreceived from stationsthat have thermal RAOBdata are counted as RAWINreports; if thermal dataare lacking, they arecounted as WIND reports.ACFT denotes aircraftreport. Nearly allRAOB reports alsoreport winds at manda-tory levels. A zeroplotted on top of an Xlooks like a rectangle.A spot check in 1969showed that data above100 mb were generallynot received from thesouthern hemisphere,North Africa, China, orthe Middle East.

668 RAOB RPTS304 WIND RPTS

331 ACPT RPTS

Fig. 1-2b. Datacoverage of upper airdata from NMC for atime period during theGATE experiment. Thecount of aircraftreports are for a 6-hperiod. The real-timereceipt of data fromthe GATE ships was notas good as this inJuly 1974.

11

General Information

NMC DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 70 6 21 12

CODE B=BOCUS O=BLOW OFF L=LOW ATS H=HI ATS R=RECON 59 BOGUS71 BLOW OFF40 LOW ATS

0 HIGH ATS11 RECON

9. F o i _ \ j '-..*! r

... .. J _ ... . ; \ ..... ...

B11 B I B* _ Io.30 ~.. . B01 BBI~~~ B -IW R .~....

s t I 1 v I I o1; 1 1 0

-Bi

O ,.............. - 0 .....:" I ^ 0 ..

.10 -150 -120 o90 -<0 60 90 10 10

BL

~::~: :;!; .... L o : .... ? .......

-1oi L.t .. " -d .O o .... . . . ; -. ro

Fig. 1-3. Datacoverage ofreconnaissance data,of winds derived fromsatellites, and ofbogus data on thesynoptic tapes fromthe NMC for a day inJune 1970.

13

Chapter 2: Selected Daily Grids at NCAR

(Pressure, Height, Temperature)

Analyses discussed here are for the northern hemisphere unless otherwise

stated and usually do not extend to the equator. The NMC octagonal grid goes

to about 150N. See Figure 2-1.

1. Daily Sea Level Pressure Grids 1899-Current

a. Sea Level Pressure Grids from Historical Maps

These grids cover January 1899 through June 1939. The data are on a

diamond 5° latitude 10° longitude grid 20-80°N, with no data at 75°N.

G. Briar's laboratory in Environmental Data Service did a lot of work

cleaning these grids. Data are missing where the historical maps could

not be analyzed. Eastern Russia (40-80 N, 35-1500 E) is missing for

1916-1920, for three months in 1921, for one month in 1922 and in 1931,

and for six months in 1938 and in 1939. (On three tapes.)

b. Sea Level Pressure Data from MIT

These data cover July 1939 through November 1944. They are for each 5

latitude and even 10° longitudes for 15-80°N. This grid is always

complete. Data for 85°N are also available for ten days. (On one tape.)

c. Sea Level Pressure Data from the Navy

Sea level pressure grids for November 1945 through March 1955 (daily at

15Z) and April 1960 through June 1962 (1200Z) were digitized with a curve

follower at NCC under Navy contract. The Navy then used the points along

the contours, and used the high and low centers in their objective

analysis program which is also used on current data. The operational

analyses from the Navy are available starting in July 1963. See

Chapter 14 for more information.

d. Daily Sea Level Pressure Grids 1899-1972

These grids are daily data on a uniform 5 latitude-longitude grid taken

from a, b, c above and from the (ESSPO) data as prepared by NCAR, which

is described later in this chapter. We have received monthly mean 1945

data from NORPAX. The missing 5° latitude-longitude points from a and

b are interpolated, except that large missing areas are left as missing.

14

Chapter 2

2. Sea Level Pressure and Surface Temperature Data from Air Force Global

Weather Central (AFGWC)

100 mb height (H) 15 May 1963 - 2 Jan 1965 (00 and 12Z)

Surface temperature (T) 15 May 1963 - 2 Jan 1965 (00 and 12Z)

The 1000 mb height (in tens of feet) was calculated from the sea level

pressure using the formula:

1000 Tsfc [9.58 X Alog(P se - 66.18]1000 sfc sea Ivl

3. Sea Level Pressure and Surface Air Temperature from NMC B-3

Pressure 18 May 1965 - current (00 and 12Z)

Surface (T) 4 Oct 1965 - current (00 and 12Z)

4. Sea Level Pressure and 700 mb Height and Temperature from Extended

Forecast Laboratory

Sea level pressure Jan 1947 - Aug 1967 (00 and 12Z)

700 mb H,T Jan 1947 - Jun 1967 (00 and 12Z)

Many missing in the early months. On a diamond grid (5° latitude and 100

longitude) from 15°N to the pole. In earlier years the grid coverage was less.

5. 300 mb Data from University of Wisconsin

300 mb H 1 Jan 1950 - 31 Dec 1957 (15Z)

Values read to nearest 100 ft from USAF and WBAN charts. Ten days are

completely missing. Data in parts of eastern hemisphere are missing for three

months. See the atlas by Lahey et al. 1960. Diamond grid 15 N to the pole

(each 5° latitude, 10° longitude, with fewer points near the pole). Grids are

on one tape with a 5° grid and 15-bit pack at NCAR. Original height data were

read to the nearest 100 ft. The University of Wisconsin provided the original

170,000 cards.

6. 433L ESSPO Project Grid Data

Data for every other point (one-fourth of the points) in the NMC grid were

manually read from many charts for April 1955 through March 1960 (all twice daily).

The data have been cleaned up and are now in the standard NMC grid format.

15

Daily Grid Analyses at NCAR

The grids for SLP, 700 mb H,T, 500 H,T are complete for every month.

The grids for 300 and 200 mb height and temperature are available each

third month for:

300 mb Apr 1956 - Jul 1958 and Oct 1959 - Jan 1960

200 mb Apr 1956 - Jul 1958

250 mb Oct 1958 - Jul 1959

These cards were received on tapes from United Aircraft and much time was

spent at NCAR to clean up the set. The data are now on the NMC grid with values

interpolated for the missing grid points. The few points outside the NMC grid

are carried at the end of the records. The grid point values were read to the

precision of whole degrees, whole millibars and tens of feet.

The Weather Bureau, Air Force, Navy, and FAA were involved in this project.

1959: Reference Manual for Climatic Data Computer Tapes, 433 L, ESSPO (joint),

424 Trapelo Road, Waltham, Massachusetts 02154 (NCAR has a copy).

7. IGY Northern Hemisphere Stratospheric Data

Daily 100 and 50 mb 12Z height and temperature grids for the period July 1957

through June 1959; 30 mb height and temperature grids are for only three days per

month for the same period. The card data were taped at NCC, paid for by NCAR and

by Deland of New York University. The cards were processed into standard NMC

grid format at NCAR.

8. Height and Temperature Analyses from AFGWC

All are twice-daily analyses on the NMC grid. This set is continuing but

has not been updated at NCAR since early 1965.

850 H,T - start Jan 1962


500 H - start Jan 1960 (note 1)

500 T - start Jan 1962


16

Chapter 2

300 H - start Apr 1959 (note 2)



100 H - start Apr 1959 (note 2)




10 H,T - start May 1963

Note 1: These were NMC grids with one-fourth of the points sent to AFGWC by

teletype (until January 1962).

Note 2: Based on hand analyses made at AFGWC with one-fourth of the points

manually read and the rest interpolated (until January 1962).

9. Analyses from NMC

See Chapter 3 for NMC grids, most of which start in 1963.

10. Western Hemisphere Analyses of the High Stratosphere

Once-weekly analyses of the 5, 2, and 0.4 mb heights for January, April,

July, and October for 1964, 1965, and 1966. (The area is 10°N to the pole and

0°W, 5°W, --, 220°W, but only 40°W - 190°W at 0.4 mb.) See Chapter 12 for more

information about similar data. On tape at NCAR and NCC.

11. Southern Hemisphere Daily Grid Data

IGY grids for sea level pressure and 500 mb height for the period July 1957

through December 1958, for the area 15°S to the South Pole are available. The

grids have data at each 5° of latitude and longitude. The original data were

generally read each 100 longitude on a diamond latitude-longitude grid, with

no sea level pressure data over Antarctica. The card data were from South

Africa or repunched from NOTOS. On tape at NCAR.

We also have grids for sea level pressure for 1951-1957, but these have not

yet been cleaned up.

17

Daily Grid Analyses at NCAR

12. IGY Surface and 500 mb Daily Tropical Grid

Daily sea level pressure and 500 mb heights for the period 1 July 1957

through 31 December 1958. (Pressure read to whole millibars, height read in

dekameters.) Data for 25°S through 25°N, each 5° of latitude and longitude.

18--

Chapter 2

NMC OC'ONtAL GRID

io 20 1 °- 30 #v 3 o I_ r

50 So~·· · ( · · \, · I· · · 5

,s L I · s

w~~~: :! ¼"::: -~--- X"

r /~~ ~~~~~ \· .~ a\a ./ *. i/ a * ·:' * *'tI `u~

#S · · · l - S. . . ' .. . 5

1} ' n ~·i X,/ EF Lc;+ m s af a loaaa · )53/ , ·. ..1, , < Is

to m XX W ,ta < ti ~~~~~~' ' ~ 1

' :' ..

2yon,& o .s .o 3o dE

A~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~..;,t'l ',, · o , ., /·- "' \IE a -4:. hl· · 'v , '/U - 'I

4 a a a · . ,/T~· I · · · · · · a/ V / · h· Y

;· .~ · ,a a··I`~.\ ~r \ ;\ .,,.·,.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

~0 1 .....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~3

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~· · ·· ell ' · ~l y E \P

----!--- ,-----~ · ·I· .. ,,,, ....,.- ~ ~ , --r-)-tY- CC-c--t YI

410~~~~~~

16~~t··· ~ I

;·3i: i~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~t

ia · ·a · aI· a··I· I a~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~J1

· I · · · a a · I· l~~~~~cq r · ,i 3 · ·

Fig. 2-1. NMC 47 X 51 grid. There are 1977 data points in the octagon. The

pole point is I,J = 24,26.

19

Chapter 3: NMC. Analysis Data from the

National Meteorological Center

Nearly all of these data sets are available at NCAR.

1. Introduction

The NMC has had a policy of purging much of their older data. Thus, the

files of NMC data at NCAR and at NCC are more extensive than those at NMC.

Until January 1973, the grid analysis data and the observed upper air data

were combined on one set of "B-3" tapes. Data for 4 March 1962 to 31 December 1972

were on 1845 tapes.

NCAR has processed these tapes to separate the analyses from the observed

upper air data and to block the observed data more tightly. Much of the forecast

data was thrown away. We have made separate data sets of analyses of heights and

temperatures, winds, and forecasts. The analyses on the B-3 tapes are those done

with a data cutoff of 3 h 20 min after data time. However, the primary archive

of NMC height and temperature analyses at NCAR are the final analyses which were

received on separate tapes. These were usually based on a data cutoff of about

lOh after data time. NCAR is now (February 1975) using the operational (B-3) tapes

to fill in the gaps in the final analysis tapes. All final and operational grids

have been put into a common format. Wind analyses are only made during the

operational run.

Starting in December 1974 NMC has been preparing selected zonal mean energy

statistics from their global analyses.

2. Main Stack of NMC Northern Hemisphere Height and Temperature Grids through

December 1972

These analyses are generally from the NMC final analyses tapes. Thus, they

include data up to about 10 h after data time for the time periods (usually at

least once a day) when NMC makes a final analysis after the earlier operational

run which has a data cutoff at 3 h 20 min. Data are available as follows.

20

Chapter 3

The levels (in millibars) are:

a. 1000 H: Five months in 1962, continuous twice a day from December1962. Sometimes only available in the form of a 1000-500 thicknessand the 500 mb chart.

b. 850, 500 H: 00Z starts October 1958. Continuous twice a day fromDecember 1962.

c. 700, 200 H: Five months in 1962 (Jan, Apr, Jul, Oct, Dec), continuoustwice a day from December 1962.

d. 300 H: Starts March 1961 at 00Z, continuous twice a day from December1962.

e. 850, 700, 500, 300, 200 T: Five months in 1962, continuous twice a dayfrom December 1962, but April 1963 missing.

f. 400 H, T: Continuous twice a day starting May 1964.

g. 250 H, T: Continuous twice a day starting October 1965.

h. 150, 100 H: All of 1963, five months in 1964, continuous twice a daystarting in May 1965.

i. 150, 100 T: Same as 150 H except January and April 1963 are also missing.

j. 70 H, T: 12Z analyses start 14 April 1969; twice a day starts18 September 1970.

k. 50, 30, 10 H, T: 12Z analyses start May 1964. Twice a day starts18 September 1970; once a day again, starting January 1973.

3. Vertical Motion (W) Data:

a. 500 mb W: October 1958 through 18 January 1962 for 00Z. In March 1962there is an 11-day period of 650 mb vertical velocity (i.e., not 500).

b. 650 mb W: 10 June 1962 through 19 January 1965.

c. 350 mb W: November 1962 through 19 January 1965.

d. The 650 and 350 mb W-grids continue after 1964 in another sequence oftapes.

4. Analyzed Winds from NMC B-3

These octagonal grid wind analyses are based on a geostrophic first guess

and modified with observed wind data. Analyses made twice-daily.

a. Old pack format starts 4 March 1962 for the levels 850, 700, 500, 300and 200 mb.

b. 100 mb starts 17 March 1963.

c. New pack starts 15 Aug 1963.

21

Analyses from NMC

d. Winds below 300 mb were dropped after 00Z, 1 Jun 1964.

e. 500, 400, 250, 150 mb added 20 Apr 1965.

f. 850, 700 mb included again 11 Aug 1966 to make a complete 850-100 mb set.

5. Tropical Grid Data from NMC

NCAR has NMC tropical grid analyses of winds starting 28 January 1968 for

1200Z. These are for the 700, 500, 300, 250, and 200 mb levels. Wind analyses

at 00Z start 3 March 1968. Temperature grids start 22 January 1970.

The data in these analyses include all tropical rawinsonds, wind soundings,

and aircraft data received at NMC. They also include an average of about 125 winds

deduced from cloud drift as shown in satellite pictures. The satellite SIRS

temperature data are now (as of February 1972) used only in the area north of

about 15°N.

6. Selected Northern Hemisphere Grids from NMC

a. Sea level pressure and surface air temperature from NMC B-3

Pressure: 18 May 1965 - current (00 and 12Z)

Surface Temperature: 4 Oct 1965 - current (00 and 12Z)

b. Sea level pressure and 700 mb height and temperature from the ExtendedForecast Laboratory.

Sea Level Pressure: Jan 1947 - Aug 1967 (00 and 12Z)

700 mb H, T: Jan 1947 - Jun 1967 (00 and 12Z)

Many missing in the early months. On a diamond grid (50 latitude and10° longitude) from 15 N to the pole. In earlier years the grid

coverage was less.

c. Layer Humidity from NMC B-3 Tapes

These are 1000-500 mb average relative humidity (3 March 1968 -31 December 1972, 00 and 12Z, type 44). Starting in January 1973,

there are three layers of relative humidity.

d. A discussion of NMC global grid data is contained in another section.

7. The Selection of NMC Grid Data Starting in January 1973

The Table shows th selection of NMC grid point data saved on the main

archive tapes starting on 1 January 1973. Most of these grids were also saved

22

Chapter 3

prior to 1973. Some NMC grid data such as global analyses are discussed elsewhere.

In the table below, the NCAR function code shows the type of data, and the grid

type is:

1 = 1977 point NMC octagon (northern hemisphere)

3 = 73 X 23 point tropical grid

5 = data for 143 U.S. cities (maximum and minimum temperatures)

6 = data for 286 U.S. cities (precipitation) (deleted on 10 August 1973)

If Fcst is 0, it is an analysis grid; otherwise it is a forecast valid the desig-

nated number of hours later. The level is in millibars, except that 1013 = sea

level and 1001 = surface.

Forecast Grid(Fcst) Type Levels (mb)

Northern hemisphere height and temperature analyses (50 grids/day) (should have8 more strato-grids/day)

28 Pressure (sea level) 0 1 1013

1 Heights 0 1 1000, 850, 700, 500, 400,300, 250, 200, 150, 100,(70, 50, 30, 10 = 12Z only)

10 Temperature 0 1 1001, 850, etc. as forheights

Northern hemisphere winds (42 grid analyses/day)

5 Vertical Velocity 0 1 850, 500, 200

30 U winds 0 1 850, 700, 500, 400, 300,250, 200, 150, 100

31 V winds 0 1 same as for U winds

Northern hemisphere miscellaneous analyses and observations (20 grids/day)

Relative humidity

Snow depth

Sea surface T

Pressure tropopause

0

0

0

0

1 layers (1002-900),(666-1000), (333-666)

1

1

1

1001

1001

0-mb code-tropopausepressure

Function Parameter

44

93

47

28

23

Analyses from NMC

Function ParameterForecast Grid(Fcst) Type Levels

10 T tropopause 0 1 0-mb code-tropopausetemperature

20 Station T maximum 0 5 1001 station T maximum

21 Station T minimum 0 5 1001 station T minimum

90 Station total 0 6 1001 station precipitationprecipitation

Tropical analyses (36 grids/day)

10 Temperature 0 3 850, 700, 500, 300, 250, 200

30 U wind 0 3 same

31 V wind 0 3 same

Northern hemisphere forecasts (49 grids/day)

1 Heights 12 1 850, 500, 300

1 " 24 1 1000, 500

1 " 36 1 1000, 850, 700, 500, 300

1 " 48 1 1000, 500

1 72 1 1000, 500 (no 1000 at 12Z)

10 Temperature 12 1 850, 500, 300

5 Vertical velocity 36 1 500

30 U wind 12 1 850, 500, 300

31 V wind 12 1 same

90 Total precipitation 36 1 1001

8. NMC Forecasts Available at NCAR (written September 1973)

a. Some forecasts for 24 and 36 h for OOZ for December 1968, January 1969,and May 1969. A more complete set of forecasts is available forDecember 1967, 00 and 12Z.

b. Starting August 1970:

24 h 500 mb H

36 h 1000, 850, 700, 500, 300 mb H

24

Chapter 3

c. Starting 15

12 h fcst.:

24 h fcst.:

36 h fcst.:

July 1971:

500 mb H, T; 850, 300 mb H

1000, 500 mb H

1000, 850, 700, 500, 300 mb H

650, 350 mb vertical motion

Precipitation forecast

d. Starting 1 January 1973:

12 h fcst.: U, V, H, T, at 850, 500, 300 mb

24 h fcst.: 1000, 500 mb H

36 h fcst.: 1000, 850, 700, 500, 300 mb H

500 vertical motion

Precipitation forecast

48 h fcst.: 1000, 500 mb H

72 h fcst.: 100, 500 mb H at 00Z

only 500 mb H at 12Z

9. Global Analyses from NMC

a. Introduction

Data Period: NCAR has data for 12Z, 31 October 1972 through 10 February

1974, 20-31 May 1974, and 2 July-23 September 1974. The file will re-

start about December 1974. Gaps are caused by machine changes and lost

tapes at NMC.

T. Flattery at NMC started running these test global analyses twice

a day in January 1972. We believe that they should be useful global

analyses starting 22 November 1972. The analyses are described by zonal

mean values, zonal harmonics in the east-west direction, Hough functions

in the north-south (program is called Huf-Puf), and other orthogonal

functions for the vertical. At first there were about 16 waves for each

horizontal direction and five vertical functions. During the archival

period there have been 24 waves in each horizontal direction and seven

vertical functions (smallest horizontal wave has a wavelength of 15°

latitude or longitude). Surprisingly, this resolution has been observed

to describe pressure troughs and jet stream core winds as well as or

25

Analyses from NMC

better than the analyses on the NMC mesh with a spacing (at the standard

latitude 600 N) of 381 km.

b. Height and wind analyses

Data were input at 12 levels: 1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200,

150, 100, 70, and 50 mb.

The number of 12-bit coefficients output is as follows for each of the

quantities: phase of heights, phase of winds (U and V handled together),

amplitude of heights, and amplitude of winds:

(7 in vertical) x (25 N-S) x (24 E-W)

The zonal mean values are given separately.

Descriptors for the vertical functions are also given. Since March 1973

a best choice of vertical functions is made each day from the global

raob data. The choice of functions changes little from day to day.

Initially the first guess was persistence. In areas far from observed

data, the methods that are used hold the persistence values rather rigidly

(even from summer to winter). On 14 September 1972, the northern

hemisphere forecasts were used as a guess north of 18 N, still persistence

elsewhere.

The guess became the output from Stackpole's 50 latitude-longitude,

8-level primitive equation model in October 1972. It worked correctly

starting 15 November 1972.

When this analysis program became the operational package (starting in

September 1974), the guess was Stackpole's 2.50 latitude-longitude,

8-level primitive equation model.

We have noted that average analyzed 150 mb winds at Gan Island in the

Indian Ocean for July 1973 show light westerly winds where the station

showed the normal easterly winds. This is probably due to some combin-

ation of: lack of observed data, a poor guess from the coarse resolution

forecast, something relating to the VTPR data, or the relative weighting

of winds vs heights in the tropics. The analysed wind data were about

250°/15 m s . The Gan observed monthly mean data was 0790/22 m s

NMC received data for 19 days during the month.

26

Chapter 3

The observed surface data were first used on about 30 April 1972.

VTPR satellite sounding data were available starting 22 November 1972.

These data were observed to improve the analyses considerably in the

southern hemisphere (even the zonal means changed). On each analysis

iteration, the heights for the VTPR soundings are recalculated, based

on the analyzed pressure-height near the surface. Thus, surface data and

rawinsonde data act to improve the reference level information for the use

of the infrared soundings.

The analysis program uses +6 h of VTPR data for the large scales and

only +3 h for the smaller scales.

Counts of the number of VTPR soundings for two random 12-h periods in May

1973 were 117 and 256 in the northern hemisphere, 159 and 222 in the

southern hemisphere.

On 14 May 1973, forecases from these analyses were first used to serve as

a guess temperature structure for the operational workup of the VTPR

soundings. This procedure was dropped after about three months because

a program bug apparently jacked the guess up by the height of the mountains

in the conversion from pressure sigma surfaces to heights and back. This

made pulses over Antarctica, and over mountainous areas, which were carried

along by the guess and may have caused good data to be thrown out. They

went back to the old guess for VTPR which was a blend of the northern

hemisphere forecasts, tropical forecast, and a simple southern hemisphere

analysis.

T. Flattery noted (May 1973) that his 50 mb analyses were rougher than

the operational analyses because he was not using as much smoothing.

c. Temperature and moisture analyses

Thickness temperatures are calculated from the height analyses. These

thicknesses are used to calculate temperatures at the mandatory levels.

The temperatures, in turn, are the guess for a reanalysis of the tempera-

ture for surface through 500 mb using temperature data. The surface

temperature is entered at its elevation in such a way that it can be

interpolated from the two surrounding mandatory levels. This analyzed

temperature starts on about August 1973. There is now (January 1975) some

27

Analyses from NMC

doubt as to whether the analyzed temperatures are recorded for

850-500 mb.

Humidity data are input at the levels 1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, and

300 mb. I believe that the first guess is persistence.

Data volume in the analyses

The number of bits in wave form in one analysis cycle is:

Bits - 60 bits per word (100 words + 4 x 845 words + 100 words

+ 4 x 400 words + 200 words)

- 3.25 x 105 bits per global analysis

If stored on a 2.5° grid point mesh, the volume is blown up by a factor

of about 30.

d. NCAR 2.50 Grid of global analyses

Because of its complexity and because machine time necessary to use the

Huf-Puf analyses in wave form is very high, NCAR is preparing an archive

of these data in 2.50 latitude-longitude grid point form.

For each analysis time there are 12 levels of height, temperature, U,

V grids (1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100, 70, 50 mb),

six levels of humidity (1000, 850, 700, 500, 400, 300 mb), and surface

temperature and tropopause pressure. This is 56 global analyses per time

or 224 hemispheric grids per day, each with 1032 x 60 bits.

Volume = 1.39 x 107 bits per day.

The 50 mb temperature grids are said to have problems because they are

derived from thickness temperatures and thus represent an extrapolation.

29

Chapter 4: Cloud, Humidity, Rain, Moisture, and Water Data

In this chapter, we will discuss only a portion of the available data. The

chapters on ETAC and NCC cover various sets of surface synoptic, daily summary,

and hourly rainfall data. Chapter 10 discusses the average monthly surface station

rainfall data. The satellite chapter indicates the brightness data that are

available. Note that the Nimbus-5 data include cloud pressure and amount.

Estimates of total clear column water vapor amount may be derived from the

satellite VTPR data.

1. Dew Point and Nephanalysis Data from AFGWC

Daily analyses are available at NCAR on the NMC octagonal grid for the

following levels:

Dew Point: 850, 700, 500, 400 mb

Nephanalyses: 1013 (total clouds), 850 mb (low), 600 mb (middle), 400 mb

(high). The period is 1 September 1963 - 20 November 1969, twice daily. Only

total clouds are available until 15 April 1964, when the layered clouds were

added.

2. Layer Humidity from NMC B-3 Tapes (at NCAR)

These are 1000-500 mb average relative humidity (3 March 1968 through

December 1972, 00 and 12Z, type 44). Starting in January 1973, there are three

layers of relative humidity.

3. U.S. Navy Moisture Analyses

The U.S. Navy has surface, 850, 700, and 500 mb moisture grids available from

about 1965. See Chapter 14.

4. Tropical Nephanalysis Data

Period February 1965 through January 1971 (at NCAR) and continuing. J. Sadler

of the University of Hawaii has prepared daily cloud cover grids for the equatorial

strip, 27.5°S to 30°N, with data each 2.5° of latitude and longitude. These data

are based on the nephanalysis charts from the Satellite Service which are, in turn,

based on brightness data from satellites.

30

Chapter 4

Maps of total average monthly cloudiness (30 N - 300 S) are given in

Atkinson and Sadler (1970).

5. Cloud Cover Based on Satellite Brightness Data

Global cloud cover based on four years of satellite mesoscale ( 40 x 40 km)

brightness data are also available. Observation time is about 1400 - 1600 local.

Has mean cloud cover, occurrence frequency of (a) 0, 1, 2 octas, (b) 3, 4, 5

octas, and (c) 6, 7, 8 octas. Tapes are available at NCC, Asheville. See Miller

and Feddes (1971). Other brightness data are discussed in the satellite chapter.

6. Average Clouds Based on Surface Observations

In a NASA study, the globe was divided into 29 climatic regions and monthly

statistics of cloudiness were prepared for each region, based on surface obser-

vations. Data for five cloud amounts (including clear and overcast), eight times

a day, and each month are given on 1740 punched cards. Included are data on cloud

changes with space and time. The climatic regions are located by 140 cards.

See Sherr et al. (1968).

7. Daily Stream-flow Data

The U.S. Geological Survey has prepared 12 tapes (1600 BPI) with the daily

stream-flow data for the United States. The set has 310,000 station-years of

data. Fof the most part, the file contains those records that have hydrologic

significance (excluding ditches, drains, etc.), and the file increases by about

14,000 station years per year. A related microfiche copy of a report is available

from the U.S. Geological Survey, Reston, Virginia.

8. Precipitation Data from Radar

a. Automatically digitized data

In October 1974, six U.S. radar sites had digitizers giving echo

intensity in 20 by 1 n mi increments out to about 120 n mi. There is

a scan each 12 min. Intensity in 256 levels. Thus, (180) (100 n mi)

(8 bits each) or about 150,000 bits each 12 min. This can be data-

compressed by a factor of four. Root-mean-square error on total rain

31

Cloud and Moisture Data

is about 13% using a 12 min scan, because of echo movement and intensity

changes. These data have not been archived yet.

There will be a digitizer at each of the 60 U.S. radar sites.

b. Manually digitized radar data

Archive started 1 July 1973, for an area of southeastern United States,

bounded approximately by Texas, Oklahoma, Tennessee, and Florida (these

states included). For each area 40 mi on a side, a digit is encoded in

each box, each hour. Codes 0-9 are for none, weak, very strong, and

include some information about echo coverage within the 40 mi box.

Plans are to go to a 20 mi box size. Information from D. Smith of the

National Weather Service. A report has been written.

The NWS Techniques Development Laboratory (TDL) has a similar data set

including all data from the Rockies eastward, starting 1 November 1973.

"Additive data" includes information about lines of echoes and changes

of intensity. Data for November 1973 to November 1974 are on one packed

1600 BPI tape. For the 1974 summer season, TDL is now making another

file of information about all severe storm reports (obtained from the

severe storms lab). Information from D. Foster, TDL (NOAA Techniques

Development Laboratory).

9. Soil Moisture and Drought Data

ETAC calculates soil moisture data. See Chapter 6, ETAC. Drought index

(1931 on) from the Palmer index is at NCC.

33

Chapter 5: Miscellaneous Data Sets

1. Gulf of Mexico Oceanographic and Atmospheric Data

Period of data: October 1968 through November 1971.

The data-gathering stations were installed on six offshore oil platforms

located about in an east-west line about 90 km south of the Louisiana-Mississippi

coastline.

The recorded data are wind speed, wind direction, barometric pressure, time,

and two wave staffs. Several hurricanes went over the network. (Available from

NCC.)

2. Ozone Data

NCAR has data prepared by J. London, University of Colorado, that contain all

the daily global total ozone data that he could locate and clean up. There were

about 20 stations in 1957 and 80 stations in 1972. Data prior to 1957 are spotty.

Oxford records go back to 1950 and Arosa records to 1932.

London has also provided gridded average total ozone data for each month from

May 1957 through December 1970. The grid is global and 10° latitude by 10°

longitude.

3. EOLE French Balloon Data

Data period 21 August 1971 to 23 December 1972 (satellite orbits 0065-7075).

Gives the position of drifting balloons over the southern hemisphere. Six

tapes have all of the data and one tape has the data for 27 August 1971 - 5 July

1972 without correction matrices. Data at NCAR. The French prepared a movie

showing balloon drift; NCAR has a print.

4. Line Islands Experiment

Surface and upper air data obtained in the Line Islands during the period

February-April 1967 are discussed in NCAR TN-35, A Catalog of Meteorological

Data Obtained During the Line Islands Experiment, (Zipser and Taylor, 1968).

These data are also archived at NCAR.

34

Chapter 5

5. Aircraft Data for GATE

NCAR is processing the aircraft data from the GATE experiment (June to

September 1974). The packed, calibrated, primary data base at NCAR from seven

aircraft will be about 3 X 1010 bits, including gust probe data. A set of these

data will be archived in one-minute averages on about 2 X 108 bits at NCAR. Most

of the data will also be available for distribution in higher volume character

formats. A copy will be available from NCC.

6. Southeast Asia Mesoscale Upper Air Data

This data set includes rawinsonde data for about 20 stations, often four times

a day starting in about April 1967. The soundings usually went up to about 300 mb.

This data set was being processed by the Army. Its current status is unknown.

7. Water Vapor Spectrum Lines

AFCRL has a data tape giving data for 110,000 lines of the water vapor spectrum.

8. Station Library Information

NCAR has a tape prepared by USAF ETAC showing the location and elevation of

WMO surface and upper air reporting stations. Elevations of raob stations are

checked by downward hydrostatic checks. When WMO data are corrected, this fact

is indicated. The tape has all WMO stations regardless of receipt. New tapes

are made each month, but NCAR does not usually obtain the updates.

9. Data from National Hail Research Experiment (NHRE)

There are now data from the NHRE experiment for the years 1972, 1973, and 1974.

The operational periods were:

1972: 1 May - 29 Jul (22 hail days)1973: 1 May - 9 Aug (6 hail days)1974: 13 May - 9 Aug (29 hail days)

The NHRE definition of a hail day is somewhat arbitrary.

Rawinsondes

There were four, five, and two raob stations for the three summers. Each

35

Miscellaneous Data Sets

generally took three or more soundings during every day of the operational

period.

Surface Observations

There were hourly and special surface observations at the upper air stations

for the hours 0800 to 1800 local time.

Mesoscale Network OBS

In a 70 by 70 km region in northern Colorado, there were about 30 stations

(running 24 h per day) with strip charts showing pressure, temperature, humidity,

wind and rain. These sites also had hail pads. Most of the rainfall charts have

been digitized, as have some of the other charts.

Precipitation Network

In addition to the 30 mesoscale stations, there were about 90 stations with

recording rain gauges and hail pads and 200 stations with regular rain gauges or

hail pads or both.

Radar Data

There were up to seven radars in operation. The scan data were recorded

digitally, and the magnetic tapes processed to produce simulated radar scope

pictures on microfilm. In 1974 there were 40 days with microfilm output. In

addition, a limited number of direct photographs of the radar scopes are available.

Aircraft Data

These data include digital data from penetrations of clouds and from flights

around the clouds.

For further information contact NCAR.

10. Data at the National Severe Storms Laboratory (NSSL)

NSSL concentrates on obtaining mesoscale data (surface, upper air, and

radar) during the period of about 15 April to 15 June. Radar data are obtained

for the whole year. The upper air mesoscale rawinsonde data network has included

as many as ten raob stations in an area 100 by 100 n mi. The surface mesoscale

network in the same area often had about 64 stations.

36

Chapter 5

11. Data at the Illinois State Water Survey (ISWS)

Hourly rainfall data for an east central Illinois station network from

1956-1967 (49 stations in summer, 25 in winter), are on cards. They have Saint

Louis Experiment rainfall data starting June 1971 to last five years, for June,

July, and August. ISWS has the upper air sounding data from the Saint Louis

Experiment. They have surface 1009 cards (daily rain, maximum and minimum

temperatures, etc.) for about 50 stations in Illinois, about 1901-1971. Data are

also at NCC.

37

Chapter 6: ETAC. Environmental Data Sets

at USAF Environmental Technical Application Center

1. Introduction

This gives some information (as of January 1975) about the data sets held by

the Air Force Environmental Technical Applications Center (ETAC), headquartered in

Washington, D.C. ETAC will move to Scott AFB, Illinois in July 1975. The text

sometimes refers to Offutt AFB, Nebraska, which is the location of the Air Force

Global Weather Central (AFGWC). Appendix 1 gives an area breakdown and report

counts of many of the major sets of data. Most of these data sets are saved at

Asheville, North Carolina, where they can be easily accessed by ETAC or by NCC.

A subunit of ETAC is located at Asheville. Some of these same data are also

described in Chapter 7 (NCC). Some of the analysis data are described in

Chapter 2. Major W. Buchan and Ralph Russell of ETAC have been a tremendous help

in providing most of this information and helping to resolve the various questions

that have arisen.

In this writeup, some data sets are referred to by Pnnn numbers, even though

ETAC has since dropped this numbering scheme.

2. Surface Data -- Synoptic Code and Airways

Appendix 1 discusses the availability of surface synoptic data and airways

code data in TDF 13 or TDF 14 formats. Between 1940 and about 1965 the data were

usually punched onto cards from hard copies and finally were incorporated into

TDF 13 and 14 which are arranged in station sequence. From about 1965 to 1970

the data were generally received on magnetic tape, decoded and manually edited.

From 1971 on the data have been taken as decoded and checked by AFGWC, with

additional quality control done only as required for specific projects.

a. Surface synfile (synoptically ordered file)

This is an ETAC decode of data from Carswell (data from communications

circuits) with some data still from other sources. For example, some

overseas circuits were recorded before they could be communicated to the

United States. This data set is called COLFAC data. The file started

1 June 1964 (2, 3, 5, 6 August 1964 are missing). Then almost no data

are missing up to June 1973.

38

Chapter 6

Years Usual No. of Days/Tape

1964/65 7

1966 6

1967/68 5

1969 4

1970 3

Only identical duplicates have been eliminated. Airways and synoptic

reports are included (but not combined, as Offutt does). Surface ship

observations are also in this set. There are consistency checks against

wild data but no checks for consistency with time (662 tapes up to

15 January 1972).

Captain Fenix (ETAC) thinks the quality is very good from 1966 on but is

less sure about 1965. In January 1972 there were about 9300 active

stations in the world. These are stations which normally report at least

once per day. Many stations give three-hourly data, some six-hourly,

and only once or twice per day.

The number of active stations was higher than in the tapes from Offutt

or NMC.

b. Surface synfile from AFGWC

These surface data are the decoded data from Offutt. Thus duplicates

have been eliminated and airways and synoptics combined. A copy of these

tapes are saved at NCC, called the surface Datsav. Loose binary pack.

Average length, 1200 bits each; 8.4 X 106 bits per day; 70,000 obser-

vations per day (but synoptics and airways at the same times combined

to one).

c. Archive at NCC of these surface synoptic files

NCC has the COLFAC decode tapes from January 1967 through May 1973.

Starting in June 1973 they have the tapes decoded from AFGWC. They pull

off eight synoptic and ship observations per day to use in other files.

39

Data at USAF/ETAC

d. Sfc stafile (surface station file)

Data are in order by station, then date. One month for a number of

stations on a tape. The ships are at the front of the tape (block 00)

until November 1971, then at the end of the tape. Starting January 1965

from COLFAC data (a above). This station-ordered file has all of the

data in the associated synoptically ordered set plus some hand inserted

data from decode or library rejects at the end of the month. Has 546

tapes up to December 1971.

e. Sfc stafile from the surface synfile decoded by AFGWC

Starts January 1971. One month of data for a number of stations on a

tape. Ships at end of the number sequence each month. Was about

13 tapes per month, now 18. Synoptic and airways reports combined. About

8.4 X 107 bits per day.

f. ARPA surface data

This is an improved set of global surface synoptic and airways data

starting January 1965. From January 1965 to June 1971 this set has data

from TDF 13 synoptics and TDF 14 airways as well as the COLFAC data in

d above. From July 1971 through May 1973 it has data from COLFAC and

AFGWC decodes (d + e above). Starting June 1973 it is solely the AFGWC

decode. The AFGWC decode saves wind gust data, the COLFAC decode did not.

This ARPA set contains synoptics, hourlies, specials. Rainfall is

included if reported. Synoptics and airways at the same hour are

combined.

This is a station-ordered file by years: One year of first station,

one year of second, etc. Permanent ships have block 99 and a station

number. The roving ships are in a separate file. The Navy FNWC ship

file is probably somewhat better than this one. An exact synoptic file

version of this set is not being prepared, but a above is very similar

and b above should be the same in recent months.

The volume increases from about 65,000 observations per day in 1965 to

about 80,000 observations per day now (February 1975). Average 1200 bits

each, 8.4 X 107 bits per day.

40

Chapter 6

ETAC plans to concentrate on saving the most recent ten years of data.

3. Upper Air Data

As in the case of the surface data, ETAC has decoded earlier data that were

saved by the communications system in order to get a better decode. In recent

years the AFGWC decode has become the only source.

a. P210 Upper air COLFAC data in synoptic file.

Only identical duplicates eliminated. Not hydrostatically checked yet.

Data are fairly continuous from 2 November 1964.

Years Usual No. of Days/Tape

1965/66 7

1967 10

1968/69 8

1970/71 6

In January 1972 ETAC received data from 1600 active upper air stations.

Raob and pibal stations that reported any data were counted. This is

more than AFGWC or NMC were obtaining then. This set includes permanent

ships, moving ships, and aircraft reports, but not dropsondes (375 tapes

to 31 December 1971).

b. Upper air synoptic data from Offutt (called Hydro tapes).

Starts 27 April 1966. From 1966 to 1968 there are usually about

6 days per tape. Data to 1 November 1969. The raobs had a radiation

correction applied until about August 1968; the corrections were applied

only to the higher mandatory levels and not to the corresponding sig-

nificant levels. After this date there is some gap in the data set,

and then it is in packed binary rather than in BCD, and it does not

have the radiation corrections applied. NCAR has some of these data.

c. Later upper air synoptic file from AFGWC.

These upper air Datsav tapes from Offutt started in 1970. ETAC says

the coverage and quality of the COLFAC is normally better where they

overlap in time, but by the time the COLFAC decode stopped, the AFGWC

decode was nearly as good. Has land raobs and pibals, and ship and

41

Data at USAF/ETAC

aircraft data. Usually three tapes per month, about 4700 observations of

all types per day.

d. Archive at NCC of these upper air synoptic files.

NCC has the COLFAC decode tapes from January 1967 through December 1972.

The data before 1968 are in a different format and, like the later COLFAC

data, have not been hydrostatically checked; the data set, however, has

been used with success. Starting January 1973 the tapes were decoded at

AFGWC. These are all in the NCC tape set 9601. In addition NCC makes a

selection-merge of data from the AFGWC and NMC tapes to produce a file

of raobs in TD 5600 format (started in July 1971).

e. P240 Upper air station file, from P210 COLFAC.

Only one month for a number of stations on a tape. Has land raobs and

pibals, and ship and aircraft data. Starts January 1968. At end of each

month a few stations that fail decode or library checks are inserted in

this set that are not in the synoptic set. Has 191 tapes January 1968

to December 1971, and continues.

f. P370 Upper air stafile from AFGWC.

September 1970 on. Much of the first of this data set has been thrown

away because the set from COLFAC data (P240) is better. ETAC does not

really use this until January 1973. They noticed a slight drop in quality

when they shifted to the AFGWC data in January 1973, and then a gradual

improvement. Data are hydrostatically checked at GWC. One month of data

for many stations on a tape.

g. ARPA Upper air data.

This will start with January 1968. It is the COLFAC set P240 through

1972, then the AFGWC set P370. It is all in the AFGWC Datsav format

(loose binary, variable length blocked). The data from COLFAC will also

be hydrostatically checked. The other raob TDF sets will not be used in

the preparation of this. Work on this set is starting at ETAC OL-A in

Asheville. They have received 300 tapes of data for January 1968 to

December 1972, and will receive about 72 more through December 1974.

They hope to have the set of data through 1974 finished by September 1975.

42

Chapter 6

It will then be in Datsav format on about 322 tapes. It will be in

station order within years: first station for a year, next station,

etc. Includes land raobs and pibals, and ship and aircraft data.

4. Satellite Soundings

Temperature retrievals from the IR radiances from the military satellites are

being saved as received from AFGWC. The radiances are not saved yet. See

Chapter 13 for more information.

5. TDF 13 Surface Synoptic Data

See Appendix 1 for a global breakdown. Each observation is variable length

with 65 standard characters and an estimated average of 15 more characters. Thus

total volume (excluding block fill characters) is: (107,231,000 observations)

(80 characters each) = 8.58 X 109 characters.

6. Analyses from AFGWC

a. Northern hemisphere analyses

Analyses from AFGWC at Offutt (on the NMC northern hemisphere octagonal

grid). A more detailed listing of the available height, temperature,

cloud, and moisture analyses is given in Chapter 2.

Multilevel heights 1 Jan 1962 - 20 Aug 1970, continuing

Multilevel temperatures 1 Jan 1962 - 20 Aug 1970, continuing

Multilevel nephanalyses 1 Sep 1963 - 20 Nov 1969

b. Tropical analyses

Tropical analyses from Offutt starting August 1970. Winds and tempera-

tures for 40°S - 400N. Levels: surface and 850, 700, 500, 400, 300,

250, 200, 150, 100, 50 mb; this now (February 1975) goes to 10 mb. The

analysis guess was 6 h persistence, but this was blended with the

northern hemisphere forecast from 20 to 400N, and with a southern

hemisphere forecast when available from September 1971. The result was

then blended with 10% climatology to produce the guess that was used.

Each level was analyzed independently with no additional methods to

43

Data at USAF/ETAC

provide more vertical consistency. Two tapes per month. (1 August 1970

to 15 January 1972 uses 32 tapes.)

c. Southern hemisphere analyses

These analyses are for 15 levels from 1000 to 10 mb and start in

January 1972.

d. Upper-air analysis data base

The later years of the AFGWC analysis data are restructured in the

following ways for this data base, so that they can be more easily used

with the 3-D nephanalysis: This data base is maintained in two parts,

northern hemisphere and southern hemisphere. Each of the hemispheric

disks is divided into 64 boxes, as in the 3-D nephanalysis data base.

Within each box there are 64 grid points in an arrangement of eight rows

and eight columns. The data elements for each point are pressure and

temperature of the surface level; D value, temperature, and wind

components for 15 levels above surface; dew point temperature of the

surface, 850, 700, 500, and 400 mb levels.

Data are maintained for the 00Z and 12Z hours. The sequence of the file

is YR-MO-DA-HR-BOX-POINT-ELEMENT. Each hemisphere-year-month is a

separate subfile within the data base.

The period of record for the northern hemisphere begins with January

1971; for the southern hemisphere it begins with January 1972.

e. Monthly averages of analysis data

Year-month averages of the analysis data will start with January 1971

for the northern hemisphere and January 1972 for the southern hemisphere.

These will give means and standard deviations of height, temperature, U,

and V for the levels 1000 through 10 mb. Moisture will be included

through 400 mb.

f. Three-dimensional nephanalysis data base

1) The 3-D nephanalysis data base is formulated into two parts, the

northern hemisphere (3DNEPHNHA) and the southern hemisphere

(3DNEPHSHA). Each of the hemispheric disks is divided into 64 boxes.

Within each box there are 4096 grid points in an arrangement of 64

44

Chapter 6

rows and 64 columns. Figure 6 (la and lb) shows the arrangement

graphically.

Twenty-two parameters are reported at each grid point. The first

seven are cloud types (3), weather, maximum tops, minimum bases, and

total coverage. The remaining 15 are percent cloud amounts for 15

layers of variable thicknesses. The first layer goes from the surface

to 150 ft above the ground. The top of successive layers are 300,

600, 1000, and 2000 ft AGL, and 3500, 5000, 6500, 10,000, 14,000,

18,000, 22,000, 26,000, 35,000, and 55,000 ft MSL. The horizontal

resolution is one-eighth NMC mesh or about 45 km at 600N. The

analysis procedure uses satellite, aircraft, and conventional data.

See Coburn (1970) for a description of the procedure.

3DNEPHNHA is reported every three hours at 00, 03, 06, 09, 12, 15, 18,

21Z. The general period of record began in August 1970. Initially

32 boxes were reported; additional boxes were added in 1971 and 1972.

Sixty boxes are reported currently (boxes 1, 8, 57 and 64 are not

reportable since they are off the disk). Figure 6-1 shows the be-

ginning period of record for each box in the northern hemisphere.

The data base is kept in BOX-TIME sequence.

3DNEPHSHA period of record begins in May 1974. These data are not

currently processed into box-time files but are maintained in

synoptic sequence.

Volume: There are

5.905 X 105 bits per box analysis

1.726 X 109 bits per box year

2) Low, middle, high cloud file

This is a condensed version of the 3-D nephanalysis and has about

one-fourth the volume.

3) Histogram file

This file keeps histograms of cloud frequency from 3-D nephanalysis

by month, level, and time of day. There are 6.5 X 109 bits per

hemisphere.

45

Data at USAF/ETAC

g. AFGWC Boundary-layer model (BLM) grids

BLM analyses began in August 1970 at AFGWC for the U.S. window, 00Z and

12Z. The European and Asian windows were added later (see table below).

Mesh size is one-half NMC (100 n mi). The levels are: surface, 50, 150,

300, 600, 900, 1200 and 1600 m. Parameters are: U, V, W wind components,

temperature, specific humidity, specific moisture (vapor plus liquid),

relative humidity, and D-values. Only levels 1, 2, 5, and 6 were avail-

able until April 1973. When the data are prepared at AFGWC hourly

forecast values are also available, but these are dropped from the data

tapes before transmission to ETAC. See Hadeen (1970) for a description of

the boundary layer model.

Area Start Date # Points Degrees

U.S. Window Aug 1970 29 X 27 45N 137W, 62N 53W,17N 107W, 23N 70W

European Window 18 Jul 1974 29 X 35 73N 55W, 45N 91E32N 06W, 22N 48E

Asian Window 18 Jul 1974 29 X 35 44N 111E, 72N 110W21N 153E, 32N 155W

7. Other Data Sets at ETAC

a. Astrogeophysical data

ETAC has been accumulating AFGWC-processed solar/geophysical data since

January 1972. The original set contained 23 parameters; five more were

added in July 1974. The parameters include sunspot counts, flare data,

ionosonde data, and maximum and minimum observable radio frequency for the

ionospheric layers (120 magnetic tapes have been accumulated through

December 1974).

b. Long-term precipitation means from charts

Monthly data on an I,J grid. For Europe and Asia, not for North America.

On a 60 mi grid. Probably based on rain data for about 1950 to 1965.

c. Soil moisture

Calculated from precipitation, etc., in P200. Only available for selected

areas. One tape for a month. Saved for only a few months.

46

Chapter 6

d. Airfield summary data

ETAC has published worldwide airfield climatological summary data in 23

volumes, covering all of the world's runways over 3000 ft in length

(about 4500). In some cases a "closest station" had to be used rather

than one right at the airport. Monthly mean snowfall is included. Wind

rose data are not given, but the frequencies of days with winds over

17 kt and over 27 kt are given. These data are also on about 60 magnetic

tapes at ETAC Washington.

28

100°E

2 3 5 4 7

9 10 II 12 13 14 15 16

7 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

/ . \~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

322927

P373635

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

49\ 50 51 52 53 54 55 ,/56

57/ 58 5 60 6o 1 6 63 64X

80°W

11,22,34,44,

30 31

170" f ' i I I 4oo----- ---4 + -0'

38 39 40,

Boxes

12, 13, 14, 18, 19, 20, 2123, 26, 27, 28, 29, 30, 3135, 36, 37, 38, 39, 42, 4345, 46, 47, 51, 52, 53, 54

03, 04, 05, 17, 25, 33

50, 59, 60, 61, 62

24, 32, 40, 48

02, 06, 07, 09, 10, 15, 16, 4149, 55, 56, 58, 63

Beginning P.O.R.

1 Jan 1971 OOZ

21 Mar 1972 12Z

20 Apr 1972 12Z

16 May 1972 15Z

15 Feb 1973 09Z

TotalReporting

(32 boxes)

(38 boxes)

(43 boxes)

(47 boxes)

(60 boxes)

NOTE: Boxes 01, 08, 57, 64, do not contain data asthey are off the Equator.

Fig. 6-la. 3DNEPHNHA ProjectionMap of Numbered Boxes.

26 28

80°W

X-: 2 3 4 5 6 7 8

9 II 1 2 13 14 15 \16

'17 I 18 19 20 21 22 23 24

1/II

322725

403938363534

41 42 43 44 45 46 47 48

49\ 50 51 52 53 54 55 /56

57 58 59 60 61 62 3 A 64m

29

170-1 i- - + -- i,.._

W33 37

30 31

Geographic Location

02,03,06,25,20,22,

41E 43,

46,32,

09,04,07,26,21,23,42,44,47,40,

10,05,14,27,28,30,49,45,54,48,

Fig. 6-1.

17,11,15,33,29,31,50,51,60,55,

18,12,16,34,36,38,58,52,61,56,

19,13,24,35,37,39,59,53,62,63,

Western PacificSouth East AsiaIndian OceanCentral PacificPolar RegionEurope/AfricaEastern PacificUnited StatesAtlantic/South AmericaSouth Atlantic

Locations of 3DNEPH grid boxes. The period ofrecord for the northern hemisphere is shown.Southern hemisphere data start in May 1974.

tjP3rt

C)

cicnI'l

I100°Elvv-t

Fig. 6-lb. 3DNEPHSHA ProjectionMap of Numbered Boxes.

26

w33 34

49

Chapter 7: NCC. Data at the National Climatological Center

1. Introduction

NCC, in Asheville, N.C., is the main data archive in the United States for

meteorological data. It is under the Environmental Data Service (EDS) of NOAA.

In this writeup, we will only consider some of their main data sets. Analyzed and

observed data from NMC flow into NCC. Data from the Air Force AFGWC go to ETAC in

Washington, D.C., and, finally, most of it goes to the ETAC unit in Asheville.

Some of the Navy FNWC data also goes to NCC. There is a Navy unit at Asheville.

When data are punched by civilian or military sections at NCC, they become part of

a common data pool. Data on tape or cards from various foreign or United States

sources also become a part of the pool, although there is bound to be somewhat less

knowledge of data sets that were not locally created.

Much of the satellite data also now goes to NCC in Asheville, but the plans

are for it to be stored at NESS.

A number of the sets of NCC data will be treated outside of this section of

the text. Also some of the sets listed may be superseded by the same data in

better condition in a reformatted set.

For the U.S. first-order stations, there were many station moves from city

locations to airports during the period 1935-1939. Then between about 1955 and

1965 many of the instruments were moved from shelters on airport roofs to remote

reading locations above the grass in the middle of the airport. Only about five

of some 300 first-order stations were not moved in the period from 1935 to 1970.

Information about published climatic data can be found in Selective Guide

to Published Climatic Data Sources (NCC, 1969). The LCD (Local Climatic Data)

NCC publications provide information about the station histories.

2. Listings of Data Holdings

Appendix 1 gives a broad view of the data holdings within some of the sets

of observed surface and upper air data. The information for this appendix was

prepared by ETAC in December 1974. Appendix 2 gives a data listing prepared by

NCC and NCAR in 1975.

3. Rawinsonde Data

The U.S. sondes used during the approximate period 1963 to 1972 could give

50

Chapter 7

mixing ratios (in moist air and sunny skies) of 12 g/kg rather than the correct

20 g/kg. The humidity element absorbed too much direct sunlight and gave a

relative humidity appropriate to this elevated temperature and not to the cooler

actual temperature reported by the temperature element. The archived raob data

do not include any stratospheric radiation corrections made after data receipt.

See Mclnturff and Finger (1968) for suggested corrections as a function of instru-

ment type, pressure level, and solar elevation angle.

Canadian data are not now (January 1975) available at NCC past September

1971.

a. Rawinsonde mandatory and significant level data (TDF 5600)

Since 1971 the U.S. rawinsonde data have been saved in this format, which

includes significant levels. Some of the new data are converted to the

older formats and vice versa (2000 characters per raob).

b. Raob mandatory level cards (Deck 645) January 1961 - June 1971

The Deck 645 raob mandatory level cards were punched for Canadian stations,

for U.S. stations, and for selected other stations with bilateral agree-

ments. The mandatory levels are for each 50 mb in the lower troposphere.

There are about 33 levels in the normal sounding. These data are thus

more extensive and better checked than the data transmitted by teletype.

The wind direction is given to the nearest degree. Data are on 59

7-channel, 556 BPI tapes at NCC. Received on 32 9-channel, 1600 BPI tapes

at NCAR. Volume: 9.4 X 108 characters.

c. Rawinsonde data -- mandatory levels (TDF-54) January 1928 - December 1971

ETAC has put many of the available U.S. and foreign mandatory level data

onto tape in TDF 54 format. This has 800 characters per raob and provides

for up to 40 levels. Data at constant pressure levels, except in early

periods when they are at constant heights. The U.S. data mostly start in

1946; Canadian data start in about 1955. The earlier U.S. constant height

raobs generally started about July 1939. The constant pressure data

include Deck 541 (1946-1948), Deck 542 (1949-1952), Deck 544 (1952-1955),

Deck 545 (1956-1960), and parts of Deck 645 (1961-1971). These data

are in a common set of units.

51

Data at NCC

Area: Worldwide, including ocean weather stations

Volume: 5,155,000 observations from 1412 stations,

800 characters per raob, on 535 reels of 9-track tape

d. Northern hemisphere rawinsonde (January 1949 - June 1971 on)

Area: Northern hemisphere

Rawinsonde observations going as high as 10 mb, 600 stations, on

magnetic tape

e. Rawinsonde data - Northern hemisphere Scherhag set (March 1954 -

December 1962)

Data from 31 northern hemisphere stations, once a day

The data are on magnetic tape

f. Dropsondes, Ptarmigan-Arctic (Deck 610) June 1951 - November 1959

Volume: 24,000 observations on two reels of Fosdic film

(Also, there are other decks of dropsonde and reconnaisance observations.)

g. Monthly means of rawinsonde data (about 1950 on)

NCC and NCAR have tapes of these data which are being cleaned up. These

data can be found in the NCC publication, Monthly Climatic Data of the

World.

h. Raob signal levels (Deck 606) January 1945 - May 1963

Area: Worldwide land and ships, mostly U.S. Nearly all of these are

for only the seasonal months January, April, July, and October. After

1952, this set will be mostly redundant with the data in Deck 505.

Volume: 5,000,000 significant levels (about 397,000 observations) on

431 reels of Fosdic film.

i. Radiosonde significant levels (Deck 505) July 1952 on

Area: United States, Canada, Mexico, Caribbean Sea, Antarctica, South

America, North Atlantic Ocean, Pacific Islands. Canadian data

are mostly from 1957 on.

Volume: 20,000,000 significant levels (about 1,450,000 observations)

on 125 reels of 9-track tape.

52

.apter 7

4. Winds Aloft Data

The mandatory level rawinsonde observations will include wind data for many

stations that are not in these sets.

a. WBAN winds aloft (TDF-53) January 1918-December 1964

Global coverage

Volume: 5,119,000 observations on 500 reels of 9-track tape

b. Foreign winds aloft (TDF 52) January 1922-December 1966

Global coverage, not including North America


c. Winds aloft WBAN January 1945-August 1965

From 1400 worldwide stations

From rawinsonde and pilot balloons (Weather Service, Air Force, Navy,

and Canadian stations.)

The data are on Fosdic film

d. Upper air winds (Deck 508) March 1951-February 1959

For 950 to 10 mb, United States, Canada, Puerto Rico, Canal Zone

Volume: 275,000 observations on 25 reels Fosdic film

e. Upper air winds, Eurasian (Deck 500) January 1951-February 1958

Area: Asia, Europe, Greenland, North Africa

Volume: 115,000 observations on ten reels Fosdic film

f. Winds aloft, Canadian (Deck 685) July 1955-July 1971

Area: 70 stations in Canada

These data are on magnetic tape. They are also included in TDF-53

through 1964.

5. Rocketsonde Data at NCC (January 1975)

NCC has all of the U.S. data and a portion of the foreign data on about 24

tapes. The data for U.S. stations for 1961 through 1968 are on 12 tapes in an

earlier format. The main effort started in 1969; this tape format includes data

53

Data at NCC

for U.S. and foreign stations. The U.S., South American, and Spanish stations are

on one tape each four months. (In January 1975, data are available through 1972;

1973 should be ready in two months.)

There are three delayed data tapes. One is from Russian land stations with

some data back to 1961. Another similar tape contains Russian ship data, and

another has some of the Australian and Japanese data. NCC is attempting to obtain

more of these data.

The January 1970 and 1972 issues of the High Altitude Meteorological Data

Publications from NCC have inventories of the data. The January 1973 issue will

contain another inventory and will be published about July 1975.

6. Surface Synoptic Observations

Most of the smaller sets are not listed here. See Appendix 1 for coverage of

land synoptic observations.

a. Surface synoptic observations (TDF-13) January 1901 on

Area: worldwide land (not including the United States)


b. Surface synoptic observations, Norwegian January 1951-December 1956

Volume: 280,000 observations on two reels of 9-track tape

Surface synoptic observations, Greenland


c. Surface marine synoptic observations (TDF-11) January 1854 on

See Chapter 17 for a more complete discussion.

Area: worldwide ocean (grouped by 100 latitude-longitude squares)

Volume: 43,000,000 observations on 375 reels 9-track tape

7. Airways Data

a. General

NCC has hourly observations from about 300 to 400 U.S. first-order

stations on tape for the period January 1949-December 1964. A number of

54

Chapter 7

stations go back to 1930. Starting in January 1965, only eight obser-

vations per day have been punched.

Worldwide U.S. military stations were still punched each hour through

December 1970 and are on tape. The punching of the military data stopped

when the receipt of the teletype data was considered good enough.

The tapes from ETAC-AFGWC have about 30,000 hourly airways and special

reports per day. These are for all stations received on the teletype

circuits, not just the first-order stations.

In 1977, NCC will get hourly information plus specials directly from about

1000 stations. They will be a primary node in the communications system.

b. Airways surface observations (TDF-14) January 1940 on

Area: worldwide land, mostly United States, 1800 stations. The U.S.

stations came from Deck 1440 and generally start in July 1948.

Volume: 166,000,000 observations on 2800 reels of 7-track, 556 BPI tape

through 1973.

c. Hourly surface observations (Deck TD-9753,928) January 1965-December 1970

Area: North Atlantic and North Pacific Oceans


8. Daily Surface Data for United States

a. Daily data from U.S. Cooperative Stations and First-Order Stations (at NCC)

Daily data for about 12,000 stations are punched and checked at NCC

(Deck 486, punched from Form 612-3, formerly 1009, and First-Order

Summary of the Day from MF 1 10B). The data include at least daily

precipitation and most stations report maximum and minimum temperatures.

Evaporation data are included from 500 stations. The State Climatologists

assisted NCC with data checking until their positions were eliminated in

1973. Data for the current year are on four tapes per month: three

for the United States, Caribbean, Alaska, and Hawaii; and one for

delayed data.

55

Data at NCC

Once a year, between March and June, the previous year's file is combined

onto 20 reels. The data through about 1970 are organized on tapes by long

station time series within each state.

Through cooperative agreements with universities and state agencies, some

records as early as 1879 are included. Approximately 600 stations have

30 or more consecutive years of data. These long-term records are usually

from suburban areas. Some states have no data prior to 1948. The

general beginning date for this file is 1948. Data prior to October 1963

were placed on Fosdic film for retention, but by July 1975 all of these

will be placed on tape. The volume of observations in CD 486 on tape is

110,000,000 card images (80 characters each) on 700 reels of 9-track tape

and covers the United States, Caribbean, Alaska, Hawaii, Pacific Islands,

and a very small number of Canadian stations.

b. Summaries and climate division data

The world records data (year-month mean surface) are on tape at NCC and

NCAR; they are discussed in the NCAR section.

c. Surface observations - monthly means of 1009 (Deck TD 9924, 932)

January 1891 on

Area: United States, Caribbean, Pacific Islands


d. Surface observations -- monthly summaries and daily data (TD 9716)

1 January 1960 on

Area: United States, Pacific Islands, Puerto Rico

Data for first-order stations, including some monthly summaries by hours.

From airways Deck 1440 (hourly or three-hourly data). Summary of winds by

speed categories, etc. Published in LCD (Local Climatological Data)

summaries.

Volume: 4,000,000 observations (80 characters each) on 22 reels of

9-track tape.

e. Station climatology

A tape containing station climatologies is also available. A new two-

volume publication of the station climatologies may be purchased from NCC.

56

Chapter 7

f. Climatic division data -- monthly summaries (Deck 475) January 1931 on

For the 400 climate divisions in the United States, this deck gives year-

month means of temperature and precipitation.

Volume: one tape

g. Daily and weekly data for climatic divisions (about 1965 on)

Includes daily maximum and minimum temperatures, by U.S. climatic

divisions. Heating and cooling degree days were calculated from this.

9. Other Daily Surface Observations

a. Summary of day observations (TDF-34) January 1885 on

Area: worldwide land (mostly United States)


b. Summary of day observations (U.S.) (Deck 331) January 1934-December 1944

Volume: 90,000 observations on eight reels of Fosdic film

c. Summary of day observations (TDF 30)

NCC is gradually putting many summary-of-day observations into this

format. Now all summaries for first-order stations (Deck 345) and some

of Deck 486 have been converted. TDF 34 will also be converted.

d. Summary of day, Canadian Arctic (Deck 335) January 1955-December 1967

Area: Canadian Arctic

Volume: 24,000 observations on one reel of tape

e. Surface daily winds, ocean station vessels (Deck 328) January 1948-

December 1972

Area: North Atlantic, North Pacific

Volume: 25,000 observations on one reel of 9-track tape

10. Rainfall Data

In addition to the sets below, rainfall data are also given in the airways

data, the surface synoptic data, the radar data, the daily summary data, and the

monthly mean data.

57

Data at NCC

Rainfall data taken from the surface synoptic reports are often somewhat

questionable. They are subjected to a variety of coding practices which might not

be taken into account. If the rain group is not reported, one cannot be certain

that there was no rain. In a recent survey of the teletype data, the rainfall data

for Russia and China appeared good; over parts of southeast Asia they were poor

(and could be either too high or too low). The rain data can even be poor in the

TDF-13 deck of surface synoptic observations.

a. Hourly precipitation data (Deck 488) July 1948 on

Area: North America, United States, Honduras, Mexico, Swan Island,

Nicaragua, Puerto Rico, Virgin Islands, Bahama Islands.


b. Seven-day U.S. rainfall (Deck 487) January 1906-December 1935

Area: United States

Volume: 342,000 observations on 29 reels of Fosdic film

c. Australian monthly and annual precipitation (Deck 990) January 1900-

December 1964

Volume: 7000 observations on one reel of Fosdic film

11. Miscellaneous Sets of Surface Data

a. Drought analyses.

NCC has Palmer index data from about 1931 and nearly up to date. There

are also some crop moisture index data.

b. Freeze data, United States (TD 9712, 948) January 1931 on

Volume: 80,000 observations on one reel of 9-track tape

c. Soil temperatures (Deck 860) January 1967 on

Area: United States, Puerto Rico

Volume: 200,000 observations on one reel of tape

58

Chapter 7

12. Solar Radiation

a. Solar radiation, hourly and daily (Deck 470) September 1923-June 1952

Area: United States, Canada, Pacific Islands, Iceland

Volume: 370,000 observations on 31 reels of Fosdic film

b. Solar radiation sum of day (Deck 480) July 1952 on

From about 160 stations in the United States, Canada, Caribbean, and

Pacific Islands. Canadian data stopped December 1959. Corrective

measures are being taken on the set. Values may vary from a few percent

high to 20 to 30% low.

Volume: 650,000 observations on four reels of 9-track tape

c. Solar radiation hourly (Deck 280) July 1952 on

Area: United States

Volume: 2,500,000 observations on 20 reels of 9-track tape. Work is

proposed to clean up this set more fully and to calibrate at least some

of the stations in it.

13. Data from Bomex Experiment

Period of experiment: May through July 1969

a. Bomex marine observations

Ship and land synoptic observations eight times daily; Caribbean,

2,000,000 observations

b. Bomex rawinsonde observations

Rawinsonde ship observations, 8 to 15 daily; Caribbean, 2500 soundings

c. Bomex aircraft reconnaissance flights

Area: tropical Atlantic and Caribbean

Volume: data from 79 aircraft flights on magnetic tape

d. Bomex boom data

In Caribbean: Data each 30 sec on air and water temperatures, wind,

humidity, and precipitation.

59

Data at NCC

Volume: 2,000,000 observations on magnetic tape

14. Cyclone Positions

a. Tropical cyclone positions

This NCC set has about 70,000 12-hourly positions up through about 1971

(12,000 in the North Atlantic, 20,000 in the North Pacific, and 10,000 in

the Indian Ocean). Some of the data include the central pressure and

maximum winds. Some six-hourly positions are given. Data from a number

of sources are included. For example, data are included from Chin's

(1972) Tropical Cyclone Climatology for the China Seas and Western

Pacific from 1884 to 1970. After about 1947, data from reconnaissance

aircraft were often used to position the storms. Since about 1960,

satellite pictures have been available. Chin's book includes central

pressure and peak winds (NCAR has a copy).

b. Extratropical cyclone positions (1899 present)

For the period 1899-1939, there are once-a-day low pressure centers with

central pressure. For June 1965 to the present, there are six-hourly

positions, with central pressure only given at 12h. On tape.

15. Tower Data - Cedar Hill, Texas (December 1960-December 1962)

Wind and temperature data at 12 levels, 30-1420 ft, near Dallas. Observations

each 40, 280, or 580 s.

Volume: 256,000 observations on five reels of 9-track tape.

16. Data Sets Stored Elsewhere that are Related to NCC Data

a. In the section on NCAR data holdings, a number of sets are discussed which

originated partly or totally at NCC.

b. Maximum and minimum temperatures, daily precipitation data

Data at the Extended Range Forecast Laboratory (NMC), based on information

from R. Gelhard, September 1971.

The Extended Forecast Laboratory has tapes based on daily card data for

108 stations in the 48 contiguous states. The period of record is

60

Chapter 7

1947-1965; the data were from NCC. Their tapes contain cleaned-up

data (and no missing values) of maximum and minimum temperatures and

total daily precipitation. The Techniques Development Laboratory added

about 32 U.S. and Canadian stations, and Gelhard thinks that these were

also cleaned up.

The Extended Forecast Laboratory put the original cards (Gelhard thinks

WBAN-3 cards) on tape and edited them; the original records were used

to fill in the many missing values and to correct many errors.

c. Station data

A number of states have tapes that have much of the past station data.

A program should be started to identify such data unless they merely

duplicate NCC holdings without additional cleanup, etc.

d. The Bonneville Power Administration, in cooperation with several other

federal and state organizations maintains extensive sets of surface data

on magnetic tape for several western states and for British Columbia.

17. Ozone Soundings from Balloon Ascents (January 1963 through May 1969)

AFCRL Ozonesonde NetworkThe first eight months of data are

in one format on 11 tapes for 11 stations;

not much data on each tape. The rest of FAIRBANKS SHULE

the period is on two tapes. Bedford has

data for 68 months with 451 observations.

The next best station is Goose Bay with CHURCHILLS\SEATTLE e ^ S GOOSE BAY

53 months and 178 observations. The data

have been summarized by Hering and PT. MUGU FT. COLLINS GREEN BAY BEDFORD

Borden (1967). 0 J

61

Data at NCC

18. Coastal Observing Stations

There is no combined set of coastal station observations. Some Weather

Service stations such as Miami Beach record water temperatures on WBAN-10 forms,

but they are not punched because there is no room for the data in the card format.

Until recently there has been little standardization in Coast Guard station

practices. The WMO synoptic code includes a code group for water temperature

data, so if the code is used and if NMC or AFGWC decode the data, then the water

data should be available with the rest of the synoptic data at NCC. Such sets of

global synoptic code data start in 1965.

19. Atmospheric Turbidity Data

Starting in 1971 (and punched through October 1973 as of March 1975), NCC

has taped data for about 60 global stations measuring turbidity. Most of these

stations are in the United States. The data are published in the annual publi-

cations by NCC, Atmospheric Turbidity and Precipitation Chemistry Data for the

World.

The earlier data are being prepared by the Environmental Protection Agency

at Research Triangle Park and will then be sent to NCC. See Flowers et al.

(1969) for information about turbidity over the United States.

20. Data from GATE Experiment

The data from the June-September 1974 GARP Atlantic Tropical Experiment are

being archived at World Data Center-A at NCC. A GATE data catalog has been pre-

pared by NCC with the assistance of CEDDA. The data include ship surface and

rawindsonde data, ship radar data (digital and picture), satellite data (digital

and picture), boundary-layer data, aircraft data, radiation data, and oceanographic

data. The snyoptic-scale and global data will also be available. These data are

being prepared by the GATE National Processing Centers and Subprogram Centers and

will be sent to NCC when the data processing is completed.

A number of WMO publications about GATE are available. People ordering from

all countries except the United States should write to the WMO in Geneva, Switzer-

land. Orders from the United States should be sent to WMO Publications Center,

UNIPUB Inc., P. O. Box 433, New York 10016.

63

Chapter 8: Upper Air Observed Data

Section A: Upper Air Observed Data in Synoptic Order

NCAR has upper air data in synoptic sequence starting in May 1958. The

first five years were from MIT. Since about 1962, the synoptically filed data

are from real time teletype data decoded by the numerical weather centrals. These

data include significant-level information. In fact, more significant-level data

have been transmitted over teletype than were post-punched for U.S. stations at

NCC until procedures changed in 1971. The data coverage on the NMC tapes became

global (as received operationally) in June 1966.

1. From NMC

Data Period: 4 March 1962 - current.

NCAR has tapes containing the upper air data received synoptically at the

weather centrals. Figure 1-2 shows NMC data coverage on typical days in 1968 and

1974. This plot was computer-made by scanning one of the time periods on a tape

from NMC. (The coverage became global in June 1966.) Data from 4 March 1962 to

31 December 1972 are on 377 tapes. For earlier years up to 44 sounding times

(22 days) are stored on each tape; in 1972, about 15 sounding times are stored

per tape. Previous to 1 November 1969, only the 00Z and 12Z soundings were

archived; since 1 November 1969, 06Z and 18Z records have also been kept for a

few months, the former in the 00Z file and the latter in the 12Z file. To obtain

these data from 4 March 1962 to 31 December 1972, NCAR read 1,845 B-3 tapes from

NMC. The tapes have the upper air data received within about 10 h of 00 or 12Z.

Prior to 1973, the aircraft data were deleted on the tapes for NCC, but NCAR

retained these data. Starting on 1 January 1973, there is a format change to a

character code. NCAR receives the data on four tapes per month and is normally

within about six weeks of being up to date.

The NMC tapes include aircraft wind reports, wind data from the cirrus blowing

off from cumulonimbus clouds ("blowoff winds"), wind data from the drift of clouds

seen on ATS film loops, atmospheric temperature soundings calculated from

satellite infrared soundings, and "bogus" data put in by analyses to help the

objective analysis programs. See the satellite data chapter for more details.

For the GATE period (June-September 1974), tapes are available that contain

the six-hQurly data.

64

Chapter 8

2. From AFGWC

Data Period: 24 July 1966 - 28 August 1969 (many missing).

NCAR has 1,620 sounding times (00, 12Z) of these data through 28 August 1969.

These are now on 101 tapes, usually 18 sounding times (9 days) per tape. See the

section on data sets at ETAC for more information about these data. Time periods

covered with only minor skips are:

Day Mo. Yr. thru Day Mo. Yr.

24 7 66 29 7 66

14 10 66 2110 66

10 11 66 16 11 66

9 1 67 17 1 67

22 1 67 2 2 67

4 3 67 12 3 67

10 4 67 17 4 67

3 5 67 18 5 67

DaysMissing

75

18

54

5

60

27

15

Day Mo. Yr. thru Day Mo. Yr.

6 6 67 5 7 68

12 7 68 15 1 69

20 1 69 6 5 69

9 5 69 1 6 69

6 6 69 14 6 69

20 6 69 1 8 69

24 8 69 28 8 69

"Missing" gives the approximate number of days of data missing in the gap from the

previous date. Each sounding time usually has about 620 rawinsondes (of these

about 330 give wind by height as well as wind by pressure). There are 280 wind

soundings with no raob, and 450 to 700 aircraft reports. The original set of data

at ETAC is more complete (see chapter six).

3. At FNWC

The section on data at FNWC describes the upper air data that are available

on their tapes. NCAR now only has a small amount of these data.

4. Northern Hemisphere from University of Missouri, MIT, NCC

Data Period: May 1958 through April 1963.

Rawinsonde data for this five-year period were obtained from Prof. Ernest

Kung of the University of Missouri (OOZ and 12Z data are in the set). The data

originated on 60 tapes at Prof. Starr's General Circulation Laboratory at MIT.

Kung did some additional cleanup work on the data. Most of the original data were

DaysMissing

17

6

4

2

4

5

23

65

Upper Air Observations

from NCC, Asheville, and have been further processed under NSF grants.

The data are mandatory levels with information each 50 mb in the lower levels

when available. The volume was 39 9-channel, 1600 BPI tapes, but has been re-

formatted without loss of data to 20 tapes of OOZ data and five tapes of 12Z data,

all recorded at 7 channel, 800 BPI.

5. Aircraft Data

J. Sadler, at the University of Hawaii, has gathered and punched several years

of aircraft wind data for tropical areas, including data for a number of aircraft

routes not received by NMC. T. N. Krishnamurti, at Florida State University, has

gathered aircraft data for the GATE period and for other selected periods, such

as June-August 1972.

6. Printed Upper Air Data on Microfilm

A selection of the data is available in printed form from NCC in the Northern

Hemisphere Data Tabulations. These tabulations were printed through December 1963.

Since that time, they have been produced on one reel of microfilm per month. The

table below compares the data available on tape from the Weather Centrals with the

amount of printed data.

From Numerical Weather Centrals

00 plus 00 plus06Z 18Z

Rawinsonde 750 820

Winds aloft 650 650

Aircraft 800 800

SIRS or VTPR 80 60

Surface synoptic

DailyTotal1570

1300

1600

140

40,000

N. Hem. Data Tabs

00 plus 12 plus Daily06Z 18Z Total591 154 745

65 0 65

0 0 0

0 0 0

0 2160 2160

66

Chapter 8

Section B: Upper Air Station Daily Time-Series

Observed Data

NCAR is still in the process of obtaining all available mandatory level

rawinsonde data for stations south of about 300 N. There are now about 1.6

million soundings in this set (on about 48 tapes). The primary data source has

been NCC, with additional data from England, Australia, New Zealand, Argentina,

Singapore, and Mauritius. Data will soon be sent from Brazil. NCAR has just

received (January 1975) tapes from NCC with U.S. and Canadian stations (mandatory

levels -- usually 35 levels per sounding) starting in 1961. A microfilm inventory

may be borrowed from NCAR.

See the ETAC and NCC chapters (6 and 7) for discussions of the most complete

sets of time-series data.

67

Chapter 9: Surface Synoptic Observed Data

1. Introduction

These surface observations are usually taken once each 3 or 6 h globally.

The code form for a surface synoptic report from land station is:

(1) (2) (3) (4) (5)

SYNOP IIiii Nddff VVwwW PPPTT NCLhCMCH

(6) (7) (8) (9)

TdT ajpjp (6P P P P ) (7RRjj) (8N Ch h )ddapp oo0 o s s s

(10)(9S S s s )

P P P P

1) Block and station number

2) Total cloud, wind direction and speed

3) Visibility, present weather, past weather

4) Sea level pressure in tenths of millibars, temperature

5) Cloud types

6) Dew point, pressure tendency

7) 6-group: Station pressure in tenths of millibars

8) 7-group: Rainfall

9) 8-group: Cloud layer

10) 9-group: Special phenomena such as snow depth, state of sea, etc.

2. Filed in Synoptic Sequence

a. NMC has been saving these data since January 1973. They use a smaller

library in the data decode to restrict the data to less than half of

what is possible.

b. At FNWC the Navy has also been saving the data and uses the most compact

format. This set does not include rain. See Chapter 14 for a breakdown

of number of reports by time of day. In 1974 the average volume was:

Surface ships 3857 reports/day = 0.9 X 106 bits/day

Land stations 28,297 reports/day = 5.1 X 106 bits/day

68

Chapter 9

c. Chapter 6 describes the surface synoptic data sets that have been decoded

at either ETAC or AFGWC. These are the only sets that contain data from

airways hourly reports (specials are included) as well as the synoptic

code data. In 1974 they contain about 50,000 synoptic reports per day

and 30,000 separate airways reports that have not been combined with a

synoptic.

d. NCAR has these data for 19 February 1967 through 25 April 1967, for

December 1967, and for the summer 1974 GATE period. We are now obtaining

a more comprehensive data set.

3. Filed in Time-Series Order

a. See Chapters 6 and 7 on ETAC and NCC. Note the table for TDF-13 in

Appendix 1 and the listing for surface synoptic data in Appendix 2.

b. NCAR has only a trivial amount of these data.

69

Chapter 10: Climatological Year-Month Surface

and Upper Air Data; Tree Rings

We will discuss the surface and upper air data that are available in averages

by single months or longer. Some tree ring data are also discussed. The avail-

ability of monthly mean grid point data is discussed elsewhere.

1. Monthly Mean Rawinsonde Data

We are cooperating with NCC to make a set of about 75,000 global mean monthly

rawinsonde reports available (CLIMAT reports). The southern hemisphere climatology

project made extensive use of these data. Error detection and correction work on

the northern hemisphere reports is not yet completed.

NCAR has made monthly summaries of about 2,000,000 daily rawinsonde sound-

ings. The output includes momentum transports, etc. Calculations have not been

made on U.S. raobs yet.

GFDL obtained about nine years of rawinsonde data from NCAR that had been

picked up by NMC from communications circuits. A. Oort at GFDL is having these

put into time-series sort and screened for errors; calculations of year-month

means, variances, and co-variances are being made.

2. Monthly Mean Reports from Surface Stations

NCAR has about 887,000 monthly mean reports from surface stations with

global coverage. In the period from 1731 to 1860 the number of stations in-

creased from 1 to 84. From 1870 to 1900 the number increased from 138 to 438.

In the decade 1961-1970 there were 1722 stations; of these, 541 were in the

southern hemisphere. In the total period there were about 487,000 reports of

average monthly sea level pressure, 458,000 reports of station pressure, 821,000

reports of temperature, and 887,000 reports of rainfall. (See Table 10-1 for

a general inventory.) These data include the World Weather Records data (mostly

from NCC, but six months punched at NCAR), and Clayton's (Smithsonian) Weather

Records. The latter were punched at NCC under contract with John Wolback of

Harvard College Observatory. Volume: two binary tapes, or four in BCD format.

Another data set contains monthly rainfall data from 200 Pacific Island

stations. Many of the periods of records are longer than 30 years. Ronald

70

Chapter 10

Taylor of the University of Hawaii has provided NCAR with this data set. Data

listings are given in Taylor (1973).

The University of Wisconsin is punching data from some of the U.S. forts.

These should give some long records.

3. Atlas of Mean Surface Temperature and Pressure by Months 1881-1960

J. Fletcher (NOAA-ERL), Boulder, Colorado, has a copy of a Russian atlas

showing monthly surface temperature and pressure for the northern hemisphere,

January 1881 - December 1960. During 1975, Russia may be able to provide the

United States with grid point data for these charts.

4. Tree Ring Data for Western America120' I/10' I00

Tree ring data were collected for about \C50' - 5

® 23

150 sites in western America. The investi- 6

gators tried to sample at least ten trees to

define each site. The data from the best / ,

site in each area were used to define 49 1 1

stations (Fig. 10-1). The starting years 40' 2

of the oldest six stations are 800, 1107, 8 16 293 7

1194, 1263, 1270, 1298 A.D. For the other 3

stations the starting times were:

years 1304 to 1368: 8 stations

1415 to 1485: 13 stations



The period of record usually ends in 1964. . ..MILES \

The data are published in Stokes et al. / i/o'

(1973). Fig. 10-1. Network of 49

tree ring stations (from

Stokes et al., 1973).

5. North American Climate Data to 10,000 Years

R. Bryson at the University of Wisconsin will soon have 10,000 years of

decadal mean data for eight stations over the eastern half of the United States

71

Year-Month Data, Proxy Data

and Canada. From the pollen data, they hope to provide objective estimates of

snowfall to + 20%, rain within 10%, growing season + 5 days, and mean temperature

+ 0.5°C.

6. Data Bank of Early Climatological Sources

The Center for Climatic Research at the University of Wisconsin has estab-

lished a catalog of references containing information of past weather conditions.

Some sources are original, whereas others are summaries or analyses of original

data. The data bank was begun to help extend climatological records back in time

and to provide quantitative, although perhaps discontinuous, information of past

environments. These data may provide sufficient environmental information to

enable a better understanding of temporal and areal relationships between given

events and the environment.

Resources are organized by location (latitude and longitude, country, and in

some cases smaller scale political divisions). References are punched on computer

cards and may be queried by location or time (years before 1950), or both, thereby

yielding a list of the appropriate references, including parameters contained in

the source, the frequency of observations, and the length of the record.

72

Chapter 10

Table 10-1

Monthly surface climatological station data. Number of availablemonthly averages of sea level pressure, station pressure, tempera-ture, and precipitation for a global network of surface stations.Data are included through 1973. The explanation of the symbolsfollows:

RECSS

SSLPMSLP

SPMPSTMTSR

NO, OF LOGICAL RECORDS IN THE DECAOE (STATION/YEARS)NO.OF STATIONS IN THE DECADENO.OF STATIONS IN THE DE3ADE WITH SEA LEVEL PRESSURESNO.OF MONTHS OF SLP IN THE DECADENO.OF STATIONS IN THE OECADE WITH PRESSURESNOOF MONTHS OF PRESSURE IN THE DECADENO, OF STATIONS IN THE DECADE WITH TEMPERATURESNO OF MONTHS OF TEMPERATURENO. OF STATIONS IN TH- DECADE WITH PRECIPITATION

MR - NO.OF MONTHS OF PRECIPITATION

DECADE RECS S SSLP MSLP SP MP ST MT SR MR

1971-19801961-19701951-19601941-19501931-19401921-19301911-19201901-19101891-19001881-18901871-18801861-18701851-1 601841-18501831-18401821-18301811-18201801-18101791-18001781-17901771-17801761-17701751-17601741-17501731-1740

TOTAL DATA

43341413617946

800368496152558549553945304019491058

718456296231158125113115

573416103

154417221867

899729647584537438342245138

8455362621131212

76211

139915541308

582309222134120

865840171062222222210

0

41389134791144950

5821131159253771535112708

9035583036201713

864549240240240240240240240132

7200

1436138

1137575428375341322263205122

3620755532222100

420 142706

1234615941246056423483848935353284432071010195

32901663

766600600480264240240240156

7200

154017161797

856638538476436347274173

7548292217141010964

100

46089151374200290

8831969593601505350746897369952813615180

703145503055230818961344120011081080

564264

7200

151516921817

87972263955050140631322812371432515953412111

45064147623206636

9258480159721056229254708431073324121429110906972394520211295

764503360372120142120120

36

COVERAGE 80284 2554 2073 487491 1976 457798 2473 821002 2516 886808

73

Chapter 11: Global Climatological Grid Data

1. Global Climatology to 100 mb

NCAR has one tape of climatological data for each hemisphere. The tapes

have long-term mean data for each 5° latitude-longitude point, and for each

month. Data are sea level pressure, surface air temperature, and height and

temperature for 850, 700, 500, 300, 200, and 100 mb. Dew points are given for

surface, 850, 700, and 500 mb. Calculated geostrophic winds are included for

each level. The tapes also include some other data. The northern hemisphere

data are based on Crutcher and Meserve (1970), and the southern hemisphere on

Taljaard et al. (1969). The southern hemisphere tapes, available microfilm,

and motion pictures are discussed in Jenne et al. (1974).

2. Climatological Data Prepared by RAND

Tapes are available from RAND having seasonal data for the surface, 850 mb,

and 400 mb. Data on sea level pressure, geopotential height, temperature,

moisture, and geostrophic winds were interpolated from the tapes above

(southern hemisphere and northern hemisphere Climatology projects) to a grid

4° latitude by 5 longitude. Data on sea surface water temperature, cloudiness,

precipitation, evaporation, albedo (surface and planetary), solar radiation

absorbed, long-wave radiation, radiation balance, sensible heat flux, heat

balance, and observed winds were included from other sources. Various charts

are shown in the report by Schutz and Gates (1971), one of four reports and

three supplements in which these seasonal data are documented.

3. Stratospheric Climatology

A climatology based on the German data has been prepared. Figure 12-1

shows the data input to this climatology. Two atlas volumes (Labitzke, 1972;

and van Loon et al., 1972) are available.

A tape with the climatology is available, as described in an NCAR Technical

Note (Jenne et al., in preparation). This note also describes the contents of a

set of data maps, cross sections, and graphs on about 5,000 frames of microfilm.

The contents of a motion picture based on these data are also described. Some

of the data available on magnetic tape and in the displays are:

74

Chapter 11

a. Long-term means of heights at 100, 50, 30, 10 mb (17 to 14 years) and

of temperature for five years (and for 15 years at 100 mb).

b. Cold and warm winter temperature and heights.

c. Geostrophic winds calculated from the height grids in a and b.

d. Standard deviation of the year-month height, temperature, U, and V winds.

75

Chapter 12: Stratospheric Data

1. Introduction

We will describe NCAR's stratospheric grid point data from NMC, the Free

University of Berlin, and the USAF. A climatology of the lower stratosphere has

been prepared based on the German data (see section 8 below).

2. IGY Northern Hemisphere Stratospheric Data

See Chapter 2 section 7.

3. Height and Temperature Analyses from AFGWC (Air Force)

All are twice daily analyses on the NMC octagonal grid. This set is con-

tinuing but has not been updated at NCAR since early 1965:

100 mb H

100 mb T

50 mb H,T

30 mb H,T

10 mb H,T

- start Apr 1959

- start Jan 1962

- start Jan 1962

- start Jan 1962

- start May 1963

4. Daily Height and Temperature Analyses from NMC

Octagonal grid.

100 mb H,T - start Feb 1963

70 mb H,T - start Apr 1969

50, 30, 10 mb H,T - start Jun 1964

5. Daily Height and Temperature Analyses Prepared in Germany

Since May 1973, the Free University of Berlin has been punching the daily

height and temperature analyses at 50 and 30 mb and putting them on tape. NCAR

has a selection of earlier daily grids from Germany.

6. Weekly Constant Pressure Grids at 5, 2, and 0.4 mb

The grid point values were from the National Climatic Center (NCC) based on

selected NMC weekly maps for the western northern hemisphere for January, April,

July, and October 1964, 1965, and 1966. The maps were based largely on rocket

- -- I --- :- -- . - .

1-

76

Chapter 12

data. The area covered is 10°N to the pole and 0°W, 5W --, 220°W, but only

40W - 190W at 0.4 mb. The selective digitizing was paid for by Marshall Space

Flight Center. The weekly maps were drawn at NMC during the period January 1964

December 1968.

Hemispheric analyses at 5, 2, 0.4 mb

Starting in January 1972, hemispheric analyses at these levels have been

prepared by the upper air section at NMC (contact: F. Finger). The analyses are

prepared as follows:

The VTPR channel-two radiance correlates very well with 100-5 mb thickness.

This is added to the operational 100 mb height analyses, which gives an estimated

5 mb height. These heights are then adjusted to the heights and winds from

rockets (and a few raobs) at 5 mb. From SCR (channel B34), which is mailed from

Oxford, England, they obtain a guess temperature at 5 mb which is then adjusted to

observed data.

In a similar way, 2 mb analyses are obtained from a correlation of VTPR

channel one with 100-2 mb thickness, and a SCR channel B12 correlation with 2 mb

temperature. These guesses are then adjusted to the observed data.

For 0.4 mb, the correlation of SCR channel B12 with 10-0.4 mb thickness is

used. This thickness is added to the operational 10 mb height, which does not now

involve the use of satellite data. This guess is adjusted to the 0.4 mb rocket

data. A temperature analysis is produced without direct assistance from satellite

data.

If satellite data are not available, the heights from 10 mb are built up by

first analyzing the 5 mb temperature, making a thickness from the 10 and 5 mb

temperatures, adding it to the 10 mb height, etc.

The maps for January 1972 - June 1973 will be published in about April 1975.

Karen Labitzke (Free University, Berlin) is using satellite data from

W. Smith, NESS, to help in making 5 and 2 mb analyses for 1969, 1970, and 1971.

Tape data

MIT (R. Newell) has digitized the 5 and 2 mb data for January - December

1972, for 20°N to the pole, each 10° latitude and longitude. NCAR will have a

77

Stratospheric Data

copy of the data, including both height and temperature.

AFCRL (Alan Cole, January 1975) has plans to digitize all of these maps to

aid in the preparation of the U.S. standard reference atmosphere.

7. Stratospheric Analyses from Germany

These grid data were tabulated in Germany from hand-analyzed maps; the card

punching was divided between Germany and NCAR. Latitude-longitude points at

intervals of 10 were punched for 10 N to the pole. Figure 12-1 shows the earlier

mean grids and the year-month analyses that were available for the preparation of

the longer term climatology described below. A tape of the year-month data is

available as described in Jenne et al. (in preparation). Additional year-month

data were received in 1974 (see Figure 12-1). Some of the German daily analyses

have been punched in Germany or Japan and sent to NCAR, but they have not been

processed yet.

8. Stratospheric Climatology

NCAR and Germany have prepared a climatology of northern hemisphere 100, 50,

30, and 10 mb heights and temperatures, based on German analyses. Many year-

month analyses are also available in this set. A motion picture based on this

climatology is available from NCAR. See Chapter 11 for more information about

these data.

9. Rawinsonde Data

NCC, ETAC, and NCAR have a large sample of the world's daily rawinsonde data

in both station and synoptic order on tapes.

10. Global Monthly Thickness Data

NCAR has tapes of global monthly thickness data for 100-50, 50-30, and 30-10

mb for May 1969 through April 1970. These data are based on retrievals made at

NESS from SIRS-A monthly mean radiance data. Various data and retrieval problems

are inherent in this set. Comparisons have been made with German thickness data

where possible.

78

Chapter 12

11. Rocketsonde data at NCC

See the information under NCC data holdings (Chapter 7).

GERMAN STRATOSPHERIC DATA AVAILABILITY( --- I I I I I I I { I I I 1 - 1 1 1 i 'I I I I I I

E{= '{*~~~~ YR-MO HEIGHT<-

pmb YR-MO TEMP. -.

10._MEAN HEIGHT_

|.. -O-< YR-MO HEIGHT

mb , YR-MO TEMP. - ,

MEAN HEIGHT

'~~~IO)^~~~~0 <..YR-MO HEIGHT

nb YR-MO TEMP._

MEAN HEIGHT

50 YR-MO HEIGHT

p~~~~t)~~Ymb ___YR-MO TEMP..

\r~r\ < -----------10---------- > _ YR-MO HEIGHT >

mb WvMO MEAN TEMP.bmD <-> YR-MO TEMP. ..... _ I I I I I I

YEAR 15051 5253 54155 56 57 58 59 6061 162 63 64 1 65 66 1 67 68 1 69170 1 71 72

Fig. 12-1. Shows the year-month grids and the earlier long-term mean grids that were available for use in

this climatological study. The indicated data are year-month grids except where noted. Dashed

lines show year-month grids that were more recently acquired. The first 18 months of data in

the 50 mb height mean were from Muench (from Jenne et al., in preparation).

81

Chapter 13: Satellite Data

1. Introduction

In this section we will briefly describe a number of the U.S. satellites that

have contributed data sets that are important in the study of meteorological and

oceanographic problems. The principal locations of the data are the National

Space Science Data Center (NSSDC), Goddard Space Flight Center; the National

Environmental Satellite Service (NESS), Suitland, Md.; and the National Climatic

Center (NCC), Asheville, N.C. Assume that NCAR does not have the data unless

otherwise stated.

Stoldt and Havanac (1973) of ETAC have compiled data on the meteorological

satellite and instrument programs of the United States, U.S.S.R., United Kingdom,

and France. The compendium includes references to the various data catalogs and

to scientific papers.

NSSDC hopes to update this compendium in 1977. In early 1975, they will

publish a four-volume catalog of satellite experiments. One of the volumes will

cover experiments in meteorology and oceanography.

Figure 13-4 shows the data periods for various satellites.

Table 13-1, taken from the compendium, shows where some of the data may be

obtained. NSSDC maintains catalog listings that give information about the data

availability from the various experiments on each satellite. They also keep

track of data sets and publications associated with approximately 7000 rocket

launches. Table 13-2 includes information about the satellites and the experi-

ments from the compendium and from NESS. In the cases of disagreements in the

dates given, the latest termination dates are used.

Hoppe and Ruiz (1974) at NESS have published a catalog of operational

satellite products.

In April 1974, NESS and EDS (Environmental Data Service) prepared a

Satellite Data Archival Plan which covers the data produced by NESS. This plan

discusses the archival of pictures, microfilm, movie film loops, and magnetic

tapes. A Satellite Data Services Branch (of NCC under the EDS) has been located

with NESS in Washington. Requests for satellite data may be directed to them.

The archival location of the satellite data will gradually be moved from

Asheville to Washington. NESS has published a monthly magazine (Environmental

82

Chapter 13

Satellite Imagery) with global coverage of daily visible and IR pictures.

The Academy of Sciences publication, U.S. Contribution to the Polar

Experiment (Polex-North) (1974), includes a discussion of various types of

satellite data.

The book on Climatology from Satellites (Barrett, 1974) contains more

information about data from satellites, and shows many charts based on information

from satellites.

2. Satellite Brightness Data from NESS (Vidicon tubes) (Written October 1973)

Data Period: 1 January 1967 thru 31 August 1972

a. NCAR has 5 latitude-longitude daily global brightness data on one tape

in packed binary format, data set DS 670. The orbit numbers are listed

in the format.

These data were prepared at NESS from the mesoscale brightness data tapes

noted below. These mesoscale tapes have a gray scale with only five

levels.

The data are derived from vidicon tubes, which tend to drift in cali-

bration. Some of these problems have been taken care of (adjustments

made to make key points uniform); but, for example, the data have to be

used with caution in looking for long-period changes in global brightness.

b. Copies of the mesoscale brightness data tapes having a grid of 512 X 512

points per hemisphere (a resolution 8 X 8 that of the NMC grid) are kept

at NCC. There is one grid per day which is valid at about 1400 local

time (sun-synchronous satellites). The original tapes had 16 levels in

the gray scale, but these tapes have a gray scale with only five levels.

At each grid point there are 48 bits, giving frequency counts of the

number of the associated 64 points within the original 4096 X 4096 grid

that have each of the five brightness levels.

Volume for each hemispheric grid is 1.26 X 107 bits. Volume per day is

2.52 X 107 bits.

Tape volume at NCC is about one tape per three days for the period

1 January 1967 through 31 October 1972. NCAR has a limited number of

these tapes.

83

Satellite Data

c. D. B. Miller processed the mesoscale tapes for 1 January 1967 through

31 December 1970. He related the brightness levels to cloudiness in

order to prepare tapes of cloud frequency data for each month of the

four-year period. Adjustments were not made for changes in satellite

calibrations that were noted after the vidicon data were originally

saved. The tapes are at NCC; an associated cloud atlas is available

(Miller and Feddes, 1971).

3. Archive of NESS Scanner IR and Visible Data (Written November 1974)

a. This describes NESS procedures for archiving scanner IR and visible data

from NOAA-2 since 1 January 1973. (It was received starting in November

1972, but was not archived until January 1973.) The high resolution grid

is 2048 X 2048 per hemisphere (32 times the NMC grid resolution). There

are eight bits per visible or IR sample. During the daytime pass there

are both visible and IR data, but only the IR at night. There are three

tapes per day: one for northern hemisphere visible and IR data, one for

southern hemisphere visible and IR, and one for the global nighttime IR.

These three tapes are now being combined onto one 1600 BPI 9-track tape

per day.

b. Mesoscale version of the above: For a 512 X 512 grid for each hemisphere

there are 48 bits of data saved each day for each grid point. The 48

bits are broken into six bytes (eight bits each) with the following data:

1) Average minimum visual data; this is the average of the four smallest(darkest) values from the 4 X 4 cluster.

2) Average visual data.

3) Average maximum daytime IR; average of four largest (warmest) values.

4) Average daytime IR.

5) Average maximum nighttime IR.

6) Average nighttime IR.

Volume per day = 2 hemispheres X (1.26 X 107 bits/hemisphere)

= 2.52 X 107 bits/day

c. Larger scale averaged data. Starting with June 1973, NESS is averaging

the data onto a 125 X 125 grid for each hemisphere (the pole is the

center point, data average is centered about each point) of the average

84

Chapter 13

visible, the day IR, and the night IR. From these NESS is also cal-

culating the albedo, the absorbed solar radiation, and the total outgoing

long-wave radiation (about 106 bits per day). Thus, there will be a

gap in the larger scale averaged data from September 1972 through

May 1973. T. Gray says that there was some trouble with the digital

data for January - May 1973, even though the analog data were all right.

4. LRIR Data (low resolution infrared)

Recently these have been FPR data (flat-plate radiometer).

a. These are from a flat-plate radiometer.

The approximate dates of LRIR data availability are as follows:

ESSA-5 9 May 1967 - 30 Sep 1967

ESSA-7 3 Sep 1968 - 22 Jun 1969

ESSA-9 1 May 1969 - 15 Apr 1970

The tapes (about 30) are at NCC and at NESS (see S. Brown).

b. Tapes of the FPR data are at NESS (see Phillips and Rubin, 1972):

ITOS-1 23 Mar 1970 - 19 Jul 1970

NOAA-1 4 Feb 1971 - 27 May 1971

Volume: 1320 X 24 X 24 bits/day = 7.6 X 105 bits/day

5. Other Satellite IR Data

a. Tapes with 5 latitude-longitude average IR data are available for the

TIROS 7 period of about June 1963 - June 1964; the sampling was poorer

for the following year. Window channel.

b. ITOS - about June 1970 to April 1971

The daily global IR is available on 2048 X 2048 grids for each hemisphere.

About two days per tape per hemisphere; thus, about one tape per day.

Daily values for day and night.

The data are very noisy and badly calibrated. Gray thinks it would take

more time to summarize than it is worth. The tapes show erroneous warm

and cold strips of water in the Gulf Stream, etc.

85

Satellite Data

c. NOAA-1 19 April 1971 to 10 July 1971.

The 5° IR data are at NESS and NCAR.

d. Note from Table 2 that MRIR (medium resolution infrared) instruments

were on Tiros 2, 3, 4, 5, etc.

e. Some of the IR data have been gridded and processed into average heat

budget data for the periods shown below. Total IR, albedo from top of

atmosphere, and net radiation assuming a solar constant are included.

T. Vonder Haar at Colorado State University (CSU) has these data on tape

and he and J. Ellis have just published an atlas (Vonder Haar and Ellis,

1974).

Jul 1964 - Nov 1965

15 May - 15 Jul 1966

Dec 1966 - Jan 1967

1968 - Apr 1969

May 1969 - Jan 1970

Experimental

Nimbus 2

ESSA-3

ESSA-5

Nimbus-3

Vonder Haar (C.S.U.)monthly average

Raschke and Bandeen (GSFC)15-day average

McDonald (NESS)

NOAA/NESSNot final

Vonder Haar and EllisTen 15-day periods

6. Moisture Data from NESS

Since about July 1973, NESS has been preparing data on total precipitable

water (from VTPR), but has not archived it. (We would like to see it saved.)

Since about July 1972 NESS has been preparing estimates of relative humidity

for two layers over the Pacific Ocean, Western Atlantic, and Gulf of Mexico.

The layers are surface to 700 mb and 700 to 500 mb. The estimates are made from

cloud pictures. The data are not archived. Surface bogus reports are saved,

and contain estimates of present weather and cloud amount.

7. Cloud Drift Winds and Movie Loops

The winds derived by NESS

upper air data tapes from NMC.

at single pictures showing the

cumulonimbus clouds.

from satellite cloud pictures are included on the

Some of the winds have been estimated by looking

cirrus plumes blowing off of the tops of

86

Chapter 13

More reliable winds have been derived from clouds at various levels with the

advent of the geostationary satellites in the ATS and SMS-GOES series. These take

a "picture" about each 20 to 30 min. A number of these pictures for 3 or 4 h are

put together into a motion picture film loop in which great care has been taken to

position each frame properly by using physical landmarks. A person watches these

clouds move forward and then drop back, on a digitizing table as the film loop is

shown. From this, he obtains end-point locations, and then winds can be cal-

culated. The cloud heights (and thus wind levels) have been estimated from cloud

types, and the associated climatological knowledge of the operators. Starting in

July or August 1974, SMS infrared data have been available to provide 24-hour cloud

viewing and to help the operator estimate the cloud height. Starting in May 1972,

the picture-pair method has been used in deriving the low-level winds. Correlation

methods are used to obtain the winds; the operator compares this with film loop

data and usually rejects about 7% of the picture-pair calculations. Efforts are

now being made to implement computer vector derivation for various levels using

various temperature intervals in infrared.

Movie loops: Starting with June 1969, the movie loops are available at NESS.

The data locations and dates are as follows:

Satellite from which the data are obtained:

ATS-1 (Jun 1969 - Sep 1972), over the Pacific Ocean at 151°W

ATS-3 (Jun 1970 - on), at 45°W to 95°W

SMS-1 GOES (May 1974 - on) is at about 75 W since late Nov 1974

(was at 400 W during GATE, June - Sep 1974)

Cloud wind data: Starting in June 1969, the movie loop winds have been on

the NMC upper air data tapes. NESS tries to produce one wind for each 5 latitud2-

longitude square, and for each cloud layer when possible. Some cirrus blowoff

winds were also on the tapes until October 1974. Starting in August 1974, NESS

is also making a separate archive of these cloud wind data.

The NSSDC compendium on meteorological satellites (Stoldt and Havanac, 1973)

lists various motion pictures that have been produced, some from the movie loop

pictures, and some from one-per-day maps.

87

Satellite Data

8. Solar Proton Monitor Data

These data were processed at NESS and archived at the Space Environmental

Laboratory, NOAA, Boulder, Colorado 80302.

Periods:

ITOS-1 8 Mar 1970 - 14 Mar 1970

23 Mar 1970 - 19 Jul 1970

NOAA-1 5 Feb 1971 - 27 May 1971

Vol [125000 bt0 min X [12 viewing hiVolume . X X13.2 min J h day

1.36 X 106 bits/day

See Phillips and Rubin (1972).

9. General Information about Satellite SIRS and VTPR Data

In the SIRS (from Nimbus) and VTPR infrared sounding data, there are eight

channels which receive infrared radiation from different pressure bands in the

atmosphere (surface to about 10 mb; other experiments include higher data). The

amount of radiation emitted varies with the temperature and, thus, an approximate

temperature vs pressure sounding through the atmosphere can be constructed from

the temperatures in the eight layers. The pressure weighting functions of the

eight channels overlap each other somewhat, so that the eight pieces of information

are not entirely independent. It is clear that one cannot expect a sounding with

high resolution information in the vertical. Problems can also arise from un-

detected clouds or dust. Data from rawinsondes are used to "calibrate" the

channel radiances.

The NMC Upper Air Branch has noted that the VTPR Q channel radiance correlates

well with the 100 to 2 mb thickness and that the next channel correlates well with

the 100 to 5 mb thickness (correlation coefficients over 0.95, standard deviation

is about 250 to 300 m). For the 100 to 10 mb analyses, they stopped using the

VTPR retrieved temperatures in December 1970 because of problems.

There are differences of up to 2% in VTPR radiances between the ascending

orbits and the descending orbits. For example, this discrepancy is equivalent to

a 100 m thickness difference 100 to 2 mb, or 1 C in the mean temperature. Some of

88

Chapter 13

this error is probably real diurnal variation, but most of the error is likely

due to unremoved calibration changes with spacecraft temperatures.

The NMC Upper Air Branch has compared all raobs with all retrieved VTPR

soundings within 1° of latitude. Figure 13-2 shows the result of this comparison

for a given month. This problem is also discussed in Finger et al. (1973).

10. VTPR Satellite IR Sounding DATA from NESS (as of November 1974)

a. Started about October 1972

b. Archive I: Each VTPR spot (binary format)

II: Clear column radiance (binary)

III: Retrieved soundings (BCD format)

These three archives are all together on the tapes sent by NESS to NCC.

Tape volume is about ten tapes each three weeks. Practical limit of

information in the vertical is up to 10 to 20 mb.

c. The retrieved soundings are also in the NMC archived data (available

at NCAR). The NMC tapes had about 400 to 550 soundings (average 525)

each 12 h in December 1972. These include data during every hour in the

day. On about one-fourth of the sounding times the VTPR data are missing

on the NMC tapes.

The average counts in August 1974 were still about 1000 per day

(400 in northern hemisphere, 600 in southern hemisphere).

Figure 13-3 shows the coverage of these data.

11. Defense Meteorological Satellite Program (DMSP, formerly DAPP)

Starting 25 February 1973 (but July 1973 missing), picture transparencies of

the 2 n mi resolution IR data have been saved at the University of Wisconsin. They

also have IR pictures of the 1/3 n mi data for northern hemisphere land masses.

The nighttime pictures that show city lights, the aurora, etc., are archived

in the NOAA EDS center in Boulder, Colorado.

The IR sounder data contain six C02 channels with peak response at about

30, 70, 150, 400, 600, and 1000 mb. There is a channel for surface temperature

and one for total water vapor content. These sounders are calibrated for each

89

Satellite Data

scan line. There is about a 20 C change in calibration during an orbit. The NOAA

satellites have only been calibrated once per orbit. In about July 1975, the Air

Force hopes to add a 7-channel moisture profiler and a measurement for total

ozone (03). They are also planning for microwave systems. The clear column

radiance data have not been saved, but the retrieved soundings are saved on the

AFGWC archive tapes. (Information from Major Wilkes and Captain St. Onge,

January 1975.)

12. Sea Surface Temperature Data from NESS

Starting 1 December 1972 NESS (John Leese) has been sending one tape per

month to NCC with these data.

To obtain the sea level temperature data, the clear sky radiance data must

be corrected for the amount of water vapor in the column. The corrections are

usually about:

1 to 30C high latitudes

3 to 6 C mid-latitudes (30-500 N or S)

1 to 12°C tropics

NESS does not trust the data too much until September 1973. In March 1973 and

July 1973 there were calibration problems. Until 31 May 1973, there was only a

latitudinal moisture correction. Then they used a latitude-longitude clima-

tological correction until September 1973. Sometimes they still use a climate

correction when they are fighting other calibration problems such as changes

between NOAA-2 and NOAA-3 satellites. Now they usually derive the total column

moisture from the VTPR data, and use this to make the temperature correction.

Each day they receive about 1100 ship observations from Navy/Monterey

(100 from southern hemisphere). R. Brower, NESS, then prepares ship vs satellite

statistics for 14 ocean regions. Comparisons:

a. Average ship observations vs average satellite observations iswithin + 0.5°C

b. The RMS of differences between ship and satellite observations within a

distance of 1 latitude is 1.5 C

c. The RMS of differences between shig observations and Navy analyses based

mostly on ship observations is 1.4 C

90

Chapter 13

In places there can be an incorrect 3° change in temperature continuity as one

crosses the equator. The reason is that although the VTPR retrieval process is

the same for both hemispheres, the objective analyses now only work with data from

their own hemisphere. Thus sometimes the northern hemisphere analysis may have to

go a long distance for data because of clouds, but the southern hemisphere

analysis near the same point may have data that are close.

Tapes: Starting 1 June 1974, a 256 X 256 once-daily grid of SST for each

hemisphere is being saved.

Starting September 1973, a 64 X 64 grid of monthly mean SST (including count

of observations near each point) is also being saved.

Starting 1 December 1972, one tape per month is sent to NCC. (We believe

that it would help to know what corrections for water vapor have been applied to

the radiance temperature data.)

13. SCR Sounding Data from Nimbus-4 Satellite

(Information from Jack Chiu, Control Data Corporation, February 1974;

A. Belmont, January 1975)

Data Period: April 1970 through April 1971

A. Belmont's group at Control Data obtained tapes of the SCR radiance soundings

from Nimbus-4. Along the orbital tracks which went from 80 N to 80 S, they

averaged the radiance data for each 5° of latitude (fewer degrees at high

latitudes) and for each of the six SCR channels which have peak responses at

about the 1, 10, 50, 100, 200, and 1,000 mb levels. The averages were made in a

straightforward way, without checks for clouds or odd values. The six average

radiances were then used to obtain five inverted temperatures at 1, 10, 50, 200,

and 1000 mb. About 5 or 6% of the soundings were rejected in the retrieval

process but the radiances are still saved on the output tapes. These data

rejections probably were due to bad radiances or to cloud radiances getting into

the averages. Some cloud effects are no doubt still in the data. On 17 March

1971 the two lowest channels went bad most of the time, so there are very few

retrieved soundings after that (but the radiances are saved). The channels

started working again two or three months later. One output tape (not ready yet)

has all of the averaged radiances. Between April and December 1970, there are

91

Satellite Data

about 50 missing days, and other whole orbits are missing. The other tape has

168,722 retrieved soundings for the year. The number of possible soundings for

the year would be about (380 days) (13 orbits per day) (70 per orbit) = 345,000.

In the output format, time and location are packed into one 60-bit word, the

temperatures are one word each, and the six average radiances are packed into two

words. There are 40 such logical records per physical record. The archive tapes

for the first year should be ready in about March 1975. Control Data is now

(January 1975) hoping to obtain funds to process the second year of data; they

have the tapes from NASA. The group in Oxford has published portions of the

second year of data.

14. Nimbus-5 Data

(Information from W. Smith and H. Woolf, NESS, 20 September 1973)

Data start February 1973.

Outputs are:

a. Global surface temperature analyses

b. Global stratospheric radiance analyses (including the SCR data)

c. Global multilayer temperature analyses

d. Vertical soundings:

Quantity Resolution (km)

T (P) 400, 150

q (P) 400

W precipitable H 20 400

T surface (from 3.7 and 11 pm windows) 400, 150

P , N Cloud pressure and amount 400

FT Total outgoing IR flux 400

The tapes have about 1100 soundings (called ITPR soundings) per day. The

retrieval of the temperature soundings uses neither raob data nor first-guess

analyses from NMC. The microwave data help in defining clear column radiances,

and even improve the retrievals in clear regions. These data are not used in NMC

analyses and do not get into the NMC data tapes. However, during special DST

(Data Systems Test) periods, they are put onto the NMC DST archive tapes, and

92

Chapter 13

used in the DST analyses. The above data are on about one tape each two weeks

and are sent to NCC. Data start February 1973 and include the SCR data.

On Nimbus-F we will also have visible reflected data, and the resolution

will generally be 150 km.

15. Ozone Sounding Data from Satellites

a. Data from an orbiting geophysical observatory satellite (OGO-4), back-

scattered ultraviolet. Period August 1967 through January 1969. Five

months of the data have been processed. They hope to process the rest

in late 1975.

There are about 12 orbits per day, eight scans for each 10° of latitude,

twenty 10° latitude bands per orbit, about 100 spectral bands (2500 to

3400 A), 15 bits each measurement. This gives 2.9 X 106 bits per day or

about 1.6 X 109 bits for the 18-month period.

In order to obtain this data they have processed 300 data tapes to output

five tapes. There are about 600 tapes that have not yet been processed.

The basic tapes are at LASP. (Information March 1974 from Julius London,

Laboratory of Atmospheric and Space Physics, University of Colorado.)

b. Ozone data from Nimbus-4 are being processed by Heath's office at NASA-

Goddard. The data start in April 1970 and are still being taken

(January 1975). At first it was buried in about 13 tapes per day, later

on about 4 tapes per day. The first year about 60% of the potential

data was obtained, second year about 85%, and the third and fourth years

(with power problems) only about 50% could be gathered.

The raw radiance data for the period April 1970 through April 1972 are

available on 20 tapes.

The ozone results (total and vertical distribution) are available for

April 1970-March 1971 (one month per tape). The second year is being

worked on.

(This information from Arlin Krueger and Donald Heath, NASA,

January 1975.)

93

Satellite Data

16. Ice and Snow and ESMR Microwave Data

a. The ESMR microwave data from Nimbus-5, starting in December 1972, has

a nadir resolution of about 25 km. Maps are made about once a week.

The maps help to distinguish between open water, types of sea ice, and

fresh snow. They are not affected by clouds, and do not depend on the

availability of visible light.

CSU has the data tapes for the period 22 December 1972 through

26 February 1973. Each tape file is one orbit and there are about

15 files per tape. There are usually about ten orbits per day with

data. We do not know of anyone who has gridded these data.

b. NESS has produced a northern hemisphere ice and snow chart each week

since about 1967. The charts are saved at NESS. The daily satellite

pictures are the basis for this manual product. The ESMR weekly pictures

are available to this group but have not been used much as yet. This map

is digitized on a standard NMC 47 X 51 grid and is archived in the NMC

data base. These charts were also digitized (total ice area per chart)

by the Kuklas at Columbia University in preparing their ice trend charts

for the hemisphere.

NESS also prepares a weekly ice chart for the Great Lakes (since about

1967). Starting about March 1973 they have prepared weekly charts of the

Bering Sea, the Beaufort Sea, and the Chukchi Sea.

c. From late 1967 through late 1972 NESS saved global five-day minimum

brightness data on 512 X 512 grids. During some periods it was a ten-

day minimum. These were "end-to-end" five- or ten-day periods. Paul

McClain has found that clouds can still be some problem for the five-day

period, but usually are not a problem for a ten-day minimum. A new set

of global ten-day grids has been produced since 1 December 1974. These

are overlapping grids, made each day. A similar grid is also made from

IR data.

d. The Navy group at NMC obtains the satellite pictures from NESS and ESMR

pictures from NASA in order to aid in drawing ice coverage charts for

both polar areas.

94

Chapter 13

e. A Navy group at FNWC is experimenting with the direct use of the ESMR

digital data.

17. Satellite Data for the GATE Experiment

During the period June-September 1974, a number of tapes of high-resolution sat-

ellite data were saved and are at NCC, Asheville. There are 5986 tapes of SMS data

and 1830 tapes from ATS-3. A GATE data catalog is being prepared by NCC with the

assistance of NOAA's Center for Equipment Development and Data Analysis (CEDDA).

18. SEASAT Satellite

SEASAT is scheduled for launch in about June 1978. The major instrumentation

on this satellite will be as follows:

a. Compressed pulse radar altimeter. Measures the satellite to ocean

distance by +10 cm and measures wave heights from 1-20 m with an

accuracy of 0.5 m or 10%. Sees only the subsatellite track. This

instrument will also be on GEOS-C in early 1975. Given this surface

height, one can "see" intense currents, tides, wind pile-up, and storm

surges.

b. Coherent synthetic aperture imaging radar. Combined with the pulse

radar data, this allows one to calculate wave frequency vs amplitude in

15 spectral intervals of waves between 50 and 700 m in length. Swath

under satellite 400 km wide. One spectrum each 24 h for each 50 by 50 km

square globally. Also, 18 directional intervals of waves. Wave-height

error +0.5 or 1 m, or 25%.

c. Microwave wind scatterometer. To measure surface wind speed in the

range from 3 to 50 m/s with an accuracy of +2 m/s or 10%. Swath 1200 km

under satellite. Wind direction 0-360° to an accuracy of +200. Will

produce a wind for each 100 X 100 km grid in the open oceans, and

10 X 10 km in selected coastal areas.

d. Scanning visible and IR radiometer (SR). Same sensors as flown on

ITOS (see section 5b above).

95

Satellite Data

19. ERTS Data

The Satellite Data Services Branch (of NCC in Washington) assists users of

ERTS-1 data by answering questions about the products available and helping with

the placing of orders. Coverage of each ERTS-1 photograph may be seen in browse

files located across the country. NOAA and the Department of Interior have 40 files

at the NOAA data centers and many other locations. The Department of Interior is

supplying ERTS-1 data for the geologic and geographic community through the EROS

Data Center.

The NOAA Browse Files have 16 mm microfilm (with reader) consisting of one

channel of the Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) and one channel of the Multispectral

Scanner (MSS), standard catalogs identifying each image, data user's handbook

giving additional ERTS System information, list of products available, prices

of these products, and detailed ordering procedures. We feel all of the material

is necessary for the requester to make a proper evaluation of the data and

subsequently to order only those products that he requires.

The preferred way to place an order is for the user to visit one of the

browse files and select the frame he wishes to order by viewing the 16 mm

microfilm. The microfilm will not have the definition shown by the larger prints

but should enable one to see whether clouds are covering the point of interest at

the time of the photograph. If it is impractical to visit one of the browse

files, browse file microfilm or catalogs can be purchased. Write to the NOAA

Satellite Data Services Branch explaining your needs.

96

Chapter 13

GATE ARCHIVE DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 74 7 25 0ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE O=BOCUS X=CLOUD WINDS

90T-

60o

0.

-5. ..

-9§ - 4 _ .-I - i - i +. t I - -

Fig. 13-la

GATE ARCHIVE DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 74 7 25 6ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE =BOOCUS X=CLOUD WINDS

60 -........ '..... ' .....

,-¥.:9, 'Fig. '"* * " 1''-

__ _ ___ ___ * __ £'? . "''". .

. . _,,, *__,,i_. ,.. ' ._._,..- _ --,, ':--

. » rI -.n 2o I, - I, . , ?' -..... ...

Fig. 13-lb

F~~~~~i g .13l

Fig. 13-1. Shows the location of cloud drift winds produced from satellitedata for two typical periods during GATE.

377 CLOUD WIND0 BOGUS RPTS

'"

, ....... .. L. _ 1 . ......

i .~~~ ...... _.v,.. :,..,:: . .,-.'

.1 ::,::. 1'" ) '-v::. __ . . .. 4'4~~~~~~~~~~~~~~'~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~.....~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~j...i·... C--·. . ..· · :

lO

206 CLOUD WIND0 BOGUS RPTS

.···r ·lr- I --- r I .··- I i i i i t ··..~~

I 1O0 ISO 1t1so -*I0 0 0 'O 60

97

Satellite Data

VTPR MINUS RADIOSONDE TEMP COMPARISONSJan. 4 - Feb. 18, 1974

LAT.

18S18N 18-30 N10 o 0lO0--___ ... _20

30-40N 40-50N 50-60N 60-70N0

4-

Op0

-2

QI7+2 0

Fig. 13-2. Comparison of VTPR retrieved temperature with radiosonde data for4 January - 18 February 1974. Comparisons made for satellite datawithin 60 n mi of raob data (from F. Finger, NMC).

30

50

70

100

MB150

200

250

300

400

500

700

850

1000-4

98

Chapter 13

GATE ARCHIVE DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 74 7 25 6ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE N NIMBUS V=VTPR

Fig. 13-3a

GATE ARCHIVE DATA FOR YR/MO/DY/HR 74 7 25 12ALL LEVELS OF DATACODE N=NIMBUS V=VTPR

Fig. 13-3.

Fig. 13-3b

Shows the receipt of VTPR and Nimbus sounding data in the archivetapes for typical time periods during the GATE experiment. Notethat although the Nimbus data are not routinely sent to NMC, theywere sent during the GATE period.

204 NIMBUS306 VTPR

222 NIMBUS299 VTPR

t

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 .1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973. . I I

!---- Explorer 7Tiros 1H

--- I Tiros 2Tiros 3-- I

--4Tiros 4Tiros 5----

1 .-... Tiros 6Ti ros 71 ---

-I I Tiros 8Nimbus 1H

1--- Ti ros 9Tiros 10H

I-- .ESSA 1..i. ............ IESSA 2

Nimbus 211I' -----' ESSA 3I----! ..---- ..ATS 1

ESSA 41---F -------- .1 Dodge

ATS 2HI iESSA 5

........--------...... ATS 3I .-- .. I ESSA 6

ESSA 71---1. ..........-- ESSA 8

)I---- * ESSA 9Nimbus 31 - - I

i - ;I ITOS 1F---- --- Nimbus 4

'-- i NOM 1

§ ERTS 1

1960 1961 1962 1963 1964 1965 1966 1967 1968 1969 1970 1971 1972 1973

Fig. 13-4. Launch and termination dates of satellites (from Stoldt and Havanac, 1973). 13

Table 13-1. Sources for Meteorological Satellite Data, July 1972 (from Stoldt and Havanac, 1973).

Satellite SensorlPhotographic

Film Strips Paner PrintsMagnetic Tape

Diital An:loo

NCC, UW tlUW

NCC,UW UW

m3

rt(D

.

UW (See pp. A.5 to A.13)

UW,NAC (See pp. A.5 to A.13)

Dual VidiconScanning HRIRActinometer

SHCSHC SHC

SHC

Dual Vidicon APL

MSS

RBVERDC e

ERDC e

Vidicon Camera NCCAPTFPRAVCS NCC

SHC,NESS 3,NCC4

SHC,NESS3,NCC

4

SHC,NCC4

APL

ERDC 8

ERDC 8

NCCNESS 5

NCCNESSNCC NCC 6,WAB (See pp. A.5 to A.13)

Explorer 7 Thermal Radiation

ITOS 1NOAA 1

FPRAVCSSR

NCC

Meteor 1 IDual Vidiconthrough 12 Scanning HRIR

I Actinometer

Nimbus 1,2Nimbus 3,4Nimbus 1,2,3Nimbus 2,3Nimbus 4Nimbus 3,4Nimbus 3,4Nimbus 3,4

AVCSIDCSHRIRMRIRTHIRSIRSIRLSIRIS

SHCSHC

NCCNCCNSSDCNSSDCNSSDC

SHCSHC

NCCNCCNSSDCNSSDCNSSDC

NCCNSSDCNSSDCNSSDCNESS,NSSDC 7

NSSDC

0r,

SHC,NESS 3 ,NCC 4

SHC,NESS 3 ,NCC 4

SHC,NCC4

NSSDCNSSDCNSSDC

NADUC (printouts fromindividual experiments)

Tiros 1 TV Camera NCC NCCthrough 10

Tiros 2,3,4,7 Scanning Radiometer NSSDCTiros 3,4,7 Low-Resolution Omni- NSSDC

directional Radiometer1 See glossary for an explanation of acronyms and abbreviations.2 Color only.3 Paper prints are maintained for one year then discarded unless of unusual interest.4 Derived products, nephanalyses, composites, etc.5 Photographs taken over the United States only.6 5-, 30-, and 90-day average brightness charts.7 Radiances at NSSDC; deduced temperature profiles at NESS.* Primary source for the general public.

ATS 1ATS 2ATS 3ATS 3

SSCCAVCSMSSCCIDC

NCCNADUCNCC,NADUC 2

NCC

NCC

NCC,NADUC 2

NCC

NonstandardPnorm~qt

Cosmos 144,156,189,206and 226

Dodge

ERTS 1

ESSA 1ESSA 2,4,6,8ESSA 3,5,7,9ESSA 3,5,7,9

NSSDC

NESSNCCNCC NCC

NSSDCNSSDC

. -- -J _ - _ - .-. -- -. I&. I- 1 -6-" L - I.u U AAL plr-1 , U -J4 LG;rid Print Mans

101

Satellite Data

Table 13-2

A listing of satellites and major sensors. Data from eachsensor often do not extend over the whole lifetime of thesatellite. The launch and termination dates are included inthe table. The table includes the operational lifetime, theorbital inclination angle to the equator, and the averagealtitude when available.

Tiros 1 01 Apr 60 to 19 Jun 60

Television Camera System

Tiros 2 23 Nov 60 to 27 Sep 61

Widefield Radiometer

Scanning Radiometer


79 days, 480, 742 km

69 days, 480, 676 km

Tiros 3 21 Jul 61 to 23 Jan 62 108 days, 48°, 764 km

Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer


Scanning Radiometer


Tiros 4 8 Feb 62 to 12 Jun 62 125 days, 48°, 777 km

Low-Resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer


Scanning Radiometer


Tiros 5 19 Jun 62 to 5 May 63


Tiros 6 18 Sep 62 to 11 Oct 63


320 days, 580, 782 km

388 days, 580, 698 km

Tiros 7 19 Jun 63 to 3 Feb 66 1580 days, 580, 649 km

Low-resolution Omnidirectional Radiometer

Scanning Radiometer


Tiros 8 21 Dec 63 to 1 Jul 67 1258 days, 580, 753 km


Automatic Picture Transmission (APT) System

102

Chapter 13

Tiros 9 22 Jan 65 to 15 Feb 67 995 days, 96°, 1640 km


Tiros 10 2 Jul 65 to 3 Jul 67 732 days, 99°, 797 km


ESSA 1 3 Feb 66 to 8 May 67 162 days, 98°, 769 km

Vidicon Camera System

ESSA 2 28 Feb 66 to 16 Oct 70 1691 days, 101°, 1384 km


ESSA 3 2 Oct 66 to 9 Oct 68 241 days, 101°, 1436 km

Advanced Vidicon Camera System (AVCS)

Flat Plate Radiometer (FPR)

ESSA 4 26 Jan 67 to 6 Dec 67 110 days, 102°, 1381 km


ESSA 5 20 Apr 67 to 20 Feb 70 998 days, 1020, 1387 km



ESSA 6 10 Nov 67 to 4 Nov 69 725 days, 1020, 1445 km


ESSA 7 16 Aug 68 to 19 Jul 69 338 days, 1020, 1448 km



ESSA 8 15 Dec 68 - operational 1020, 1436 km


ESSA 9 26 Feb 69 - operational 1020, 1465 km



ITOS 1 (Tiros M) 23 Jan 70 to 18 Jun 71 510 days, 102 , 1455 km


Scanning Radiometer (SR)



103

Satellite Data

ITOS-D (NOAA 2) 15 Oct 72 - standby 102°, 902 mi


Very High Resolution Radiometer (VHRR)

Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VTPR)

ITOS-F (NOAA 3) 6 Nov 73 - operational 1020, 935 mi



Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VHRR)

ITOS-G (NOAA 4) 15 Nov 74 - 102°, 1457 km



Vertical Temperature Profile Radiometer (VTPR)

ITOS-H, I, J

Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometers (AVHRR)

Tiros Operational Vertical Sounder (TOVS)

Data Collection and Platform Location System (DCS)

NOAA 1 (ITOS A) 11 Dec 70 to 19 Aug 72 251 days, 102°, 899 st mi





ATS 1 7 Dec 66 - operational 4.35° 22,237 mi (151 W)

Spin-Scan Cloudcover Camera (SSCC)

Meteorological Data Relay System (WEFAX)

ATS 3 5 Nov 67 to 12 Dec 74 2.71° 22,233 mi (450 W-950 W)

Multicolor Spin-Scan Cloudcover Camera (MSSCC)

Image Dissector Camera (IDC)

Meteorological Data Relay System (WEFAX)

Omega Position and Location Equipment (OPLE)

ATS 4 10 Aug 68 to 17 Oct 68

Image Orthicon (Day/Night) Camera

104

Chapter 13

ATS-F

Geosynchronous Very High Resolution Radiometer (GVHRR)

ATS-G

Atmospheric Sounder

Visual/Infrared Imager

Nimbus 1 28 Aug 64 to 22 Sep 64



High-Resolution Infrared Radiometer (HRIR)

Nimbus 2 15 May 66 to 17 Jan 69




Medium-Resolution Infrared Radiometer (MRIR)

Nimbus 3 14 Apr 69 to 22 Jan 72


Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS)

Satellite Infrared Spectrometer (SIRS)

Medium-Resolution Infrared Radiometer (MRIR)

Image Dissector Camera System (IDCS)

Interrogation, Recording, and Location System (IRLS)

Nimbus 4 8 Apr 70 - 1000, 1090 km

Temperature-Humidity Infrared Radiometer (THIR)

Infrared Interferometer Spectrometer (IRIS)

Satellite Infrared Spectrometer (SIRS)

Backscatter Ultraviolet (BUV) Spectrometer

Image Dissector Camera System (IDCS)

Interrogation, Recording, and Location System (IRLS)

Filter Wedge Spectrometer (FWS)

Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR)

Nimbus 5 late 72

Infrared Temperature Profile Radiometer (ITPR)

Selective Chopper Radiometer (SCR)

105

Satellite Data

Nimbus-E Microwave Spectrometer (NEMS)

Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)


Nimbus-F Estimate Jun 75

Tropical Wind Energy Conversion and Reference LevelExperiment (TWERLE)

High-Resolution Infrared Radiation Sounder (HRIRS)

Electrically Scanning Microwave Radiometer (ESMR)

Limb Radiance Inversion Radiometer (LRIR)

Earth Radiation Budget (ERB)

Pressure Modulated Radiometer (PMR)

Scanning Microwave Spectrometer (SCAMS)


SMS-1 17 May 74 - operational 1.950, 22,300 mi

Visible/Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR)

Meteorological Data Collection and Transmission System

SMS-B

Visible/Infrared Spin-Scan Radiometer (VISSR)

Meteorological Data Collection and Transmission System

ERTS 1 Jul 72

Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) Camera System

Multispectral Scanner (MSS)

Data Collection System (DCS)

ERTS-B

Return Beam Vidicon (RBV) Camera System

Multispectral Scanner (MSS)

Data Collection System (DCS)

I ~ ~ ~ ~

107

Chapter 14: FNWC. Meteorological and Oceanographic

Data at Fleet Numerical Weather Central

Section A: Daily Analyzed Data

1. Introduction

We will present a partial listing of the taped data at the Fleet Numerical

Weather Central at Monterey. The data are on a 63 X 63 northern hemisphere grid

unless otherwise stated. This grid is a superset of the NMC grid; it includes the

whole northern hemisphere. The North Pole is in the middle and 80 W is down.

The southern hemisphere version of this grid has the South Pole in the middle and

80 W is up. Forecast grids and fields easily derived are not included. Also,

grids of less general interest and grids for limited areas are not listed. The

grids are generally available twice a day unless otherwise indicated. FNWC is

preparing a Technical Note on climatology which will give more detailed information.

FNWC now (January 1975) has 257 microfilm cartridges of filmed CALCOMP charts.

These include daily charts and mean charts.

GRID DATA

2. Coverage of Surface Data

SFC COVER 00-06-12-18Z Mar 1965 - Apr 1972

3. Sea Level Pressure

PS 00-12 (or once Nov 1945 - Dec 1966a day)

PS 00-06-12-18Z Jan 1963 - current

These include manually inserted bogus data to put tropical storms into the

grids. The sea level pressure grids for November 1945 through March 1955 (daily

at 15Z) and April 1960 through June 1962 (1200Z) were digitized with a curve

follower at NCC under Navy contract. The Navy then used the points along the

contours, and used the high and low centers in their objective analysis program

that is used on current data. Output maps were compared against the original

charts. The April 1955 through March 1960 data were the ESSPO data from NCAR.

In the Navy sea level pressure data set, the ESSPO grid points have been run

108

Chapter 14

through the Navy analysis program as data.

4. Surface Air Temperature

T AIR 00-12Z May 1965 - current

5. Main Stack of Upper Air Data in Analyzed Grids (twice-daily coverage)

Height and temperature grids.

D 1000 Nov 1945

T 1000 Jun 1962

D,T 925 Aug 1969

D,T 850, 700 Nov 1961

D 500 Nov 1945

T 500 Nov 1961

D 400 Mar 1963

T 400 Jul 1963

D,T 300 Nov 1961

D,T 250 Aug 1969

D 200 Mar 1963

T 200 Jan 1964

D,T 150 Aug 1969

D,T 100 Jan 1968

D,T 50, 30, 10 Aug 1969

Data coverage Jul 1963

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

- Apr 1972

- Apr 1972

Height, "D" Value (mb)

Temperature

distribution of input data

Source of the 500 mb data: The Navy got the AROWA set of hand digitized

500 mb data for November 1945 through December 1952. They used these grid points

in their objective analysis program. The maps for January 1953 through March

1955 were digitized at NCC with a curve follower and objectively analyed at FNWC.

These maps usually had contours to about 8°N. April 1955 through March 1960 was

the ESSPO set of data in which the grid point values were manually read off. This

set was cleaned up by NCAR. In the Navy data set, these points were then put

through their analysis program.

The April 1960 through 1962 data were from AFGWC.

-- _ -

109

Data at Navy FNWC

6. Moisture and Cloud Grids

Clouds

Air

850, 700, 500 mb

Jan 1968 - current

May 1965 - current

Apr 1964 - current

Total cloud cover

Surface air vapor pressure

Dew point depression

Surface weather is used in the dew point depression analyses.

7. Derived Surface Wind

Nov 1945 - current

Nov 1945 - current

Surface wind direction

Surface wind speed

These grids were derived from sea level pressure data; the procedure also used

stability data inferred from temperatures when available. These winds are used

in the stress and heat flux calculations. Values south of about 20 N are less

accurate.

8. Heat Flux

Sep 1970 - Apr 1972 Total heat flux

This is really a one-hour forecast output from the primitive equation model.

It includes short and long wave radiation, sensible and latent heat. The model

uses its own two-layer derived clouds for these calculations. It also includes use

of the temperature at 10 m, temperature at the surface, and vapor pressure at

10 m.

May 1965 - current

Aug 1969 - current

May 1965 - current

Latent and sensible heat

New short wave radiation

Total heat flux includingradiation

The Q N grid is based on a 24-h mean flux and 24-h mean clouds (from a

precipitation model). It includes the 24-h means represented by Q HE and Q SMR.

The THF grids are instantaneous values and are made in the forecast model.

Tests were made in about 1969 to see if the heat flux is close to zero

averaged over a year's time. In some basins the flux would have implied mixed

depth temperature changes of up to 4 C over the year.

N

E

TP

DD WW

VV WW

THF

Q HE

Q SMR

QN

110

Chapter 14

9. Temperature at Depth (daily grids)

T sea

TS, 100, 200, 300 ft

TS, 400, 600 ft

TS, 800, 1200 ft

TS, THM

POTMLD

Nov

Nov

Jan

Nov

Jan

1961

1965

1966

1965

1966

- current

- current

- current

- current

- current

Apr 1965 - current

Surface water temperature

Temperature at depth



Temperature at top ofthermocline

Potential mixed layer depth(top of thermocline);mostly derived.

10. Waves

Nov 1945 - current

Nov 1945 - current

SD, SH, SP

WD, WH, WP

Nov 1945 - current

Nov 1945 - current

Wind wave plus swelldirection

Wind wave plus swellamplitude

Swell direction, height,period

Wind wave direction,height, period

11. Surface Currents

U, V, CURR Feb 1968 - current U and V surface currents

The surface current is defined as the average current down to the depth of

the thermocline; it is derived from a permanent flow component based on the local

temperature structure (sometimes modified to include salinity effects), and

includes the effect of integrated wind stress.

CURSTRM and CURTRANS are redundant with U, V and are available from July

1971 on. See FNWC Tech Note 71-1, Numerical Analysis of Ocean Surface Currents,

Larson and Laevastu, 1971.

12. Tropical Grids

These are from 400 S to 600N, on a 2.5° mesh. The grid is 144 X 49 points.

These analyses have been saved since early 1973. The fields are sea level

pressure, swell and wave data, temperature at 850, 500, and 300 mb, U and V wind

CD

CH

111

Data at Navy FNWC

at the surface, 700, 400, 250, and 200 mb. A variational calculus scheme is used

in the analysis program.

13. Global Sea Level Pressure Analyses and Water Temperature

In August 1974 the Navy started archiving global sea level pressure and water

temperature analyses on a 2.5 mesh.

14. Southern Hemisphere Analyses

Archives of the SST analyses started 1 July 1973. Made on the Navy grid

63 X 63 points (800W is up). We believe that some satellite data are used in

these analyses. There is also an analysis of sea level pressure. Southern

hemisphere surface air temperature analyses are not yet being made (as of

February 1975).

In August 1974, FNWC started archiving 63 X 63 analyses of height and

temperature in the southern hemisphere at the following levels: 1000, 925, 850,

700, 500, 400, 300, 250, 200, 150, 100 mb.

Section B: Observed Data

RAW DATA

15. Synoptic Surface Observations (October 1966 - current)

Four synoptic reports per day for available northern hemisphere (southern

hemisphere after December 1970) land and ship stations are received between

observation time and observation time +3 h (average 4000 reports each synoptic

time). Identified by WMO station number or ship identifier and latitude and

longitude to nearest tenth of a degree.

16. Synoptic Upper-air Observations (October 1966 - current)

Two synoptic reports per day for available northern hemisphere land and ship

stations are received between observation time and observation time +9 h

(average 500 reports each synoptic time). Identified by WMO station number or

ship identifier and latitude and longitude to nearest tenth of a degree.

112

Chapter 14

17. Recent Surface and Upper Air Synoptically Filed Data (as of October 1973)

A binary pack of

included 3 through 11

Contains both surface

mate counts of data:

the synoptic data starts

January 1973 (nine days)

and upper air data. The

24 November 1970. A sample tape

on one 7-channel tape, 556 BPI.

tapes contain the following approxi-

06 09 Other hours (1-11)

Surface ships

Surface land

UA mandatory

UA significant

UA aireps

670

4350

1000

840

1450

12Z

Surface ships

Surface land

UA mandatory

UA significant

UA Aireps

650

5000

950

800

1450

85

3400

15

60

3100

500

4750

18

470

4300

9070

3600

21 Other hours (13-23)

50

3000

95

The upper air

and all duplicates

report counts are high because transmissions are not combined

are not eliminated.

18. Special Marine Observations (Mid-1962 - current)

Bathythermograph (BT) soundings (estimated 435,000 total) for the northern

hemisphere. Converted by computer from original transmission codes to a single

format and corrected where possible. (Refer to Samples, 1966.) Also see section

on average ocean temperatures at depth (C 20 below).

19. Expendable Bathythermograph Soundings (Mid-1966 - current)

Estimated 195,000 total observations for the northern hemisphere. XBT

traces digitized and converted to a packed binary format (format unpublished;

available from FNWC, Monterey, California).

OOZ 03

.____

113

Data at Navy FNWC

Section C: Average Ocean Temperatures at Depth

20. Average Ocean Temperatures at Depth prepared at FNWC

(Written 22 January 1973.)

FNWC at Monterey has prepared long-period monthly summary information for 19

levels of global ocean temperature at depth data for 2 latitude-longitude squares

(no salinity data). Data input was through 1971.

The 19 levels are:

a. 0, 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1200 ft

b. 400, 500, 600, 800, 1000, 1500, 2000, 2500, 3000, 4000, and 5000 m

The summarized parameters at each 2 square are:

a. Number of reports

b. Mean value

c. Standard deviation

d. Minimum temperature

e. Maximum temperature

The summary data are available at FNWC on one tape.

Note that the input data are concentrated along normal shipping lanes, and

there are many squares that had few, if any, reports to summarize. The project

report (Lewit, 1972) says that in the surface layer of the southern hemisphere

these data have been combined with averages from surface ship data which provided

a fairly complete set of sea surface temperatures. Salinity information is not

available in this data set.

Available observed data

The ocean sounding data available by October 1971 were used:

a. XBT reports digitized at FNWC 60,000 XBT data

b. XBT reports digitized at NODC 30,000 XBT data

c. Mechanical BT reports (mostly Pacific)

digitized at Scripps (by Mrs. M.Robinson under contract to FNWC) 105,000 XBT data

114

Chapter 14

d. Nansen casts from NODC(some go back to 1901) 333,000 FOHIRS data

e. Synoptic BT reports receivedoperationally by FNWC (1962-71) 435,000 4 D data

Removed BadOrig # Packed Orig Dupl Because Reports

Type Tap TaTapes Reports Removed No Temp Removed Remaining

XBT 13 E185000t9 1844266749

FOHIRS 70 33 E347000+t 340043

4D 50 12 E433000 43273 382999

Totals 965,041 50,022 1452 6098 907,469

tThese estimates are based on data in this table and are probably moreaccurate than the figures previously listed.

The bad reports were removed because they were over land, or were found to

be in error by comparison with a previous climatology; about 500 reports per month

were removed for these reasons.

Some reports were also removed when so many soundings were taken at one place

and at one time that they would cause a bias. None of the report editing was

done on the original master tapes, but edited report tapes with data limited to

the 19 levels are available; cards were punched for the reports that were re-

jected or questionable for various reasons. The cards are also available.

The number of thousands of remaining reports for January through December

was 59, 66, 77, 83, 95, 96, 95 (July), 99, 75, 64, 60, and 39. The XBT data have

been position checked by checking the ship track continuity.

21. Northern Hemisphere Ocean Temperature Analyses

Meteorology International, working with FNWC, has processed all available

(at FNWC) ocean depth sounding data through 1973 to make Northern Hemisphere

Analyses of temperature variation with depth. They have long-term means by

months and analyses for a number of year-months. Data from a previous long-term

mean surface temperature climatology were also used by the analysis method. The

analyses are made on the 63 X 63 grid.

115

Data at Navy FNWC

Two sets of analyses have been made. One gives temperature at depth for

seven levels: surface, 200, 400, ..., 1200 ft. The other gives temperature

analyses vs the top of the main temperature change layer (thermocline): top of

thermocline, 100 ft below it, 200 ft below, gradient in layer above (not over

100 ft above), gradient to 100 ft below, gradient 100-200 ft below, gradient

200-300 ft below. These will be combined, using a vertical profile blending

scheme, into a set to give the most complete description of temperature with depth

to 1200 ft. In the analyses, each sounding (station) has been used in such a way

that the thermocline gradient is preserved, even though different stations in one

area have different thermocline depths. Methods are used to preserve Gulf Stream

gradients, and features near or across land barriers (such as in the Panama area).

Analyses are available for:

a. Monthly, all years

b. Monthly, 1964 and earlier

c. Monthly, 1965 through 1967

d. Year-months, 1968 through 1972.

By the end of 1975, the method will probably be used for daily depth

temperature analyses at FNWC. The guess will be the previous day's analysis.

At first it will not be adjusted by the convergence caused by surface stress.

Bad BTs can be rejected. Each BT is looked at (along with newer data) for three

days to keep improving the decision of bad vs good. The analysis methods are

described in Weigle and Mendenhall (1974).

W. Weigle is considering the possibility of including salinity analyses.

They also will probably make changes to handle multiple thermoclines in a better

way (information from W. Weigle, February 1975). The analyses could also be

made for the southern hemisphere if funds were available.

Deep Ocean Salinity and Temperature

These are poorer quality global analyses of deep ocean salinity and

temperature that were adapted from various atlases: 400, 600, 800, 1000, ...,

5000 m.

116

Chapter 14

Section D: Average Analysis Data

22. Long-term (Normal) Monthly Grid Statistics Produced at FNWC

Parameter

Sea Level Pressure

Z850

Z700

Z400

Z300

Z250

Z500

TS 100 ft depth

TS 200 ft

TS 300 ft

TS 400 ft

Air temperature

Grid

N/H 63X6311

t

it

it

t,

it

it

Mean SD Diurnals Inclusive Period

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

x

1964-1969

1965-1973

1965-1973

1965-1973

1965-1973

1965-1973

1946-1969

1965-1972

1965-1972

1965-1972

1965-1972

1968-1973

The statistics were formed from the daily gridded analyses produced at FNWC

with data at each grid point required to meet a criteria of within four standard

deviations of the mean plus a variable factor of up to 100 m, depending on level.

Other long-term grid means available that have been obtained either by digi-

tization of atlases or from averages of station data (1° or 2° latitude-longitude),

or from a combination, include salinity and temperature from the surface down to

5000 m (including a thermocline level) for the northern hemisphere. The sea

surface temperature is available for the southern hemisphere.

23. Monthly and Half-monthly Grid Means for Each Year at FNWC

a. Monthly grid means and half-monthly means routinely produced at FNWC

for the northern hemisphere include:

Sea level pressure and anomaly since January

Heat flux (total) September 1971

Short wave radiation (net) September 1971

Sea surface temperature and anomaly November

1946

1961

117

Data at Navy FNWC

Sea surface temperature and anomaly (125 X 125) January 1972

TS 100, 200, 300, 400, 600, 800, 1200 ft and anomalies September 1971

Surface wind speed September 1971

Potential mixed layer depth anomaly September 1971

Z500 mb and anomaly September 1971

Wave height September 1971

Air temperature September 1971

Vapor pressure September 1971

Note: Grids are 63 X 63 unless otherwise indicated.

The above grids are quality controlled by visual inspection of the plotted

charts. (Information from James Zuver, FNWC, December 1974.)

b. Other monthly means

The following monthly grid statistics for the northern hemisphere were

derived from once daily analyses (ocean areas) for the period from

January 1946 to March 1974, northern hemisphere only:

Wave height--mean, SD, maximum, minimum

Combined wave height--mean, SD, maximum, minimum

Wave period--mean, SD

Wave direction--modal

U, V surface wind components--mean

Wind direction--modal

Wind speed--mean, SD, maximum, minimum

c. Microfilm maps

FNWC has a microfilm of the monthly mean charts.

119

Chapter 15: NODC. Data at the National Oceanographic Data Center

1. Introduction

The National Oceanographic Data Center in Washington, D.C., is acknowledged

to have the most complete set of ocean station data that exists anywhere in the

world. In this section we will only include some of the major data bases at NODC.

For more information, see:

1974: User's Guide to NODC's Data Services, Revised February 1974,

National Oceanographic Data Center, Washington, D.C.

NODC also has a publication C-3: Inventory of Archived Data (revised 1969), which

shows the global distribution of oceanographic data available at NODC. A summary

(prepared by NODC) of the principal data bases follows:

NODC Fact Sheet (20 January 1975)

Data Bases and Volumes

Station data geosort (processed as of 30 June 1974) . .BT data digitized geosort (as of 31 March 1974) . . .XBT data digitized geosort (as of 31 July 1974) . . .BT analog prints ...................Biological data digital ................Biological papers stored for retrieval (as of 1 January

1975) .Surface current data (H1-9,N193,J118 historical files).

. 534,920 stations

. 751,306 observations

. 145,635 observations

. 820,000 observations13,000 stations

. 20,5413,375,000 observations

Station Data Geographic Distribution

(See publication C-3 for definition of area)

North Atlantic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .South Atlantic ... . . .. .. . . . . . .. ... .North Pacific . . ................South Pacific .....................Indian ............ . . . . . ..Arctic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .Antarctic . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .. . . . .

38 percent4 percent33 percent4 percent3 percent

17 percent1 percent

2. Oceanographic Station Data File (SD) (as of 30 June 1974)

Period: 1893 - present

Depth range: 0 - 11,999 m

120

Chapter 15

Types: 535,000 Nansen casts

5000 STD stations (low vertical resolution)

Volume: 34 tapes, 1600 BPI, 1,284,000,000 characters

This volume is duplicated in cruise sort and in area sort.

Growth: About 35,000 stations per year

Quality: The temperatures are usually accurate to about +0.02-0.05 0C

NOTE: There are about 20,000 STDs that went down to 5000 m which took

about six observations per meter. These will be condensed to a

lower resolution set and included in the above file.

3. MBT (mechanical bathythermograph)

Digitized from MBT slides. Gives temperature vs depth. May have bias of

+1-4°C. With bias ignored, these are probably accurate to +0.2°C.


Depth: 0 to 285 m

Report Length: Maximum 324 bytes, estimated average 275 bytes

Volume: 756,306 observations, 31 March 1974, or about 2.08 X 108 bytes(packed decimal)

Sort: This data volume is available in cruise sort and in area sort.

Growth: Phased out. Only possible foreign digitized data. Growth

less than 5000 per year.

NOTE: NODC has a backlog of 240,000 of these (of which 160,000 are

usable). These are being digitized at Scripps (for $3 each) at

the rate of 15,000 per year. Funding is provided for calendar

year 1975. The work will stop before completion unless additional

support is provided. Approximately 3,000 observations are ready

to be included in the next NODC tape update as of January 1975.

4. XBT (expendable bathythermograph)

These expendable bathythermographs are usually accurate to within about

+0.2°C. This file includes data from instruments dropped from ships and from

aircraft.

121

Data at NODC


Depth: 0 to 1830 m

Report Length: Maximum 1304 characters, estimated average 700 characters

Volume: 145,635 records, 31 July 1974, or about 1.02 X 108 characters

Sort: This volume is available in either cruise or area sort.

Growth: About 25,000 per year. Also, the Navy will soon give NODC a copy

of 116,000 additional observations.

Backlog: NODC has a backlog of about 30,000 of these and will need about

$100,000 to digitize them.

5. Ocean Weather Station Data from the permanent ships and special projects.

U.S. vessels occupying Ocean Weather Stations (OWS) Alpha, Bravo, Delta, and

Echo in the Atlantic and November and Victor in the Pacific took once-a-day MBTs

(XBTs when they became available). During selected short periods, a crew would

be available to take once-a-day Nansen casts. Ships on OWS Bravo took once-daily

Nansen casts in about 1972-1974. Canadian ships on OWS Papa in the Pacific have

generally taken once-daily Nansen casts. Weather station data are in the regular

files, but are flagged when they are from a weather ship that is within +10

latitude and longitude of its standard position.

NORPAX is instrumenting (December 1974) three commercial ships to obtain

United States to Japan depth x-sections from soundings each two weeks.

6. Surface Temperature and Salinity

NODC has about 200,000 observations, with about 120 characters each, covering

a 50-year period. Each observation includes the temperature and salinity within

the top few meters.

7. Surface and Seabed Currents

One file of ship drift data from the Naval Oceanographic Office has 1,934,000

records on six reels (95% of the observations are for the period 1904-1945, with

some later data to 1972). The other, from the Netherlands, has 1,260,293 records

on four reels (period 1853-1931). About 80 characters per observation. There

122

Chapter 15

is also one tape of drift bottle and seabed drifter data, with about 85,000

observations, mostly in the North Atlantic. Growth is about 2,000 observations

per year.

8. Data from Current Meters and from Selected Drifters

These data are from current meters at different levels and from drifters at

various depths. The data have not yet been gathered together into a more unified

set. A significant amount of current meter data has been taken in the continental

shelf area of the United States.

123

Chapter 16: Sea Surface Water Temperature Grid Data

1. Navy Sea Surface Temperature Grids

Twice-daily grids from 6 November 1961 through January 1972 are available

at NCAR (on five tapes). The grid is a 63 X 63 grid that includes all of the

Northern Hemisphere and is a superset of the NMC octagonal grid. This data set

will be updated.

Southern hemisphere grids are available starting in July 1973. See

Chapter 14,which describes data at FNWC.

Year-month grids are also available for April 1962 through March 1967.

Long-term monthly means with 14-20 years of data are available. These means

used the Bureau of Commercial Fisheries grid data where available (Pacific Ocean).

2. NMC Sea Surface Temperatures

These start on the northern hemisphere octagon grid starting in January 1973.

3. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries SST Grid Data

Year-month grids of Pacific Ocean Data for the period January 1949 through

December 1962 are at NCAR. These 168 grids are for the area north of 200 S. The

project was described and the associated maps have been published in an atlas

(Eber et al., 1968).

4. Long-term Mean Sea Surface Water Temperature

Maps of global mean monthly sea surface temperatures were prepared and then

digitized at intervals of 2.5 and 5.00 latitude-longitude. The maps were based

on various atlas sources. NCAR TN-54 (Washington and Thiel, 1970) describes this

project and shows small maps based on the digitized data.

5. Sea Surface Temperatures

The Fisheries group at Scripps has been preparing monthly averages of sea

surface temperature by 2 latitude-longitude squares. Since this is just an

average of the raw data, it avoids the smoothing of gradients seen in objective

analyses. They produce maps of the temperatures and of anomalies vs long-term

124

Chapter 16

mean and vs the last year's temperature. These are published as the Monthly

Fisheries Advisory by the National Marine Fisheries Service at Scripps. This

effort has been going on for about ten years along the Pacific coast and is now

expanded to the whole North Pacific.

6. Half-monthly Pacific Ocean Grids Prepared by NORPAX

NORPAX is preparing (March 1975) grids for each half-month, starting in 1899

for the Pacific Ocean, 300 S to 600N. Grids are for each 1° latitude-longitude

square. Note that many squares will not have any data. Based on the historical

marine decks from NCC. They are calculating the mean and variance for sea surface

temperature, air temperature, total cloud cover, U wind, V wind, total wind speed,

direction, and heat flux. Values are included if they are within +2 standard

deviations of the long-term mean calculated from the whole period of record. See

Chapter 17 for a discussion of the basic data used.

7. Satellite Data

See Chapter 13 on satellites for information about other sea surface

temperature grids.

125

Chapter 17: World Surface Ship Data

1. Introduction

Although the surface ship data have been listed in the chapter on NCC data,

their current status and importance to many problems are such that more details

will now be given. This discussion will primarily refer to the ship logs that

are punched after the ships have returned home and not to the similar reports that

are broadcast from the moving ships.

2. Projects that Aid in the Development of this Data Set

First we will mention the projects which are being utilized in the develop-

ment of this data set. Then we will make some recommendations on a data flow plan

that would provide for the orderly addition of more old data, and file updating

with new data.

a. Appendix 2 includes a listing of some of the ship data subsets that are

included in the total set of ship data.

b. For the 1860-1960 period, there has been a recent project (under NSF's

program, International Decade of Ocean Exploration) to gather all the

cards from bucket-temperature ships. Three countries receive the data:

Germany--Atlantic Ocean

Holland--Indian Ocean, etc.

United States--Pacific Ocean

For this project a number of old ship logs have been punched. (Germany

has punched about 5,000,000 old observations.) Each of these three

countries will put the data into an international exchange format with

common units where possible. Data groups such as current weather,

visibility, and wave heights may be dropped in the final format, but it

now appears that the countries may have another tape series that includes

these data, plus data from nonbucket-temperature ships, and all other

data in best checked form. NCC now (February 1975) estimates that it

will be one or two years before all of the new data from this project

are available.

126

Chapter 17

c. The data since 1960 are being gathered by nine countries, each allotted

specified regions. The United States (NCC) gets copies of all of the

data. Data have been received through about 1970 (January 1975).

d. The practice in the United States is as follows: We recruit a number of

ships for which the ship logs are sent to Asheville. The observations

were punched (usually four or eight observations per day) and put through

a computer program in which reported ship positions were compared against

a time series of positions. For budget reasons, U.S. card punching

terminated after March 1973. Data for April and May 1973 are now (May

1975) being punched and it appears that the new punching program will

continue.

In 1961, the United States was punching about 30,000 to 50,000 ship cards

each month. When a U.S. ship was located in the area of responsibility

of another country, copies of the edited data were sent to that country.

3. Recommendations Concerning the Data Flow and Checking

a. The basic data should keep the data for individual ship tracks together.

It would not be split into regions. Another data set would be prepared

(from the basic set) in which the data are ordered by area and time.

Because of the cost of conversion, this latter set would be updated less

frequently than the basic set.

b. It is current practice for several different countries to take the

responsibility for collecting all marine punched cards for their own

ships and for the ships of a few other nations. The smaller or less

involved country just punches the time-series ship data or perhaps just

sends the ship logs to the nation accepting the responsibility. The

responsible country should then make computer checks for the consistency

of the data along the ship tracks. The originating country might then

be involved in making the checks necessary to punch correction cards.

c. All data should go through ship position and data parameter checks before

being added to the data set. When we asked R. Quayle at NCC if he

thought that the punched ship data had many position errors in it, he

noted that in at least one older data set, a number of ships were shown

127

World Surface Ship Data

in the Sahara Desert. In time-series form, it is easy to check ship

position, temperature and pressure (using pressure change, too) for

reasonable continuity. If, for example, it is discovered that the ship

barometer is 3 mb off between specified dates, that is also easy to

correct in the computer.

Until all data have been through a ship time-series check, a bit in the

format could be used to indicate whether the data had been checked in this

way.

d. Inventories at the national and international levels need to be prepared

to identify what ships and time periods are in the global set, and what

are outside. Then as more old or new data are punched and checked, they

can be accumulated on update tapes to become a part of the main set.

The U.S. NCC can identify more than three million U.S. ship observations

that are not part of any computer data set.

4. Aspects of Data Management

a. The ship number and nation of origin should be in the tape record so that

the data can always be sorted back into ship time-series order. Future

computer systems will make it feasible to make certain additional data

checks on the whole set of ship observations if the ship numbers are

available on the records. For example, the pressure reading from each

ship could be compared to that from every other ship whenever a pair of

ships are relatively close to each other. In this way, biases in the

sensors could be detected.

b. The format of the tape ordinarily will not be the same as the cards. If

the ship number is ever dropped from each card, a header card in front of

each ship track should be used to make sure that the number is retained

in the tape record.

c. The original units should be indicated in the taped data.

d. Data groups, such as weather and waves, should be carried along if they

have been punched.

128

Chapter 17

e. Data from the nonbucket-temperature ships should be carried along if they

have been punched. One bit could specify that the water temperature is a

bucket temperature.

f. At a later time, a copy of the data should be put into a compact, packed

binary format to save tape volume, reproduction cost, and processing time.

g. We should plan a data flow so that we do not have to add duplicate un-

checked observations to a clean data set in order to obtain some

additional reports that were not originally included in the clean set.

5. Status of the Data Sets Based on Ship Logs

NCC has the most complete set of these observations. They have about 375

tapes, containing approximately 43 million observations. This data set contains

several subsets and will have even more when other data are incorporated. There

is considerable duplication between the sets. The data are generally in time sort

within 10° X 10° Marsden Square location.

The Navy (Monterey) bought this set and has packed it in binary onto 100

tapes, dropping significant clouds and ice accretion. They use four 60-bit words

for each observation. They obtained 16 tapes with the permanent ship observations

(not in the above set) and they obtained 60 tapes to update the files to June

1970. NCC summarized the wave height and temperature data for a marine atlas

(Meserve, 1974).

NORPAX has condensed the North Pacific Ocean data onto 19 tapes (1600 BPI).

The Navy-NORPAX tapes still contain some problems from a few subsets on the

original tapes in which units were converted twice (can be identified and removed).

NCC is further cleaning up all of the original data which are now on 375

tapes. The Atlantic Ocean is done and the Indian Ocean is about half done

(January 1975).

6. Synoptic File of Ship Observations

Tapes with synoptic observations (including ships) are created by NMC, Navy

FNWC, AFGWC, and AF ETAC. These are data received in near-real time from the

teletype networks.

129

World Surface Ship Data

7. An Evaluation of the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) as a Marine

Climatic Data Source (condensed from a report by R. Quayle, NCC)

GTS observations derived from the Air Force Global Weather Central were

compared to original shipboard manuscript observation forms. For the observations

taken at regular synoptic times by U.S. ships at sea:

* About 39% were transmitted via GTS

* About 31% were received in decodable form

- About 14% were received with no transmission errors

* About 8% were received with no transmission errors and no observational

errors

Analysis of the observation counts shows that about 85,000 observations per

month are received via GTS. Under the marine punching program, NCC was punching

about 50,000 observations per month and receiving a similar number in exchange.

It is now abundantly clear that one data set is not a subset of the other. A

great many observations are received via GTS from foreign ships with unofficial

instrumentation. Also, some GTS observations are received for which the log books

have been lost. The result is that GTS coverage is quantitatively superior in some

areas (near the U.S.S.R. coast, some places in the southern hemisphere, etc.)

compared with the exchange data. For thoroughly comprehensive data coverage both

sources would be desirable, with the GTS serving as an alternate source,

customer budgets permitting.

The lower quality of the GTS data is also a problem for many climatic users.

Thus, we recommend that the U.S. ship log punching programs be restarted.

131

Chapter 18: Geographical Data

NCAR has two sets of global 1° resolution elevation data. One of these also

has water depth and ice thickness. Elevation data for each 5 min are also

available for North America and Europe. A set of 50 global mean elevation data is

included on the climatology tape for the southern hemisphere. Over the United

States, elevation data are available for horizontal resolution of 208 ft.

1. Average Elevation Data from USAF, by 1°, 30 min, and 5 min squares

NCAR has a tape containing mean elevation data for 1 latitude-longitude

squares for 30 min squares (global), and for 5 min squares. The 5 min data

coverage is for Europe, a portion of North Africa, and North America (but not for

Alaska or parts of the Northwest Territories). The data coverage is shown on a

map in the writeup sent out with the data.

The data, received on seven tapes from the Air Force Aeronautical Chart and

Information Center (ACIC), have now been blocked and merged onto one tape. The

first 76,161 cards contain the 10 and 30 min data. The complete tape, including

the 5 min data, has 163,978 cards.

ACIC writeups describe the method of obtaining the data and the format of

the card images.

2. Average Elevation, Depth, and Ice Data from Scripps

This 1° latitude-longitude set of global data gives the elevation of the

earth's rock surface; thus, these are the data giving the depth, height of land,

and base of ice caps. It also gives the ordinary elevation above sea level. This

set was updated with corrections by L. Gates and A. Nelson at Rand in 1973.

3. Ten-Minute Elevation Data for the World

The Navy (FNWC) has a set of terrain data by 10 min latitude-longitude squares.

For each square there are data on the minimum elevation, average elevation, and

the maximum. There are also ridge orientation, percent of square covered by

water, terrain characteristics (flat, mountainous, swamp, etc.), and percent

urbanization. Ocean depth data are not given.

132

Chapter 18

Data for the northern hemisphere are on two binary tapes at FNWC. There are

96 bits for each 10 min square. The southern hemisphere is nearing completion

(April 1975).

4. Estimated Surface Elevation Data and Sea Water Surface Temperatures are

available for the last ice age.

5. Elevation Data--High Resolution (information as of June 1973)

Data at a horizontal resolution of 208 ft (not available at NCAR).

The Army Map Service (Washington, D.C.) has digitized contour maps for the

United States, and for parts of Europe and Asia. They mainly used maps with a

scale of 20,000 ft = 1 in. On the digitized maps the contours can be off by

about 2% -- +400 ft in the horizontal and 100 ft in elevation.

The data are grouped together for 1° longitude by 1 latitude blocks (one

tape each). An elevation is given for each 208 ft in the horizontal. There are

about 900 tapes for the United States.

Manager of the data set:

Gerald Kniskern, Director, DMATC6500 Brooks LaneWashington, D.C. 20315

Attn: Code 40320Phone number: (202) 227-2374

6. Continental Shelf Depth and Map Data

The National Ocean Survey is working on a project to digitize the hydrographic

survey charts giving depth, obstruction, etc., for the continental shelf of the

United States. NCC is digitizing 2700 past charts. About 10,000 points are read

from each chart. Currently (March 1975) NCC has finished the East and Gulf Coasts

and is working on the West Coast and the Gulf of Alaska. The ocean survey input

data has been in digital form since 1964. NOS will merge the older data with the

newer data to make a data base that will be used to make nautical charts that are

mostly prepared by computers. The map scales will vary from 1:10,000 to l:millions.

The high-resolution maps usually will have depth contours at sea level, 3, 6, 12,

18, 30, 60 ft, etc.

133

Geographical Data

At present NOS has no plans to make depth data available on a lower

resolution grid mesh, such as one point each kilometer.

135

Chapter 19: Data for Assessment Studies

Section A: Crop Data

1. James McQuigg (University of Missouri and NOAA) has yields of U.S. wheat

crops by states for 70 years. By about September 1975, he will have state yields

of corn, soybeans, flax, grain, sorghum, and rice. He will gradually obtain a

supply of U.S. crop yield data by counties and Canadian crops by crop districts.

The yields for small areas of the United States are really estimates. They

are based on acreage planted and estimated yield made by measurements from a few

small sample areas in fields. The estimates of the national crop yield for a given

year are usually improved for about five years. The final estimate is usually

within about 2% of the year-end estimate made during the crop year.

Studies have shown that yield data can be closely approximated from cal-

culations made from daily rainfall and from maximum and minimum temperatures.

Using these data, the Canadians came within 1.6 bushels per acre of the measured

average wheat yield over three provinces (about 20-25 bushels per acre). Such

calculations can also be used to make up-to-date crop estimates that are more

timely than estimates from samples.

A U.S. Department of Agriculture (1951) book, Fluctuations in Crop and

Weather, has crop data from 1866 to 1948.

2. U.S. county and crop district data have been gathered by the Agriculture

Department's Statistical and Research Services (SRS) division for 1968 through

1973. McQuigg has been contacting individual states for additional data.

3. The U.S. Department of Agriculture publishes information about crop acreage,

yield per acre, and production for the United States and for selected crops in

other countries:

1973: Agriculture Statistics, U.S. Department of Agriculture,Government Printing Office

4. The U.S. Department of Agriculture is preparing a tape with crop statistics

for the world, by individual countries. The grains are nearly done. Time period

is 1950-present, except that data for most African countries do not start until

1960.

136

Chapter 19

5. The Food and Agriculture Organization (of the United Nations) in Rome

publishes data giving acreage for various crops, yields per acre, and total

production for each crop and for each country: World Crop Statistics, Area,

Production and Yield 1948-64 (1967). It is sometimes hard to tell what the data

for some countries mean. In some economies that are basically at a subsistence

level, the crops reported may be only the cash crops for export.

6. LACIE (Large area crop inventory experiment)

This program was initiated by NASA in cooperation with the Department of

Agriculture and NOAA. The objective is to demonstrate techniques for assessing

wheat production, using NASA-ERTS and NOAA satellite information plus conventional

climatological surface data. Other crops will be included later. The 1975 year

will concentrate on the U.S. Great Plains area and a few foreign areas. They may

build a data base of daily maximum and minimum temperatures, rainfall, and

planted acreage by crop districts (areas about one-tenth of a state in size).

(Information obtained February 1975.)

Section B: Air Quality Data

7. Air Quality Data

The National Aerometric Data Bank of the Environmental Protection Agency

archives various types of air quality data as obtained from various states and

cities.

See Chapter 7 section 19, atmospheric turbidity data.

8. Data from Los Angeles Reactive Pollutant Program

Data are for a variety of smog conditions during September-November 1973.

Surface and inversion layer measurements of chemical and some meteorological

parameters are included. The idea was to look at aerometric measurements within

a moving air parcel. Data will be on about six tapes at NCAR and at the National

Technical Information Service (NTIS). See Appendix 4 for more information about

NTIS.

137

Data for Assessment Studies

Section C: Census and Economic Data

9. Data at Lawrence Berkeley Laboratory (LBL)

LBL has the 1970 census, census surveys 1968-1973, census cause of death,

and the 1949-1969 census of agriculture. It has a number of data sets of economic

factors to aid in economic modeling: U.S. personal income by category and county

(1929-1970), county business patterns, census of manufacturers, 1947-1972 GNP by

industry, employment data, water use, etc. They also have data on transportation,

commodity trade flow, etc.

Their 16 December 1974 listing of data sets showed 53 data sets, which varied

in volume from 2.5 X 103 characters to 5.3 X 109 characters. Other sets are

outputs from models.

Many of LBL's data sets are from NTIS.

139

Chapter 20: Selected Information About Data

Sets Here and in Other Countries

1. Federal Data Centers in the United States

A directory of federally supported information analysis centers, compiled by

the National Referral Center (1974), lists 108 centers. Each is covered by about

half a page of text giving the name of the center, the staff, address and phone

number, mission, scope of operations, data holdings, and services.

2. WMO Catalog of Data for Research

The WMO published a Catalogue of Meteorological Data for Research (1972).

The listings were prepared in about 1968 in the various countries. The listings

for the United States were neither entirely up to date nor inclusive of our

total holdings in 1968.

3. ENDEX System for Data Set Information

NOAA has put information about a number of data sets into a computer data

bank. The information can be retrieved by a system called ENDEX. The ENDEX

system does not get around the need for organizations to prepare booklets

describing their data set holdings. See Appendix 4 for more information about

this service.

4. World Survey of Oceanographic Products and Methods

This survey includes descriptions of analyses and forecasts of a variety of

parameters related to the oceans, as well as the methods used in their preparation.

It gives the situation as it was in 1973, the year in which the visits to oceano-

graphic and selected meteorological centers in 13 countries were made. Most of

these visits were made by Dr. T. S. Murty of Canada; he prepared the text which

was edited by A. Wood. It should be available in mid-1975 (see Murty and Wood,

1975). Some of the items discussed are sea surface temperature products, ice

products, sea condition, water level, storm surge, surface current, subsurface

parameters, data, facsimile broadcasts, and codes.

140

Chapter 20

5. Data Sets in Canada

a. More details about the following data sets are given in the Guide to

Data Holdings (Inland Waters Directorate, Canada, 1973):

Physiographic dataStreamflow and water level (about 2450 stations)GroundwaterGlaciologyThe Great LakesWater QualitySediment

b. Cards have been punched and taped which include the following Canadian

data (contact the Atmospheric Environment Service of Canada for more

details):

Hourly surface observationsSurface synoptic data (usually only 12Z is punched)Hourly precipitation dataSummary for the climatological day and monthly summary

(some back to 1841)Rawinsonde standard level dataRawinsonde significant level dataSurface ship observationsDaily sunshineSoil temperatureEvaporationAir pollution dataAgrometeorological data

6. Information About Data Holdings in Other Countries

I will mention only three of the countries that have made listings of data

holdings:

a. England has a Catalog of Machineable Meteorological Data (BritishMeteorological Office, 1974).

b. Australia has published a booklet about its data sets (Bureau ofMeteorology, 1970).

Australia has saved numerical analyses of H, T, U, V for the sector80°E - 1700 W, 100 S - 600 S starting in 1969. The levels are 1000, 850,700, 500, 300, 250, 200, and 100 mb. Fully hemispheric analyses for thesame levels (not 250 mb) are available starting in 1971. Moistureanalyses are made through 500 mb.

c. The Philippines has a List of Meteorological Data Transferred intoComputer Usable Forms (Philippines Weather Bureau, 1973).

141

Chapter 21: Selected Aspects of

Data Set Preparation

1. Introduction

In this chapter we will discuss some of the considerations that are desirable

when preparing sets of data. We will also give some examples of the volume of

Various data sets. The volume is small enough that if the sets of conventional

data are prepared on magnetic tape, even the current level of technology makes it

relatively easy for copies of the sets to be made.

Because of a formerly poor technology for exchanging data, the assumption has

been made in world data set planning that "local data" such as rainfall data from

reasonably dense surface networks would only be used within the country of origin.

If each country or block of countries is encouraged to prepare their various data

sets in computer form, they can now be easily exchanged as necessary. Selected

derived sets of data should be prepared in order to provide support for various

climatology, energy, and agriculture studies. An example is daily average

maximum-minimum temperatures and rainfall for the various climate regions of each

country. Catalogs for the data sets are also needed.

2. Considerations Necessary in Planning Each Set of Data

In this section, we will discuss various aspects of data set planning that

should be considered.

a. Data Formats

The formats for the data sets should be chosen so that they are easy to

use, and so that they make efficient use of the storage media. For

efficiency, short logical records (reports) must be blocked together

to make larger blocks of data that are 3000-5000 characters in length.

If the short logical records are of widely variable lengths, then a

variable length blocking scheme should be used to conserve storage space.

In such a variable blocking scheme, the first characters (or bits) of

each report are used to give the length of the report. The blocks of data

(physical records) are usually best left with variable lengths and not

padded to be of equal size (as is done in some systems). Very long

logical records should be segmented so that each section is not more than

about 5000 characters in length. Some of the sets of data, such as

142

Chapter 21

satellite data and most grid point analyses, will only be available in

binary packed form; other sets can often also be more efficiently kept in

binary packed form. However, many people still are not familiar with the

methods used, and this can lead to some difficulty in sharing data.

Computer routines and concepts are, however, available which make the use

of binary data very easy on most binary machines. These comments should

not be taken to suggest binary packing for all sets, but the various trade-

offs should be considered in choosing a format. The floating-point word

structure of any one computer should generally not be used for data

exchange. When selecting a data format, several different formats should

be considered so that the relative data volume, computer time, and

complexity for each possible choice can be evaluated.

Additional information on the blocking of short reports and on the binary

packing of data is given in Jenne and Joseph (1974).

Observations of a given type should normally be in a common format in the

final data set. If data exchange between several organizations or

countries is involved, one should consider the amount of time necessary

to define common formats and the relatively small amount of time necessary

to reformat the data. For long-term programs, involving the sharing of

data between many centers, common formats can save a lot of effort and

can avoid the possibility of introducing errors during format conversion.

b. Content of Data Sets

Data sets should normally consist of one type of observational report or

of a group of such reports that are very likely to be used together.

Thus meteorological surface synoptic reports will be stored together.

Rawinsonde data will be in a set. Another set might include a combination

of all upper air observed data, which thus will include rawinsondes, air-

craft winds, winds from cloud drifts seen by satellites, etc.

c. Quality Control

Checks should be made on data sets to ensure reasonable quality. Thus

rawinsonde data can be checked for internal hydrostatic consistency.

Ship tracks can be checked for reasonable continuity so that a sudden

jump in latitude or to a different ocean area can be spotted. Checks

143


for reasonable continuity can be made on other data. A desirable system

would be one in which an observer submitted data to a computer, and then

the computer could talk back to the observer and say, for example, "Are

you sure the reported temperature of 37.6 is correct?"

The use of a data set for the calculation of statistics or for other

scientific calculations often helps to uncover problems in the data.

d. The Need for Low Resolution Data

When data sets represent rather high-resolution information in space or

time, consideration should be given to the creation of lower resolution

data sets that are averaged by space or time. Examples are sets of

monthly mean station rainfall or rawinsonde data. If possible it is

desirable to generate such means from the computerized daily observations

to avoid manual errors of addition that may be made in the stations. Sets

of satellite-mapped data shoiuld be available on a resolution of about

200 km.

e. Separate the Low-Resolution Data

Low-resolution and high-resolution data of a particular type should

normally not be physically stored together, because the data user then

has to obtain and read a large volume of data in order to use the small

amount of low-resolution data which he needs.

f. Updating

It should be easy for customers of a data set to update their own set.

It can get very frustrating with a large data set, if one is forced to

obtain the whole set again when he only needs the last year. Thus, for

example, with time series of station data there should be some tapes

with updates of all stations for the last few weeks or months of data,

and other tapes with blocks of data for the previous one-, two-, or

three-year period.

In some data sets, such as for historical surface ship data, both old

and new ship logs are often being punched. All of the newly punched data

should be on update tapes for a specified period of time.

144

Chapter 21

g. Sort Order of Data Sets

For efficiency of data use, a number of data sets will have to be saved

in both "synoptic" sort and in time-series sort by stations. These are

needed to serve the two types of uses in which one person needs all

reports over a wide area on one day, while another needs to study ten

years of data from a station. However, the group creating a data set

should concentrate on creating the set in one or the other sort order.

The introduction of mass storage technology into major data centers and

computing centers will make it easier for them to create the other sort

order.

h. Station Library Data

Station histories for all global stations should be available. For

example with rawinsonde data, this would at least include location,

elevation, and instrument type as a function of time. In various

meetings and group discussions over the last decade, this need has been

discussed, but no one has found time to do the work. To be complete, it

would have to be an international effort. Key portions of station

histories should be available on magnetic tape; this would include the

data mentioned plus the types of observations taken at the station, cross

references between the different station numbering schemes that were used

for the station, and other information. In current station library tapes,

one should be able to distinguish between actual station changes and

errors that have been corrected. It would also help if the station

libraries distinguished between stations with good exposure and

negligible city effects (thus good benchmark stations) and stations

that are affected to differing extents.

i. Data Set Protection

The sets should be under sufficient protection that one can verify that

none of the data have been lost or altered since they were prepared.

This usually means that checksums and data volumes need to be kept with

the data sets.

145


After data leave the central memory of a computer for storage, they\go

through many hardware and software systems before getting back into

memory. In order to guard against rare data changes in these data paths,

it is desirable that major data centers keep checksums with the data.

Secure backup copies of most data sets must also be available.

j. Inventories of the Data Set

Information about the contents of each data set should be available in a

general brief abstract and in more detail. The abstracts should be

incorporated into catalogs. Some of the more detailed inventory data

should be available on microfiche, microfilm, and often on magnetic tape.

If the inventory is itself a data set that a user can access, then he can

answer many questions for himself without spending so much time using the

consulting help in a data center.

k. Documentation

A detailed description of the format and data content of each data set

must be available. This should include information about the data volume

as well as comments on data sources and data problems. Lip service has

always been paid to the documentation of data sets, but often too little

has been done because all of us are caught in competing pressures. The

requirement needs to be faced in a reasonable way, but firmly enough to

ensure that adequate information is available. If a documentation system

is too complex and time-consuming, it will probably fail.

3. Data Volume

We will now consider the data volume in several different data sets that are

currently available. Table 21-1 also includes projected satellite data volume for

the FGGE period.

146

Chapter 21

Table 21-1. Typical daily global counts in 1974 of selected types of

observations with satellite data volume during FGGE. With different methods (such

as eight-bit characters and formats that need more characters) used to format the

conventional data shown in this table, the volume can be increased by a factor of

two to six or more. Assume the use of one ordinary 800 BPI magnetic tape for each

108 binary bits of data. Note that although all of the first seven types of

observations would use only about one tape each three days, the satellite obser-

vations would use 1000 tapes per day if all data were saved.

Bits/dayGlobal Length (4-bit

Type obs/day each char) Bits/year

Rawinsonde 1570 500 char 3.14X10 6 11.50X108

Winds aloft 1300 200 1.04X10 6 3.79X108

Aircraft 1600 50 .32X106 1.17X108

Satellite VTPR 1000 300 1.20X10 6 4.38X10 8

Ship synoptic 2700 70 .76X10 6 2.77X108

Land synoptic 50000 70 14.0 X10 6 51.13X108

Airways reports 30000 80 9.6 X10 6 35.06X108

2 polar satellitesin FGGE 3959. X10 6

4 geostationarysatellites in FGGE 96800. X10 6

Table 21-1 shows that all of the world's conventional and satellite synoptic-

scale data can easily be stored on a small number of tapes each year. For

example, all of the world's 570,000 rawinsonde ascents made during a year could be

written onto about 12 tapes (800 BPI). If the data were in a binary packed format,

it would take about 7 min of Control Data 7600 time to unpack the 570,000 ascents

and have them ready for calculations. If the data are stored in a character

format, the computer would need about 50 min to unpack the information. Either of

these times is very good for the amount of data involved. The main point is that

if the data sets are prepared, they can easily be stored and used for a number of

different calculations.

147


The high volume of satellite data shown in Table 21-1 means that until better

storage technologies are available, most of the data bits will be thrown away

after pictures, mean soundings, and cloud drift winds have been derived. It also

indicates that averages of the satellite data should be prepared on a scale of

about 250 km to meet the climate goals of monitoring the heat balance. Even if all

of the high-resolution data were saved, it would clearly be impractical to process

the hundreds of trillions of bits necessary to obtain heat balance data for a few

years. For some satellite data, NESS is creating a low-resolution set of about

200 km resolution for brightness and IR data.

It may be less expensive to do the averaging using wide-angle sensors in the

spacecraft. The heat balance data should also be sampled more than once a day,

since many clouds have strong diurnal changes.

Some of the high-resolution data must also be saved for special studies.

149

APPENDIX I

ENVIRONMENTAL DATA SETS AT USAFETAC

(As of 31 December 1974)

This listing of data sets at the Air Force Environmental Technical Applications

Center was prepared by ETAC. These data represent major subsets of the data base

that can be used by both ETAC and NCC. See Chapter 6 for information about other

ETAC data sets. The listing in Appendix 2 presents many of these same data. Also

see Chapter 7 for further information.

DATA FA:ALY 13 - FOREIGN SFC SYN - (1,414

AREA # STNS

Russia, China, Korea 4956

Reels, 9

POR

32-71

track, 00 BPI)

..# YR-MOS

361,354

# OBS (THOUSANDS)

50,000

S. E. Asia

Europe, Br. Isles

Scandinavia

Africa

Middle East

Indonesia

Cent. & So. America

North America

Pacific Ocean & Islands

Atlantic Ocean & Islands

Indian Ocean & Islands

Philippines, Australia,Formosa, Japan & NZ

Greenland & Adjacent

TOTALS

352

1600

71

757

602

80

739

298

180

25

8

305

74

10,047

43-66

26-72

01-60

41-68

35-68

42-66

30-71

34-63

39-68

05-67

48-68

45-69

49-71

01-72

39,988

127,960

4,877

63,431

47,149

10,740

65,741

25,344

18,144

2,409

586

39,958

6,473

814,154

6,600

18,464

706

5,015

4,155

712

4,308

1,364

3,576

217

34

11,168

912

107,231

II' ,' 'II

- I]

DATA FAMILY 14 - AIRWAYS SURFACE - (1,430

AREA I# STNS

North American and U.S. 2372stations abroad

Europe 18

Middle East 19

Korea, Formosa, Japan 29

Asia 28

New Zealand & Philippines 36

DATA FAMILY 34 (Basicallysummary-of-day for the aboveTDF-14) (65 Reels)

1699

Reels 9

POR

31-74

44-70

50-59

47-69

54-64

49-69

31-74

track, 800 BPI)

# YR-MOS

226,278

1,607

1,163

2,40O

3,254

5,397

206,270

# OBS

989,741

523,149

1 ,606,068

1,732,809

1,524,797

U,-

-

DATA FAMILY 52 - FOREIGN WINDS ALOFT (216

AREA ,STNS

Russia, China & Korea 245

So E. Asia 273

Europe & Br. Isles 73

Scandinavia 3

Africa 222

Middle East 157

Indonesia 10

Cen. & South America 90

Atlantic Ocean Islands 31

Indian Ocean Islands 5

Philippines, Australia, Formosa,Japan, New Zealand 107

Southern Hemisphere 69

TOTALS 1285

Reels 9 track, 800

FOR

30-43, 56-59

50-67

48-71

49-57

33-36, 49-67

44-63

57-58

35-67

46-71

53-63

22-63

39-56

30-71

YR-MOS

8,537

21,205

6,413

240

15,536

12,490

160

5,797

1,740

311

11,127

4,041

87,597

3OBS,

351,083

1,042,138

296,322

8,975

625,418

812,096

4,475

136,474

50,677

7,106

427,244

90,827

3,852,835

DATA FAMILY 53 - DOMESTIC W/A (312 Reels 9 track, 800 BPI)

North America and U.S. 1662 20-67 85,331stations abroad

LlNo

]

PPI)

-

_

DATA FAMILY 54 - FOREIGN RAOB, MANDATORY LVELS ONLY

AREA ,# STNS

Russia & China & Hong Kong 348

So E. Asia 57

Europe & Br. Isles 33

Scandinavia 16

Africa 27

Middle East 11

India 22

Cen. & S. America 11

S. Atlantic Islands 3

S. Pacific Islands 5

Formosa, Australia, JapanNew Zealand & Antarctic

Northern Hemisphere

88

60

(251

FOR

46-63

54-65

48-64

49-63

49-66

51-67

44-51

45-59

48-62

57-62

43-65

45-67

Reels 9 track, 800 BPI)

# YR-MOS

33,725

2,822

3,010

1,561

1,874

832

939

250

270

168

6,122

4,839

# OBS

1,598,676

96,564

172,022

57,970

64,018

32,509

24,144

7,381

7,816

4,329

240,740

131,378

43-67 56,412 2,437,547

DATA FAMILY 54 - DOMESTIC RAOBS (213 Reels 9 track, 800 BPI)

556North America and U.S.stations abroad

46-73 45,314 est.2,718,000

TOTALS

-3l

UnLO

681

iiII

DATA FAMILY 56 - RAOBS (Mand & Sig Levels) (323 Reels 9 track, P00 BPI)

AREA

North America & U.S. Stns abroad

Northern Hemisphere

Russia & China

Africa

Europe

Japan & New Zealand

Central & South America

Asia

655 46-72 44,566

1STN

153

51

319

10

35

10

14

63

POR

49-69

56-72

46-67

49-67

48-71

50-69

47-70

51-68

# YR-YOS

9,642

2,244

24, 135

693

3,390

4P0

651

3,331

# OBS

548,065

82,786

1,194,787

22,972

152,591

17,057

15,996

124,929

I-U

--__ ___ ___ _ _ _ __ ___ _______ ____ _

__._ � I __ I __

TOTALS 2,203,749

ARPA SURFACE DATA, POR JAN 65 - DEC 74. DATSAV AS Format.

Africa

Asia

South America & Antarctica

North & Central America

Pacific

Europe

# Stations

680

2850

550

1375410

28858350

# Observations (106)

6.5

557.5

59.55

66.5200

# Reels (9-Tk. 800 BPI)

55460

60

500

40

5501665

ARPA UPPER AIR DATA, POR Beginning JAN 68. DATSAV AU Format.

322 Tapes through DEC 74 (9-Tk, 800 BPI). 120,000 obs received per month (includes Raobs & Pibals)

Sample Daily Receipt Rate (SEP 74): 00Z 06Z 12Z 18ZPibals

Raobs857820

690125

943801

578224

Region

Ships

Africa

Asia

South America &

North & Central America

Pacific

Europe

Antarctica

Total Stns 1968-74(Raob + Pibal)

18

415

1027

166

405

247

504

32

2814

Active Stns SEP 74(Raob + Pibal)

6

280

586

87

260

181

240

19

1679

Active RaobSEP 74

6

54

350

38

163

73

164

15

863

UILnLn

157

APPENDIX 2

A listing of data sets at the National Climatic Center. This covers many ofthe same data sets shown in Appendix 1. It is a partially updated listing based onone prepared by NCC for submission to the WMO: "Country: United States of America,Catalogue of Meteorological Data for Research, Recorded on Media for Data ProcessingMachines." Dated February 1969. Also published in: Catalogue of MeteorologicalData for Research, WMO-No. 174, T.P. 86, dated 1972. The listings were prepared inabout 1968 in the various countries. At least the lists for the USA could be madeneither entirely up to date nor inclusive of our total data holdings, but they stillwere very useful. Most of the card decks below are now in other tape sets. Thelisting for the surface synoptic data is a January 1975 update showing the tapesets. Some sets listed in the original have been deleted because the data werepurged. In the table below, volumes are in thousands of punched cards.

PERIODOF

NAME OF DECK RECORDESTIMATEDSTATIONS

RUSSIAN TELETYPE SYNOPTIC OBSRUSSIAN TELETYPE SYNOPTIC OBSS.E. ASIAN SYNOPTIC OBSVIETNAM AND LAOS SURFACE OBSMARINE SURFACE OBSSOUTH AFRICAN SURFACE OBSMIDDLE EAST SYNOPTIC OBSCENTRAL EUROPEAN SYNOPTIC OBSINDONESIAN SYNOPTIC OBSBRITISH SYNOPTIC OBSLUXEMBOURG SURFACE OBSPORTUGUESE SURFACE OBSNETHERLANDS SYNOPTIC OBSBELGIUM SYNOPTIC OBSTHAILAND SYNOPTIC OBSARGENTINE SYNOPTIC OBSCHILEAN SYNOPTIC OBSLAURIE ISLAND SYNOPTIC OBSINDIAN SURFACE OBSMALAYA SURFACE OBSBRAZILIAN SYNOPTIC OBSMOSCOW DAILY BULLETIN SYNOPTIC OBSDEUTSCHE SEEWARTE WETTERBERICHTPACIFIC ISLAND SYNOPTIC OBSINDIAN OCEAN SYNOPTIC OBSINDIAN SURFACE OBS COMBINED PORFINLAND SYNOPTIC OBSPAKISTAN AERO OBSTHAILAND SURFACE OBSINDONESIA SURFACE OBSFRENCH BULLETIN OBSKOREAN SURFACE OBSJORDAN SURFACE OBSPHILIPPINE SURFACE OBSITALIAN SURFACE OBSNORWEGIAN SYNOPTIC OBS

1946-195'81959--1949-19711951-19661949-19631955-19591949-19621949-19691953-19621929-19391949-19591948-19531949-19591949-19561943-19521939-19451935-19451905-19101944-19481947-19531931-19441932-19371929-19391949-19581951-19681944-19631901-19261952-19601954-19641955-19641950-19591949-19661953-19601946-19651951-19561949-1955

CARDDECK

CARDVOLUME1000,S

152 366

130013011311131213131314131913201321132413251326132713281329133013311332133413351336133713381339134013411342134313441345134613471348134913501351

583

233215

56412

192672132

4544

99

108120

312

105638436

160479

20

1519

180

348144

158

PERIODOF


FRENCH SYNOPTIC OBSGERMAN SYNOPTIC AND HOURLY OBSAUSTRALIAN HOURLY OBSFORMOSAN SURFACE OBSHONG KONG SURFACE OBSPAN AMERICAN-GRACE AIRWAYS SFC OBSBRITISH OVERSEAS SYNOPTIC DATASPANISH SURFACE OBSICELAND SURFACE OBSPRESTWICK AND ENGLAND SURFACE OBSIRANIAN SYNOPTIC AND SUMMARY/DAYNORD-GREENLAND SYNOPTIC OBSPAN AMERICAN AIRWAYS SURFACE OBSISRAEL SYNOPTIC OBSPACIFIC ISLANDS AND POINT ARGUELLONORTH FRONT GIBRALTAR SURFACE OBSCANADIAN SYNOPTIC OBSEAST AFRICAN SURFACE OBSGERMAN SYNOPTIC AND HOURLY OBSHONG KONG AERO OBSMEXICAN SYNOPTIC OBSNORWEGIAN SURFACE OBSCONGOLESE SURFACE OBSGREEK SYNOPTIC OBSWEST INDIES SURFACE OBSMACAO SURFACE OBSALBANIAN SURFACE OBSEUROPEAN ARCTIC SYNOPTIC OBSCOMB. INTERCEPT SYNOP/ASSOC, OBSSOUTH AMERICAN SYNOPTIC OBSCENTRAL AMERICAN SYNOPTIC OBSNEW ZEALAND SYNOPTIC OBSAFRICAN SYNOPTIC OBSSWEDISH SURFACE OBSCANADIAN SYNOPTIC/SUMMARY OF DAYDANISH SURFACE OBSMOROCCAN SYNOPTIC OBSBRITISH SURFACE OBSJAPANESE SURFACE OBSWEST INDIES HOURLY SURFACE OBSSELECT STATIONS FROM TDF14 HOURLYOCEAN STATION SYNOPTIC OBSKOPENHAGENER SCHLUESSEL SYNOPTICNETHERLANDS HOURLY SFC OBSARGENTINA SYNOPTIC OBS

1945-19561949-19571945-19581947-19601946-19561930-19541949-19531950-19621949-19581944-19601948-19551949-19551937-19621951-19601949-19671958-19621955-19631957- 196 11955-19581948-19561949-19601957-19601957-19611935-19591943-19641952-19611956-19621952-19611946-19601949-19711949-19681949-19691947-19681955-19591934-19531961-19711941-19511942-19461953-19641958-19641942-19661945-19671926-19451955-19661958-1967

CARDDECK

CARDVOLUME1000,S

23770

60804

1335

40131726

2

144180240228135

135213531354135513561357135813591360136113621363136413651366136713681369137013711372137313741375137613771378137913801381138213831384138513861387138813891390139113921393139413951396

13

300

204

1069

103

22

168144350

2712

180108

17 108

3752031

90038471120

73260

3562674132444297180

874 5388

159

PERIODOF


DANI.SH-GREENLAND SYNOP T I CPRESTWICK HOURLYCANARY ISLAND SYNOPTICJAPANESE SURFACEPOLI.SH SYNOPTICSWEDISH YEARBOOKS SYNOPTICWE.ST .INDIES SURFACE SYNOPTICUSN MARINE SYNOPTIC OBSCANTON SYNOPTICUSWB 6-HOURLY PRECIPITATIONCHRISTMAS ISLAND SYNOPTICTURKISH SYNOPTICWBAN 6-HOURLY SURFACE OBSWBAN 6-HOURLY SURFACE OBSFORMOSAN SUMMARY OF DAYUSWB FORM 1001

1949-19601946-19601947-19491949-19521930-19441919-19371950-19641920-19451935-19381926-19431921-19311929-19381945-19481949-19561949-19601937-1943

SYN SFC OCEAN STN VESSELS128 U S INTERNATIONAL MARINE OSV,S 1962- 12 197

,YN SFC MARINF .FI SP S SHIPS110 U S WBAN 11 MARINE HOURLY SFC 1945-1951 750116 .l -$ MARINF 1949-1963 7152117 U S WBAN 11 MARINE HOURLY 1952-1964 3053118 JIAP SHIP OBS # ] _ 1933-1953 1692119 JAP SHIP 08S # 2 1953-1961 924128 U S INTERNATIONAL MARINE 1963- , 1700

BRITISH MARINE INTERNAT-IONALJAP WHALING Fi EEE OBSNORWEGIAN WHALING FLEET 08SNETHERLANDS MARINE EXTENSIONDEUTSCHE SEEWARTE MARINENETHERLANDS MARINE OBSBRITISH- MARINEDEUTSCHE SEEWARTE MARINEDANISH MARINE ARCTIC + ANTARCCOMMON MARINE FORMAT

4/53-6/561946-19561932-19391939-1955

1859-19391854-19381856-19531949-19541860-1956ALL MARINE

DECKS

6252424

262700064563939

19028

CARDDECK

CARDVOL UME1000,S

0171541642032192232.A5281291292293295342344376482

1143

1501721

5

107192

121356

72228116206

1248

724

12249372

5460

1461616

5001150

1412

18418 7188_189

192193194196197

---

r-

--

-----

,- .._,.!.i1

- I--~-�-I- ---- --

160

PERIOD _CARL OF ESTIMATED VOLUMEDECK# T I I L E RECORD STATION 1000,S

SYN U/A CON PRES Rw STAND LEV541 WBAN RAOBS CONSTANT LEVEL DATA542 WBAN RAOBS CONSTANT PRESSURE544 WBAN RAOBS CONSTANT PRESSURE545 WBAN RAOBS CUONTANT PRESSURE548 INDIAN CONSTANT PRESSURE DATA551 BRITISH RADIOSONDE607 EAST GERMAN RAO6S645 WBAN RAOBS-CONSTANT PRESS LEVELS650 FORMOSAN RAQBS655 NICOSIA RAOBS662 AUSTRALIAN RAOBS664 SwEDISH RAOBS668 PORTUGUESE RAOBS

1941-19451946-19491949-19551956-19601944-19511939-1948195U-19611961-1952-19601951-19631943-19661949-19571948-1961

SYN U/A CON HT WINDS P W509 SOUTHERN HEMISPHERE UPPER/WINDS 1939-1957513 MADAGASCAR PIBALS 1933-1936514 RUMANIAN PIBALS 1928-1930515 SPANISH WIND ALOFT 1952-1962516 MALAY PI6ALS 1936-19415i7 JAPANEoE PIBALS 1924-1933522 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE UPPER AIR 6/63-523 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE W/ALOFT-B 1949-1964531 WBAN WINDS ALOFT 1945-1955532 WBAN WINDS ALOFT 1949-1955535 WBAN WINDS ALOFT 1956-1964550 PORTUGUESE WINDS ALOFT 1948-1961

_5_A4 NDIAN DAILY WEA REPORT PIBALS 1.4.-1QosQPOLISH PIBALSSAKHALIN PIBALS

KOREAN PIBALS-ALL LEVELSSIAM PIBALSPAN AMERICAN PIBALS_INDO CHINESE PIBALSITALIAN PIBALi$RUSSIAN PIBALSKOREAN PlIBAL SZIKAWEI PIBALS/SHANGHAIEAST GERMAN WINDS..INDIAN OCEAN PIBALS

1926-19391928-1945

193U-1 /431936-19391935-19411938-19431927-19391915-19371930-19421931-19371950-1 9611953-1956

80 974 123 3

33 487 24

11 11750 248750 1332

1200 3120330 2412

1150 52366 36

81 27634 21

5 914 88

4 710 1516,F 1

104_ 0s

131') lln

25, m- _

Zj 1356P!

8p 0%

5 6

120390430425

2217

44uO

53

6033

252131154485706

1085U1

637000

8448

2815724

558572

5815845865875895905i93

595604652

- --_ _

----I

.

_--

�,,IIi

�-.

-- '' --I -- __l

-

.... I

-

L

-

.- i..

--II , _ _,. .

- ---~Di- Z.:)I--

5 63--

161

--PERIODCARD OF ESTIMATED VOLUMEnFC_ T T L E RECORD STAT IONS 1000,S_

653 SELECTED FOREIGN WINDS ALOF1 1949-1962 20 41659 GREEK PibALS 1949-1959 9 36665 AUSTRALIAN wINDS ALOFT 1943-1956 100 590666 BELGIAN WINDS ALOFT 1949-1956 10 18

_673_ YUGOSLOVIA P BALS 1955-1959 11 60677 AFRICAN WINDS ALOFT 1953-1963 46 144685 CANADIAN WINDS ALOFT 1955-1967 75 916

SYN U/A CON PRES MAND LEV_526 SPAN!SH RAOBS 8f.../52-1961__ 5 24

SYN U/A CON PRES MAND, SIG LV524 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE RA)IOSONDE-C 1949-1959 750 3420525 NORTHERN HEMISPHERE RADIOSONDE-C 1960- 546 2839

_648 RAOBSMANDAT'ORY-SIG LEV SCHERHAG 1954-1962 34 -1-500

SYN U/A SIG LEV505 RAO SIGNIFICANT LEVEL_ 1948- 260 15000510 WORLD-wIDE RADIOSONDE 1943- 101 4518606 RAOB ALL SIG LEVELS 9.1945-1963 _75 5172

AERO OBS MET STA038 NORWEGIAN HOURLY SFC 1957-1960 8 280048 NORWEGIAN HOURLY SURFACE 1951-1956 7 216132. CANA-DAN HOURLY SFC ,,1946-1951_ .... 6 ... 168134 CANADIAN HOURLY SURFACE 1951-1953 7 132135 CANADIAN HOURLY SURFACE 1950-1967 36 2456141 USAF HOURLY SFC 1937-1945 1080 17976A142 WlBAN HOURI Y SFC-_ 1945-1948 500 860144 WBAN HOURLY SFC OB 1948- 1800 940001_53 . CANADI AN AIRAYS SFC I, · 1942-1949 1_S156 BRITISH HOURLY OBS 1941-1948 12 300157 TURKISH H OU RLY i 1950-1959 19 540158 GERMAN HOURLY OBS GZMO 1955-1961 3 204158 GERMAN. HOU.RLY OBS GZMO 1962- 3 52159 KOREAN HOURLY 06S ROK 1954-1964 18 117615_9 KOREAN HOURLY OBS ROK_ _ __965-__ I18 _151176 FORMOSAN SURFACE 1949-1965 17 412

OBSERVATlnNS FROM AIRCRAFT567 AWS RECON FLIGHTS 1947-19575 _ WFATHE R RFCON Ft IGHTS_ 152-1955 432570 PTARMIGAN RECON ARCTIC 1947-1952

162

PERIODCARD OF ESTIMATED VOLUME__DEC__K T I f .L E _ RECORD STATIONS 1OOS

cL1s IM TNS__SUM_ OF DAY166 IRANIAN oYNO-PTlC/SUM OF DAY 1948-1955 16 252_202 .JAPANESE SFC SUM OF DAY 1939-1945 41 300334 CANADIAN SUMMARY OF DAY 1942-1958 4 10335 CANADIAN ARCI C $TNo. SUM OF DAY 1955-1967 4 36357 TURKISH oUMMARY OF DAY 1950-1955 19 36358 GERMAN ZMO SUMMARY OF DAY 1951- 3 17359 KOREAN SUMMARY OF DAY ROK 1954- 18 61394 NEI 24-HR PRECIPITATION AMOUNT 1901-1916 27 121401 JAPANESE SUMMA-RY OF DAY 1896-1936 43 156403 JAPANESE SUMMARY OF DAY 1949-1952 150 160410 DENMARK-GREENLAND SUMMARY 1906-1937 19 72461 PHILIPPINE SUM OF DAY 1929-1938 10 37462 PHILIPPINE SUM OF DAY 2 1907-1916 16 37481 USWB MAX MIN TEMPERATURE 1898-1943 13 144

S CLIM STNo SUM OF DAY US WBAN341 USAF FORM 94] SUM OF DAY 1937-1945 900 766343 WBAN SUMMARY OF DAY 1945-1948 300 331345 WBAN SUMMARY OF DAY 1949- 2100 5500

CLIM STNS SUM OF DAY AND MONTH318 GERMAN SUM OF DAY AND MONIH 1879-1960 73 830

SOLAR RADIATION OR SUNSHINE280 USwB HOURLY oOLAR RADIATION 1951- 50 1908470 HOURLY SOLAR RADIATION AND ILLUM 1928-1952 44 372480 USWB SOLAR RADIATION SUM OF DAY 1951- 145 444

PRECIPITATION HOURLY488 HOURLY PRECIPITATION 1947- 2800 11964

4.86 USWB FORM 1009 1948-6/66 12000 84000486 USWd FORM 1009 7/66 12000

SOIL TEMPERATURE047 GERMAN SOIL TEMPERATURE 1951-1961 39 144

TIROS INFRARED 2 THRU 7

METEORLOGICAL TOWER DATA700 CEDAR HILL MICRO-MET 1960-1962 1 250701 ATMOSPHERIC ELECTRICITY 1957-1963 7 116705 AF MICROMET 10VER DATA 1963-1967 1 40

163

PERIODOFCARD EST IMATLD

_- _ ._-r _ . . r-VOL UMI _s - I

DLCK/F T I L E RECORD STA11ONN 1000.5

FREEZE DATA948 FREEZE DATA 1931- 5800 19

999 NORTH AMER OZONE 1963-1967 8

450 SOLAR bEOPHYoICAL DATA 1965- 5 20

DERIVED DATA

HISTORICAL SFC AND UPPER AIRSPACE ARRAYS OF DATA

621 COORDINATE PREoS DATA sURFACE 1899-1939 1066631 NORTH HEM EXT FORECAST-DETAIL 1948-1963 3108

633 PROJECI 433-L bRID DATA 1955-1960 948

AREA MEAN OR NORMALS475 DIVISION'L TEMP + PRECIP NORMALS 1931-1966 150 27

MONTHLY MEAN 700MB AND SFC EXFD 1947-1965

CHRONOLOGICAL ARRAY OF DATA

SFC STA CLIM ARRAYS OF NORMAL465 DAILY TEMPERATURES NURMALz 1931-1960 150 318490 30 YEAR NORMALS 1931-1960 3656 20

985 EXCESSIVE PRECIP. AMOUNTS 1962 2800

_ QSFC STA CLIM MONTHLY MEAN _

720 A-CDNS MONTHLY SURFACE METRIC 1961- 400 43720 CDNS MONTHLY SURFACE ENGLISH 1961- 400 43932 USWB MONTHLY 1009 MEANS 1891-1966 12000 3500

U/A CLIM MONTHLY MEAN R, RW722 WORLD CLIMAT DATA-RAOB 1951- 400 84_933 USWd RADIOSONDE SUMMARY 1946- 350 924

-_. T.IME AND SPA.CE .RA ..-.--.. ... " -- ------------623 NORTHERN HEM PRESS CNTR I RACK627 _NQR THERN HEM STORM INTENSITY988 N ATLANTIC TROPICAL CYCLONES

l 89v-1931924-19381886-

3612

_ _ _ _ _ . - - - I _ - , II I r-

165

APPENDIX

from EDS Mar. 74

Two New WDC-A CatalogsPublished

(1) A catalog lising observationaldata received by World Data CenterA (WDC-A) for Gravity, Tsunami,Seismology, Longitude and Latitude,and Meteorology during the periodJuly 1, 1957, through December 31,1972 has been published and distrib-uted to the scientific community.World Data Center A, for which theU.S. National Academy of Sciencesthrough the Geophysics ResearchBoard and its Committee on Data In-terchange and Data Centers has over-all responsibility, consists of theWDC-A Coordination Office and eightsubcenters at scientific institutions invarious parts of the United States.The new WDC-A Catalogue of Datais issued by the World Data Center ACoordination Office, National Acad-emy of Sciences, 2101 ConstitutionAvenue, N.W., Washington, D.C.20418.

(2) Report UAG-30, Catalogue ofData on Solar-Terrestrial Physics is anew publication prepared by the EDS-administered Word Data Center Afor Solar-Terrestrial Physics in Boul-der, Colo. The catalog, which super-sedes Report UAG-20 dated Septem-ber 1972, presents WDC-A subcenterdata holdings in Solar-TerrestrialPhysics and in Rockets and Satellites.The catalog is arranged by the classifi-cation scheme of the "Guide for In-ternational Exchange of Data in Solar-Terrestrial Physics." issued as STPNotes No. 6 under the auspices of theSpecial Committee on Solar-TerrestrialPhysics (SCOSTEP). A detailed tableof contents heads each section, ac-companied by additional explanatorytext or maps indicating the locationof current reporting stations. Left-hand pages present samples of thedata and special information on dataholdings; right-hand pages give hold-ings at each geographic location. Fur-ther information on data formats isgiven when appropriate.

Requests for the publication shouldbe addressed to the National ClimaticCenter, Federal Building, Asheville,N.C. 28801. Attn: Publications. Saleprice: $1.75.

NEWS CLIPPINGS ABOUT DATA

from EDS Sept. 74

Solar Radiation DataA Solar Radiation Data RehabilitationWorking Group meeting, funded bythe National Science Foundation, washeld in June at the EnvironmentalData Service's National Climatic Cen-ter in Asheville, N.C., to considerdata needs for solar energy researchand technology. A solar radiationdata base and related information isalready available at NCC. However,the workshop determined that exten-sive rehabilitation will be needed tomake the past data more useful to thenation. Some recommendations set bythe Working Group are:1. That the Environmental Data Ser-vice publish an inventory of solarradiation data available at the Na-tional Climatic Center for all stationsincluding National Weather Service,cooperator, university, private indus-try, military, and foreign. The inven-tory should show the type of sensorin use and its period of record foreach station.

2. That funds be programed to cat-alog solar radiation data other thanthose archived at the NCC. Catalogingwill require a thorough search of solarradiation lilerature and requests fordata sharing.3. That the NCC evaluate and makeavailable simultaneous pyranometer-pyrheliometer data from Albuquerqueand Blue Hill for 1- to 10-minute in-tervals for the same one-year period.4. That the NCC rehabilitate the solarradiation data in the specific order de-lineated by the Working Group to cor-rect the data for digitization. calibra-tion and sensor deterioration errors.5. That rehabilitated solar radiationdata be published in the catalog in metricunits and maintained in tape form andall tapes retained (including thosepresently on hand containing the un-corrected data set).6. That solar radiation data be reha-bilitated from 1954 until the new radi-ation network is established.7. That a pilot study for Albuquerquebe initiated to test the feasibility andcost of rehabilitating the total radia-ion data set.

8. That a committee of experts be ap-pointed to oversee the rehabilitationeffort.

from EDS Apr. 73

Marine Climatic DataSummary For 1964 AvailableThe National Climatic Center haspublished Vol. 4. 1964, the first issueof annual "Marine ClimatologicalSummaries" for the U.S. area of re-sponsibilitv under a cooperativeWorld Meteorological Organization(WMO) program. The WMO-assigned zone of responsibility for theUnited States, one of nine responsiblemember nations, extends from longi-tude 50'W to longitude 170'W andfrom latitude 50°S to the North Pole.

The 455-page volume containsmonthly summaries for 57 representa-tive marine areas and three OceanWeather Stations. The elements sum-marized are: dry-bulb temperature,dew-point temperature. sea tempera-ture, air-sea temperature difference,visibility, weather, wind direction andspeed, pressure, cloud, and waves.

Three hundred copies of the publi-cation have been sent to WMO fordistribution to members, and officialdistribution will also be made toabout 100 domestic and foreign orga-nizations active in marine climatolo-gy. Copies may be purchased by writ-ing National Climatic Center,NOAA, Federal Bldg., Ashevillc.N.C. 28801. ]-he price is $5.00 fordomestic and $6.25 for foreign or-ders.

3

166

from EDS Mar. 74

15

-0

-15

Global network of solar-terrestrial physics observatories. Over 900 observatoriescollect various types of data including geomagnetic phenomena, solar andinterplanetary phenonmena, ionospheric phenomena, flare-associated events,aurora, cosmic rays, and airglow.

from EDS Apr. 73

Navy Guide to StandardWeather Summaries UpdatedThe Naval Weather Service Environ-mental Detachment (NWSED), co!-located with EDS National ClimaticCenter in the Federal Bldg., Ashe-ville, N.C., has published an updatedversion of its 'Guide to StandardWeather Summaries and ClimaticServices," NAVAIR 50..1C-534.

Part I of the publication provides adescription of published and unpub-lished climatological summaries avail-able from the Asheville climatic com-plex. which also houses OperatingLocation A of the Air Force's Environ-mental Technical Applications Center.Part II is a catalog of summaries thatare available on a worldwide basis incontinent-country-station order.

Copies of the publication are avail-able to the general public through theNational Technical Information Ser-vice, Springfield, Va. 22151.

90 from Computerworld 16 Oct. 74

0 cijid7 PPrvvides D

45 ff eater esoIJrcesM. 30

OTTAWA, Ont. -- The Inland WatersDirectorate of -Environment Canada ism.t..king it easier for the general public toget water resources information from itscomputer data bank thro.ugh a 120-pageguide which provides information aboutrane different data collection, storage andretrieval systems.

Data is available, for instance, on ahydrologic square grid system which canbe used to find out what geographic,meteorologic and hydrologic informationis available for a certain area.

Streamnflow and water levels for thishydrometric system are obtained frommore than 2,400 water gauging stations.Such material is essential to forecastlevels and flows as specific points onrivers and lakes.

Other data systems include the Ground-water Observation Well Network (Gown)containing information on.well construc-tion, instrumentation, groundwater re-serves and geologic data on groundwateraquifiers.

All available information on Canadianglaciers is stored in the Glaciology Systemin which more than 23,000 glaciers andicefields are measured and mapped.

Ship surveys have provided the bulk ofthe data on the Great Lakes in the Star/Eros system. Most of the data is on watcrquality, amounts and types of pollutantsdetected in the lakes since 1966.

The total 'Canadian water quality pic-ture is based on findings of federal sam-pling stations; this data is stored ir- theNational Water Quality Data Bank.

Other data banks include Waterstat, asystem containing administrative, tech-nical and economic resource statistics,and Watdoc, which covers a wide range ofpublished and unpublished documents onall aspects of research, planning and man-agement of Canadian water resources.

Government officials said if users of thedata systems aren't quite sure where tostart looking, the guide contains an indexshowing all variables measured and whatsystems have information on them.

167

from EDS Nov. 74

Ocean Data Resources SurveyEDS has prepared a 135-page reporton "Ocean Data Resources" in re-sponse to a request from the NationalOcean Policy Study Committee of theU.S. Senate to the Interagency Com-mittee on Marine Science and Engi-neering. The report, which addressesitself primarily to Federal data man-agement activities, lists the locations,principal contacts, and capabilities ofGovernment facilities with ocean dataprograms. In addition, informationavailable on State and regional activi-ties, academic institutions, and in-dustry are included. In compiling theindustry information, EDS selected267 of some 600 marine-orientedcompanies on the basis of significantcapabilities in ocean data collection,processing, or analysis.

The study has been forwarded tothe Senate Committee. Avaiiability ofcopies of the report will be announcedin a later issue.

Marine Pollutants StudyData AvailableEDS has acquired environmental dataresulting from the Prediction ofOcean Pollutants Study conducted bythe Ocean Affairs Board of the Na-tional Research Council (NRC).

The study to assess the potentialeffects of man-generated substancesand activities on the marine environ-ment began in May 1973 with theidentification of six substance typesfor study by a steering committee.The substances were chosen becauseof their persistence, toxicity, andabundance in the marine environment.They include nuclear wa'stes, syntheticorganic chemicals, marine litter, me-tallic processing wastes from indus-trial operations, organic sludges, andmedical and agricultural pharmaceuti-cals.

Ocean Currents BibliographyEDS' National Oceanographic DataCenter (NODC) recently published amicrofiche Bibliography on Sutbsur-face Ocean Currents (1900-1972),which contains about 4,000 citations,most with abstracts. This bibliography,a comprehensive and timely revie\w ctopen literature concerning subsurfacecurrents of the world's oceans andseas, was compiled by the OceanicLibrary and information Center (OL-IC), La Jolla, California. under con-tract to NODC.

The Bibliography is available inmicrofiche form (15 microfiche pages)or in hard copy (1,390 pages) fromthe National Technical Informationservice, U.S. Department of Com-merce, 5285 Port Royal Rd., Spring-field, Va. 22151. Tel. (703) 321-8500.

Catalog of DigitalGeomagnetic Variation DataThe first in a series of detailed cata-logs. Report UAG-35, "Catalogue ofDigital Geomagnetic Variation Dataat World Data Center A for Solar-Terrestrial Physic'," has t, en pub-

lished. Other detailed catalogs areplanned for each of the solar-terres-trial discipline holdings of the center.

The catalog lists observatory names,mnemonic codes, geographic and geo-magnetic coordinates, and the monthsfor which hourly values and 2.5-min-ute values are available. A map showsthe 126 stations for which the centerholds digital hourly or 2.5-minuttdata values. Hourly values are lieldfor 124 stations, dating from 1902:2.5-minute values are held for 11stations, with the earliest data for1961.

Copies of the catalog are availablefor $.20 from the National Clinat'cCenter, Federal Bldg.. Ashevilie, N '..2'8801, Attn: Publications.

i [ I -- I ........... I I I II .... I I __

168

from EDS Nov. 74from EDS Nov. 74

Global Guide to TropicalStorms at SeaMariners Worldwide Climatic Guideto Tropical Storms at Sea, co-authoredby H. L. Crutcher and R. G. Quayle,has been prepared by the NationalClimatic Center for the NavalWeather Service Command. The 10-in.by 15-in. hardbound book contains114 pages of illustrated text (includ-ing sea-state photographs and morethan 60 special statistical storm trackcharts), as well as 312 charts showingmonthly and annual tropical cyclonestatistics by 5 -quadrangles for eachof six major ocean basins and fourstorm-stage categories.

The guide provides information onwhere and when tropical cyclones oc-cur, their frequency, direction ofmovement and speed, and generaltracks. It also includes discussions onship handling and tips on avoidingstorms, as well as information on spe-cific basins and tropical cyclones ingeneral.

While the guide is designed for themariner, its information will be valu-able to the industrial and scientificcommunities, since it brings tropicalcyclone statistics on all ocean basinstogether into one volume for the firsttime.

Copies of the publication are avail-able from: Superintendent of Docu-ments, U.S. Government Printing Of-fice, Washington. D.C. 20402, or theNational Climatic Center, FederalBuilding. Asheville, N.C. 28801. Theprice is $13.50.

Northern Hemisphere WeatherMaps Available on MicrofilmThe National Climatic Center has mi-crofilmed the monthly publication,Daily Synoptic Series, HistoricalWeather Maps, Northern HemisphereSea Level for the period from January1899 through November 1944. Theseries contains one chart per day, gen-erally for either 1230 or 1300 GMT.NCC also has microfilmed the relatedmonthly series, Daily Series, WeatherMaps, Northern Hemisphere Sea Leveland 500rmb Charts coN ering the pe-riod December 1944 through Decem-ber 1967. This series contains onedaily sea level chart (generally near1200 GMT) and one 500mb Chart(times vary from near 0400 GMT to1200 GMT). All these charts wereplaced on 48 reels of 35mm microfilm100 feet long. (Synoptic Data Tabula-tions included in some of these publi-cations were not placed on these reelsof microfilm.)

Microfilming the data drasticallyreduces their cost to customers. Paperstock issues for the entire period(1899-1967), if available, would cost$2,277 ($2.75 per issue). Since manyissues are out of print, the cost toretrieve them would be much higher.Duplicate copies of the entire 48 reelsof microfilm can be purchased for$528; individual reels cost $11. Theentire series described above, in itsoriginal paper form, occupied 34 cubicfeet of storage space. The 48 reels of35mm microfilm occupy under 1 cu-bic feet of space.

Further information may be ob-tained by writing to National ClimaticCenter, Federal Building, Asheville,N.C. 28801,

169

APPENDIX 4

Sources of Information and Data

National Climatic Center

National Oceanographic Data Center

National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center

Center for Experiment Design and Data Analysis

National Space Science Data Center ''

NCAR Libraries

National Technical Information Service

Environmental Science Information Center

ENDEX and OASIS :

a.

b

C,c .

d.

e.

f.

g-

h.

i .

VISITORS ARE WELCOME at the NationalClimatic Center. Many data users find avisit advantageous. NCC's meteorologists,data processing specialists, and recordsspecialists then work most effectively asa team in exploring the problem with theuser and in determining how NCC maybest serve his needs.

Advance notice is desirable, especiallyif the visitor wishes to confer with specificstaff members or types of specialists.Working space and assistance are pro-vided as needed. Call 704-258-2850ex-tension 683, or write to the address givenbelow. Residents of the Washington, D.C.,area may reach us directly and toll-freeby dialing (no area code required) 495-2424. Our Federal TelecommunicationsSystem number is (704) 254-0683. Lettersshould be addressed to:

The National Climatic CenterNational Oceanic and Atmospheric

AdministrationFederal BuildingAsheville, North Carolina 28801

CLIMATIC INFORMATIONAVAILABLE FROM NCC

* HOURLY SURFACE OBSERVATIONSFROM LAND STATIONS (ceiling, skycover, visibility, precipitation or otherweather phenomena occurring, ob-structions to vision, pressure, tempera-ture, dew point, wind direction, windspeed, gustiness).

* THREE-HOURLY AND SIX-HOURLYSURFACE OBSERVATIONS FROMLAND STATIONS, OCEAN WEATHERSTATIONS, AND MOVING SHIPS (vari-able data content).

* UPPER AIR OBSERVATIONS (radio-sondes, rawinsondes, rocketsondes,low-level soundings, pilot balloonwinds, aircraft reports).

* RADAR OBSERVATIONS (radar logsheets, radar scope photography).

* SATELLITE DATA (vidicon pictures ofearth and clouds, Earth ResourcesTechnology Satellite (ERTS) imageryand other radiation data, derivedproducts).

* SELECTED MAPS AND CHARTS (Na-tional Meteorological Center products).

* DERIVED AND SUMMARY DATA (gridpoints, computer tabulations, digitalsummary data).

* SPECIAL COLLECTIONS (BarbadosOceanographic-Meteorological Experi-ment meteorological data, Global At-mospheric Research Program basic dataset, solar radiation data, many others).

NCC SERVICES

*Data and map reproduction, in-cluding hard-copy manuscripts,microforms, digital media, andother forms.*Analysis and preparation of sta-tistical summaries based on ar-chive holdings.*Evaluation of various data re-cords for specific analyticalrequirements.*Library search for bibliographicreferences, abstracts, and docu-ments.-Referral to organizations holdingrequested information.*Provision of general atmosphericsciences information.-Supply of publications, includingreference manuals, catalogs ofholdings, data reports, andatlases.

REQUESTS FOR SERVICES

Requests should define data re-quired, stations or geographicallimits involved, desired carriermedium (magnetic tape, punchedcards, microforms, hard copy),and such other pertinent informa-tion as a description of the pro-blem for which the data are re-quired. NCC personnel and theuser consult on content and speci-fications, but nongovernment userswho require assistance in specify-ing their needs are referred to aprivate meteorological consultant.Work is performed on a reimbur-

sable basis. Unit costs for somesimple services have been esta-blished by the Department of

Commerce; otherwise, the requesteris provided a cost estimate beforework begins.

0

The information used may be of theday-to-day type, which describes and pre-dicts natural events; or it may be of amore historical type, which describes na-ture as it has been. Fulfilling the nationalneed for such historical documentation isthe work of NOAA, the National Oceanicand Atmospheric Administration of theU.S. Department of Commerce, and itsEnvironmental Data Service.

Where these histories are concernedwith the envelope of air surroundingplanet Earth, and with observations of the

processes we call weather, the data man-agement activities focus in the NationalClimatic Center (NCC), Asheville, NorthCarolina, the largest of the five major fa-cilities* in the Environmental Data Serv-* Others are the National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial

Data Center, Boulder, Colo.; the National Oceanographic

Data Center, the Environmental Science Information Center,

and the Center for Experiment Design and Data Analysis,

Washington, D.C.

ice, and the largest climatic center in theworld. For researchers in government, pri-vate institutions, and industry, for atmos-pheric scientists and engineers, and forthe general public, it is a unique centralsource of historical weather informationand related products; it also administersWorld Data Center A, Meteorology,which provides for international data ex-change.

As the collection center and custodianof all United States weather records, theNational Climatic Center obtains the datagenerated by NOAA's National WeatherService, the weather services of the AirForce, Navy, and the Federal Aviation Ad-ministration, the Coast Guard, and coop-

erative observers on land, at sea, and inthe air. Also included are the cloud pho-tography and other data obtained fromenvironmental satellites.

Records from the military services in-clude those from ships at sea, aircraft, andforeign bases. Archives include automated,miniaturized, and hard-copy forms.

After computer and human editing,data for which there is general user de-mand are summarized and published fordistribution to a wide variety of sub-scribers and for answering requests fordata. One million copies of monthly andannual climatological publications aremailed to 65,000 subscribers annually.

The National Climatic CenterNational Oceanic and Atmospheric

Administration

~, -.- w i :ullt i

; , :: --

ll; "Oo o, ". : ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ; :::

The NationalOceanographicData Center

Visitors are welcome at the NationalOceanographic Data Center; how-ever, it is desirable to have advancenotice if visitors wish to interviewstaff members. Special workingspace and technical assistance areprovided on request. Call (202) 426-9052, or write:

The National Oceanographic DataCenter

National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration

Rockville, Maryland 20852

Oceanographic DataAvailable From NODC

Mechanical and expendable bathy-thermograph data in analog anddigital form.

Oceanographic station data for sur-face and serial depths, giving valuesof temperature, salinity, oxygen, in-organic phosphate, total phos-phorus, nitrite-nitrogen, nitrate-nit-rogen, silicate-silicon, and pH.

Continuously recorded salinity-tem-perature-depth data in digital form.

Surface current information ob-tained by using drift bottles or cal-culated from ship set and drift.

Biological data, giving values ofplankton standing crop, chlorophyllconcentrations, and rates of primaryproductivity; also bibliographic ref-erences to papers on marine biol-ogy.

Geological sampling inventory, pri-marily for the New England Conti-nental Shelf.

Bottom sample information.

NODC Services

uata processing.

Data reproduction, including com-puter printouts, punched cards,magnetic tapes, and other forms.

Analysis and preparations of statis-tical summaries based on archiveholdings.

Evaluation of various data recordsfor specific requirements.

Referral to organizations holding re-quested information.

Provision of general marine sciencesinformation.

Supply of publications, includingdata processing manuals, catalogs ofholdings, data reports, and atlases.

Requests for Services

Requests should define data required,geographic limits involved, and suchother pertinent information as a descrip-tion of the problem for which the dataare required. They should also specifyformat-magnetic tape, punched cards,microfilm, or hard copy (computer print-outs, publications, analog charts).

Cost varies with amount of ma-terial, special analysis, computer time,and other factors. Requests for smallamounts of information are completedfree of charge; otherwise, a cost estimateis presented to the requester beforework begins, and the request is handledupon receipt of funds.

The User's Guide for NODC's DataProcessing Systems, available fromNODC on request, provides detailed in-formation concerning data holdings.

|

N SDC PRODUCTS AND SERVICESNGSDCThe National

Geophysical &Solar-Terrestrial

Data Center

Mailing addresses and telephones are:

Environmental Data Service,D6 NOAA -Boulder, Colo. 80302, U.S.A.

Environmental Data Service,(MGG)DF62 NOAAWashington, D.C. 20235, U.S.A. NOAA/PA 72014

1974 (Rev.)

Telephones: Boulder: dial 303-499-1000 and ask for exten-sion listed; for FTS dial 303-499 and dial extension listed;Director NGSDC-6215; Solid Earth Data Services-6521,WDC-A for Solid Earth Sciences-6474; Solar TerrestrialData Services-6323, WDC-A for Solar Terrestrial Physics-6467. Washington: Marine Geology and ophysics-202-343-7368, commercial and FTS.

Copies of primary data and of data products areavailable to users on an exchange basis or at thecost of copying. Contributors of data to NGSDCand its associated World Data Centers are entitled

SEISMOLOGY

Seismograms, 70-mm and 35-mm film, originalsize on paper.Accelerograms, original size reproductions and35-mm and 70-mm film.Digitized strong-motion accelerograms, on punch-ed cards and magnetic tapes.Earthquake data list (events since January 1900),sorted chronologically and geographically, onmagnetic tape, punched cards, and 16-mmmicrofilm.Earthquake data service, punched-card updatesof data list on a monthly basis.Reid Earthquake Catalog, 16-mm microfilm.

PUBLICATIONS: United States Earthquakes (an annualsummary of earthquakes in the U.S. and nearby ter-ritories, and associated phenomena; series began in1928).:: tPublication 41-1, Earthquake History of the UnitedStates.(Revised Edition through 1970). (GPO cataloguenumber C55.228:41-1).':: *:Special Publication 282, Earthquake Investigation inthe United States (GPO catalogue number C4.19:282). *Seismicity maps (issued at irregular intervals),Seismological Publications and Services (free on re-quest from NGSDC).

GEOMAGNETIC MAIN FIELDMagnetic survey data tables of selected observedvalues or long-term changes in magnetic declina-tion or other components, tape copies of file,information on magnetic anomalies.Secular-change data tables showing long-termchanges in declination and other components.

PUBLICATIONS: U.S. Magnetic Charts (isogonic charts ofU.S., show lines of equal magnetic declination andrates of annual change; published every 5 years, withmagnetic charts for magnetic dip, horizontal inten-sity, vertical intensity, and total intensity publishedevery 10 years).'-'U.S. Magnetic Tables (published every 10 years, showmagnetic values for each station occupied in the U.S.during the preceding 10-year period).::":

Beginning in 1974, these publications will be producedjointly with the USGS.

: Available from the National Climatic Center, FederalBuilding, Asheville, N.C. 28801. Attn: Publications.

'':Available from the Environmental Science informationCenter, NOAA Environmental Data Service, Washington,D.C. 20235.

*: :Available from the Superintendent of DocumentsU.S. Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C. 20402.

to an equivalent amount without charge. The costsof copying are listed in various NGSDC catalogs orwill be provided on request. For large orders,charges will be actual cost.

MARINE GEOLOGY AND GEOPHYSICS

Bathymetric measurements, microfilmed originalrecords, processed tapes, printouts, punchedcards, data plots, and profiles.Seismic reflection profiles, original records onmicrofilm.Gravimetric measurements, microfilmed originalrecords, processed tapes, printouts, punchedcards, data plots, and profiles.Geomagnetic total field measurements, micro-filmed original records, processed tapes, print-outs, punched cards, data plots, and profiles.Geological data, including data on heat flow,cores, samples, and sediments (lists and descrip-tions only).

PUBLICATIONS: Data Reports (issued at irregular inter-vals).

SOLAR-TERRESTRIAL PHYSICS

Ionosphere data, including ionograms, frequencyplots, riometer and field-strength strip charts,and tabulations, some on tape and punchedcards.Solar activity data, microfilm copies of originalrecords, tape, and punched cards; solar flarepatrol film, solar maps from computer outputsor drawings.Geomagnetic variation data, magnetograms asfull-size paper or on 35-mm microfilm, daily/hourly values and magnetic indices, 2.5 minutevalues for selected stations on magnetic tape.Auroral data, 16- or 35-mm all-sky camera filmin 100-foot rolls, radar observations on 16-rmmfilm.Cosmic ray data, microfilmed original records,tape, punched cards.Airglow data, original data tables (many micro-filmed), punched cards, computer printouts.

PUBLICATIONS: Ionospheric Data (monthly issue, pre-sents monthly median ionospheric characteristics forionospheric physics community and users of HF radiopropagation).::Solar-Geophysical Data (monthly issue, Part I, PromptReports, and Part II, Comprehensive Reports, de-scribes solar activity and associated ionospheric, ra-dio propagation, and other geophysical effects).':'UAG Reports (issued at irregular intervals by WorldData Center A for Solar-Terrestrial Physics, reports onsolar-terrestrial environment and interplanetaryspace). :Magnetic Activity Indices (various types of relativemeasures of magnetic activity, derived from magneto-grams, in particular the AE indices).

A UNITED STATESDEPARTMENT OFCOMMERCEPUBLICATION

The Center forExperiment Designand Data Analysis

nn C flA is organized around its two majorUA program areas-data management and

scientific research. Its data managementservices division has technical responsibility for datamanagement from delivery of original records byacquisition personnel in the field to the archiving offinal data and data products. The research divisionassists in recommending, monitoring, reviewing, ancttesting data acquisition systems and procedures to,ensure that these data will be of optimum qualitynot only for the scientific analyses carried out withinthe division, but for data users within the inter-national scientific community. Computer and graph-ics support are provided by two other groups inCEDDA.

For more information, write:DirectorCenter for ExperimentDesign and Data AnalysisNOAA EnvironmentalData ServicePage Bldg. 2Washington, D.C. 20235

O ATMp

1,

NOAA/PA 730161973

B MExv was conducted in the tropical Atlantic

lBOM X east of Barbados in May, June, andJuly 1969 as a national, multiagency

study of the behavior and interaction of the ocean-atmosphere system in subtropical and tropicalwaters. Ships, aircraft, buoys, satellites, and islandstations were used as observation platforms withina 500-kilometer by 500-kilometer square, with datataken from the ocean floor to the stratosphere. Con-ducted in cooperation with the Government olBarbados, BOMEX involved the U.S. Department'of Commerce, Defense, Transportation, and the In-terior, the National Aeronautics and Space Adminis-tration, the National Science Foundation, and numer-ous universities and other institutions.With the end of field operations, the BarbadosOceanographic and Meteorological Analysis Projectoffice (now CEDDA) was established to reduce, proc-ess, and validate BOMEX data. BOMEX data for whichCEDDA is responsible include: salinity-temperature-depth soundings to a depth of 1,000 meters; ship-board meteorological observations and rawinsondedata; low-level atmospheric soundings made withthe Boundary Layer Instrument Package (BLIP); air-craft dropsonde and other meteorological observa-tions; shipboard and land-based radar observations;high-level (50,000 and 60,000 feet) panoramic cloudphotographs; intermediate and low-level time-lapsecloud photographs; and satellite cloud imagery.

In addition to data management, CEDDA is alsocompleting analysis of the BOMEX "core experi-ment"-evaluating the energy budget of the at-mospheric volume overlying the BOMEX array andthe upper ocean beneath the array, and computingthe energy flux across the sea-air boundary.

GL is a joint United States-Canada programl of environmental research aimed atL achieving more effective management of

Great Lakes water resources and at solving the watermanagement problems posed by a growing popu-lation in the Great Lakes basin area. Lake Ontarioand the Ontario basin were the subject of the fieldoperations (April 1972 through March 1973) whichwere designed to provide data for these closelycoordinated international scientific programs: ter-restrial water balance, atmospheric water balance,evaporation synthesis, lake heat balance, lake chem-istry and biology, water movement (lake circulation),atmospheric boundary layer, and simulation. Partici-pants included scientists from eight federal and stateagencies, and representatives of a number of univer-sities and research institutions.

Gn Tf* scheduled for the summer of 1974, is theGlA I , first major observational experiment of* the Global Atmospheric Research Pro-

gram, sponsored jointly by the World MeteorologicalOrganization and the International Council of Scien-tific Unions. This multinational research project willspan the Atlantic Ocean and will be the most am-bitious project yet undertaken to study the equa-torial atmosphere and ocean-the main heat sourcesdriving the atmosphere's general circulation.CEDDA's main responsibility here, as in IFYGL, is toestablish data management procedures before fieldoperations begin, ensure that these procedures arefollowed during the field program, and later reducepart of the data collected by United States acquisi-tion systems into final archive form. CEDDA mayalso merge sets of data obtained by the many par-ticipating nations into international data sets de-signed for specialized scientific analyses.Also as in IFYGL, CEDDA is participating in thedevelopment and testing of special acquisition sys-tems, specifically the automatic data-acquisition sys-tem to be used aboard United States ships duringGATE, the Omega rawinsonde tracking system, andthe GATE version of the BLIP.As part of the overall environmental budget studiesprogram of GATE, CEDDA will undertake the analy-sis of the bulk atmospheric budgets of the "B-scale"area, a portion of the Atlantic Ocean off the NorthAfrican coast chosen for intensive, concentratedobservations. CEDDA is also assigned responsibilityfor radar analyses, and planetary boundary layerstudies.

The CEDDA scientists and systems analysts who willbe responsible for deriving specific data and scien-tific products from the GATE field program areplaying a key part in the planning of the experi-ment. By formulating specific data requirements andanalyzing the effects of various alternative designs,they are able to recommend many details of plat-form array configuration, observation scheduling,sensor calibrations, and intercomparison activities.

NATIONALSPACESCIENCEDATACENTER

SPHERE OF ACTIVITY

The National Space Science Data Center(NSSDC) was established by NASA to furtherthe widest practicable use of reduced dataobtained from space science investigations andto provide investigators with an activerepository for such data. As such, it isresponsible for the active collection, organiza-tion, storage, announcement, retrieval, dissem-ination, and exchange of data received fromsatellite experiments, sounding-rocket probes,and high-altitude aeronautical and balloon in-vestigations. In addition, the Data Centercollects correlative data, such as magnetogramsand ionograms, from ground-basedobservatoriesand stations for NASA investigators and for on-site use at NSSDC in the analysis andevaluation of space science experimental results.

Primarily, NSSDC acquires reduced datarecords which have been prepared from theoriginal data by the introduction of scaling andcorrection factors. These data normallypresent the corrected sensor response as afunction of time, position, and other appro-priate parameters. In addition, an attempt ismade to assure later investigators independentuse of the data by providing additional informa-tion such.as:

MAILING ADDRESS

National Space Science Data CenterGoddard Space Flight CenterCode 601Greenbelt, Maryland 20771

* Description of the instrument or meas-uring device and the results of allpertinent calibrations which contributeto the quantitative understanding ofthe instrument characteristics

* Discussion of any important or un-usual developments during the courseof the experiment which affected thedata

* Specific methods employed by theprincipal investigator in performing hisdata reduction and data analysis

* References to the scientific results ofthe analyzed data and all other perti-nent bibliographic materials

Upon approval of proposals to conductspace research, principal investigators are re-quested to contact the Data Center at theearliest opportunity to formulate plans for thesubmission of their reduced data to NSSDC.

Data Acquisition

NSSDC attempts to collect data recordsbefore any types of reduction have been per-formed which might result in the destruction ofthe fundamental information content. Theserecords are usually prepared by a compaction,editing, and merging operation performed bythe principal investigator. Included are theinstrument responses measured as functions oftime along with appropriate position, attitude,and equipment performance information neces-sary to analyze the data in an independentfashion.

In addition, the Data Center collectsthose final analyzed data which the principalinvestigator designates as the most useful and

"best. illustrating the scientific results of hisexperiment.

Consequently, the form of the data ac-cepted by the Data Center is determined in alarge part by what is available from theexperimenter. In general, reduced data are inmachine-sensible form (compatible with elec-itronic computer processing equipment), butthey can be in a nonmachine-sensible form

TELEPHONE

(301) 982-6695

(charts, graphs, photographs, and tables whichare the results of data processing and analysistechniques employed by the investigator). Mostanalyzed data will be in nonmachine-sensibleform. The preferred medium in each individualcase usually is determined by consultationbetween the principal investigator and theData Center staff.

NSSDC assigns a specialist in the appro-priate scientific discipline for each experimentto arrange for data acquisition with the princi-pal investigator and to help solve relatedproblems.

Data Announcements

The Data Catalog of Satellite Experimentslists the NSSDC collection of data gatheredthrough space-exploration experiments. In-cluded are parameters of the space vehicle,description of the experiment, the types ofmeasurements or measuring instruments, datareduction techniques, lists of data content, andappropriate indexes. The computer programsavailable for distribution by NSSDC are alsolisted.

The Handbook of Correlative Data de-scribes and lists the general availability ofground-based measurements,such as ionospheric,cosmic-ray, solar, and geomagnetic observations.Since the data referred to in this Handbook arenormally distributed by primary sources outsideof NASA, the NSSDC collection is availableonly to NASA personnel; however, it is availableto all investigators for onsite; analysis! andevaluation of space science experimental results.The Data Center will identify the sources ofcorrelative information on request.

The Data Users' Note, a document whichdescribes the data available at the Data Centerfrom a specific investigation, is produced byNSSDC. Prepared in close cooperation with theprincipal investigator, it provides a descriptionof the instrument, calibration data, discussionof the experiment, specific methods employedin reducing the data, format of available data,and references to the scientific results of theanalyzed data and all other pertinent biblio-igraphic material.

The Data Announcement Bulletin an-nounces the availability of newly acquired databetween editions of the Data Catalog of Satel-lite Experiments.

A space science document file with appro-priate keywords and descriptors is maintained.Special bibliographies are produced on request.

(-(_n

a_'

$ WELCOME TOI HE LIBRARIES

Our purpose is to supply the scientific, technical, and business informa-tion needed by NCAR personnel in their work. Our holdings includebooks, yournals, reports, data, atmospheric maps and charts, microfilmfiles, /indexes, and abstracts. The subject emphasis is on physics, meteo-rology, chemistry, mathematics, astrophysics, and related areas inengineering and instrumentation. The collection at the Mesa Librarycomprises approximately 40,000 items, The library at the NCAR HighAltitude Observatory (HAO),- located on the University of Coloradocampus, houses 13,500 items. About 700 periodicals come regularly to theMesa Library, and over 340 are received at the HAO Library. A smallcollection of general non-fiction books and several non-technical periodi-cals are available in the Damon Room lounge at the Mesa Laboratory.

NCAR personnel may use either library at any time. Non-NCAR personsmay use the librarie during normal working hours, 8:00 A.M. to 5:00P.M. Monday through Friday. The HAO Library is also open 7:00 P.M. to10:00 P.M1 Monday through Friday,

177

U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENational Technical Information Service5285 Port Royal RoadSpringfield, Virginia 22151

ABOUT NTIS...The National Technical Information Service* is a centralsource for the public sale of Government-sponsored re-search reports and other analyses prepared by Federalagencies, their contractors or grantees, and it is a centralsource for Federally generated machine processable datafiles and programs.NTIS fills 5,000 new and 6,000 standing orders daily as oneof the world's leading processors of specialty information,supplying the public with approximately three milliondocuments and microforms annually. The NTIS informationcollection exceeds 730,000 titles with more than 100,000documents in current stock. All are available for sale andthis catalog describes those most in demand.The agency is obligated by statute to recover its cost andhas become largely self sustaining. Less than 20% of itsfunding comes from its direct appropriation as an agencyof the U.S. Department of Commerce.Timely and continuous reporting to subscribers is ensuredby agreements between NTIS and hundreds of Federalresearch-sponsoring organizations. NTIS is the marketingcoordinator for various information analysis centers in theU.S., for their publications and technical inquiries andspecial analyses.The public may quickly locate abstracts of interest fromamong the 300,000 Federally sponsored research docu-ments published since 1964. Copies of the whole reportsare sold, in paper copy or microform.Current abstracts of NTIS documents and other records invarious categories of interest are published in weeklyjournals (Weekly Government Abstracts). These are curnu-lative and indexed. The magnetic tape from which thejournals are prepared is also available.A microfiche service, with a custom profile option, auto-matically provides subscribers with the full texts of reportsin categories of interest they select.The foregoing and many more products and services aredescribed in detail in the NTIS Information Services Book-let, free on request. Use the request card inside the backcover of this catalog to receive the Information ServicesBooklet and other free material.

*Formerly the Clearinghouse for Federal Scientific and TechnicalInformation.

INFORMATIONREQUESTCARDMail this postal cardto order additional catalogsand to find out aboutother NTIS productsand services.

Gentlemen: Pleasesend me the following free material.

O NTIS Special Interest Publications. NTIS-PR-73-01.[ NTIS Information Services Booklet. NTIS-PR-73-00.

[ NTIS Deposit Account Brochure and Application.n NTISearch Booklet. Describes how I can obtaincustom information searches of the NTIS data base ofmore than 360,000 publications like those described inthis catalog. NTIS-PR-73-03.] Guide to Available NTISearch Packages. Describes

how I can benefit from more than 100 already com-pleted searches on specific topics of current interest.NTIS-PR-73-02.Weekly Government Abstract Brochures. Describeweekly newsletters reporting on the latest technologicaladvances with complete abstracts of new Government-funded reports. Brochures describe WGA newslettersavailable by annual subscription and published underthe following titles. (Check those of interest to you.)

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Title, Organization

Address

City, State, Zip

tED STATES ESICIRTMENT OFMMERCEIUCATION

OwlS^s The EnvironmentalScience Information

CO/B or iCenter

THE SCIENTIFIC VIEW of the physicalworld exists in the form of observations,measurements, photographs, digital bits,analog records, biological samples-types ofinformation we call data. Ensuring that thisview has order, continuity, and utility is thetask of the U. S. Department of Commerce'sNational Oceanic and Atmospheric Adminis-tration (NOAA), and its Environmental DataService.

When the varied information takes the formof literature, it becomes the concern of EDS'ESIC, the Environmental Science InformationCenter, NOAA's scientific and technical pub-lisher, information banker, and librarian. ESICcomplements the Enironmental Data Servicefamily of data centers*, enhancing the servicestructure needed for a comprehensive, singlesource for environmental data and informa-tion within NOAA. ESIC has also developed acomputerized information service that makesvirtually the entire body of environmental

The National Climatic Center, Asheville, N.C.; theNational Oceanographic Data Center and the Center forExperiment Design and Data Analysis, Washington,D.C.; the National Geophysical and Solar-TerrestrialData Center, Boulder, Colo.; and the Center for Cli-matic and Environmental Assessment, Columbia, Mo.The EDS also operates corresponding World Data Cen-ters in conjunction with these facilities as well as aSatellite Data Services Branch in Camp Springs, Md.

literature relating to earth, atmosphere, andoceans available to users anywhere.

PublisherAS NOAA'S SCIENTIFIC AND TECHNICAL

PUBLISHER, ESIC guides the flow of manu-scripts from agency researcher scientists andtechnical service offices through channels ofreview, editorial processing, and printing,then monitors the dissemination of NOAA pub-lications to a wide audience. These publica-tions appear as reports, technical memoranda,data listings, handbooks, manuals, catalogs,atlases, and fact sheets, all announcedthrough NOAA Publications AnnouncementNOAA Library Accessions lists, and specialbibliographies. Professional societies; infor-mation services in other Federal agencies; andpublishers of commercial, scientific, and tech-nical journals are notified of NOAA issuances.New articles on scientific and technical find-ings by NOAA scientists are distributed tomore than 700 trade, technical, scientific,and engineering publications with a combinedcirculation of more than four million.

Information BankerTHE COMPUTERIZED INFORMATION SERV-

ICE developed by ESIC provides environmentalscientists and managers ready access to a

Address inquiries to: m!

ESIC, NOAAEnvironmental D

Data Service 2Washington, D.C.20235 ~%rENT o

large number of bibliographic data basesdealing with the atmospheric, oceanic, andearth sciences, and marine resources. CalledOASIS (for Oceanic and Atmospheric Scien-tific Information System), the service includes:

* Retrospective searches, in which specificsubject matter from an entire data baseor a given number of volumes of a database can be retrieved, providing referral topublished literature in alreas of interests tousers working on relatively short-termprojects.

* Selective dissemination of information, a"current awareness" feature in which cita-tions are retrieved from current scientificliterature as it is published, providing peri-odic dissemination of information to userswith relatively long-term requirements.

The services may be requested from anyNOAA library (see "Library Services") or atechnical information specialist

Library ServicesAS NOAA'S LIBRARIAN, ESIC coordinates

the agency's library services and its partici-pation in the national network of scientificlibraries. The collections are extensive-forexample, 175,000 volumes in the AtmosphericSciences Library, and 150,000 in the Marineand Earth Sciences Library. ESIC providestechnical assistance to NOAA libraries outsidethe Washington area and has functional super-vision of over 30 field libraries. There is aNOAA library in Miami, Fla., administered byESIC which provides library and informationservices to several nearby offices and labora-tories. In 1974 the Great Lakes Library be-came part of ESIC to provide informationservices to all NOAA components at Detroitand Ann Arbor, Mich. ESIC also maintainsclose liaison with the Environmental ResearchLaboratories Library in Boulder, Colo.

NOAA/PA 72029 * 1972

00

LIBRARY SERVICESThe libraries have open stacks, reading

rooms, and a common service policy: loan,reference, literature-searching, and inter-library loan services for NOAA personnel.Bibliographies are compiled upon request. Thelibraries are open to the public for referenceuse only.

Atmospheric Sciences LibraryThe comprehensive collection includes sci-

entific studies in meteorology, climatology,and hydrology, and their applications; also,extensive holdings of published daily weathermaps and climatic data. The Library main-tains, for loan, microfilm of National WeatherService manuscript maps. Address inquiriesto: Atmospheric Sciences Library (D821), Na-tional Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion, 8060 13th Street, Silver Spring, Md.20910. (301) 427-7800.

Marine and Earth Sciences LibraryThe comprehensive collection specializes

in geodetic astronomy, nautical and aeronau-tical cartography, geodetic and hydrographicsurveying, photogrammetry, mathematics, andthe following divisions of geophysics: geodesy,gravity, geological oceanography, and tidalphenomena. There is a branch containing acore collection on fisheries. Address inquiriesto: Marine and Earth Sciences Library(D822), National Oceanic and AtmosphericAdministration, 6001 Executive Boulevard,Rockville, Md. 20852. (301) 496-8021.

NOAA Miami LibraryThe collection deals mainly with the special-

ties of the Atlantic Oceanographic and Me-teorological Laboratories of NOAA's Environ-mental Research Laboratories and other local

NOAA installations, and includes physicaloceanography, marine geology and geophys-ics, cartography, paleogeology, tropical me-teorology, hurricanes, experimental meteorol-ogy, and weather modification. Address in-quiries to: NOAA Miami Library, 15 Ricken-backer Causeway, Miami, Fla. 33130 (305)350-1330.

Great Lakes LibraryThe EDS Great Lakes Library contains an

archival collection on lake levels and hydrol-ogy of the Great Lakes. The disciplines ofhydrology and limnology comprise about 85percent of the collection of 12,000 volumes.Library services are provided for NOAA per-sonnel in both Detroit and Ann Arbor, Mich.,the location of the Great Lakes EnvironmentalResearch Laboratory established in 1974 tostudy the natural processes and develop anunderstanding of the Great Lakes. Addressinquiries to: Great Lakes Library, NationalOceanic and Atmospheric Administration, 630Federal Building and U.S. Courthouse, Detroit,Mich. 48226 (313) 226-6126.

Boulder Laboratories LibraryManaged by NOAA's Environmental Re-

search Laboratories, this collection has spe-cialized in the scientific areas of interestto researchers in NOAA, the National Bureauof Standards, and the Office of Telecommuni-cations including: telecommunication sci-ences, ionospheric and solar physics, electro-magnetic wave propagation, cryogenics, radioand electronic standards, remote sensing,weather modification, quantum electronics,geomagnetics, and related fields. Address in-quiries to: NOAA Environmental ResearchLaboratories Library (R51), Boulder, Colo.80302. (303) 499-1000, Ext. 3788.

Illll~lllsllC1III------

LLpl----P ·s-l~ I

NOAA Environmental Data KeyENDEX/OASIS provide users rapid referral to avail-able environmental data and information files ofNOAA, other Federal agencies, state and local gov-ernments, universities, research institutes, and pri-vate industry. Subject areas include aeronomy,cartography, climatology, coastal zone management,environment-related engineering, geodesy, hydro-graphy, hydrology, marine geology, meteorology,oceanography, and space and solar science.

In developing this system the Environmental DataService has sought out and documented selectedfiles of environmental data and information. Theapproach has been one step at a time, beginning witheasily accessible collections pertinent to the solutionof current national problems-such as coastal zonecollections needed for offshore activities related tothe energy crisis. The objective is to complete acomprehensive nationwide inventory by 1980.

At present, just under 2,000 environmental data filesare referenced. These pertain largely to the Chesa-peake Bay, New York Bight, and Great Lakes areas.Further file description efforts are underway inFlorida and California, and negotiations have begunto initiate work in North and South Carolina and inGeorgia. On the literature side, the new servicereferences literally millions of technical publications.

ENDEX contains computer-searchable descriptionsof interdisciplinary files of environmental data onmany levels; when these files are large, detailedinventories are also provided. Specifically, ENDEXhas three major components:* Descriptions of data collection efforts.* Descriptions of data files.* Detailed inventories of large, commonly used files.

An ENDEX data file description lists the types ofparameters and volumes of data available, themethods used to measure them, when and wherethe data were collected, the sensors and platformsused, data formats, restrictions on data availability,publications in which the data may be found, whomto contact for further information, and the estimatedcost of obtaining the data.

ENDEX services and products include:* Access to specialized indexes of environmentaldata, grouped by geographic areas, institutions, ordisciplines.* On-line, interactive searches of the indexes toanswer specific questions concerning the availabilityand whereabouts of data files.* A quick-response determination of the costs ofretrieval from large data files.e* Data catalogs from large NOAA environmentaldata collection projects.

Individual ENDEX data files descriptions will beupdated every two years.

The great mass of environmental data received andheld by data centers today could present an increas-ingly complicated labyrinth to data users, withoutsome easy-to-use key. Now that key is available fromthe National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administra-tion, in the form of a one-stop environmental dataand information referral service that can be as closeto a data-user as the telephone. Called ENDEX (fromEnvironmental Data Index)/OASIS (from Oceanicand Atmospheric Scientific Information System), thenew system was devised and put into operation bythe Commerce Department agency's EnvironmentalData Service.

Cost of ServicesThe cost of ENDEX/OASIS referral services is deter-mined by the type of search provided and the num-ber and character of the data files searched. Forexample, although the average cost of a search andretrieval is $50, for a simple request it could beas low as $5. In some cases, there may be no chargeat all. In any case, there is no obligation for theinitial contact, and a firm estimate of costs will beprovided the user before a chargeable search ismade.

OASIS is a computerized information retrieval serv-ice that provides ready reference to the technicalliterature and to research environmental sciencesand marine and coastal resources. It provides com-puterized searches of both NOAA and non-NOAAdata bases containing references to technical publi-cations. User products include bibliographic refer-ences, abstracts, and indexing terms. OASIS offersaccess to major meteorological and oceanicbibliographic information files not available any-where else in computer-searchable form.

OASIS services include:* On-line searching: where the user needs information immediately, a data base can be queried fromone of several terminals. (A large data base can becomputer-searched in a few minutes.)* Selective Dissemination of Information (SDI), orcurrent awareness: citations are retrievable fromcurrent scientific literature as it is published. SDIprovides periodic dissemination of information tothe user with relatively long-term needs.* Retrospective searches: the retrieval of specificsubject matter from an entire data base or a givennumber of volumes of a data base. Retrospectviesearches provide a survey of a specific interest areato a user working on relatively short-term projects.* Special bibliographies: these can be preparedfrom one or more data bases with numerous options,and with output in printout, photocomposition, ormagnetic tape for photocomposition.

Using ENDEX and OASISTo use the NOAA/EDS referral services, call or visitan ENDEX or OASIS Technical Information Specialistat any of the Environmental Data Service Centerslisted below:

Its five major facilities include the National ClimaticCenter, in Asheville. North Carolina; the NationalGeophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data Center, inBoulder, Colorado; and the National OceanographicData Center, Center for Experiment Design andData Analysis, and Environmental Science Informa-tion Center, all in Washington, D.C.

General information on ENDEX or OASIS servicesmay also be obtained by contacting or visiting any ofthe NOAA scientific and technical libraries scatteredthroughout the United States. I

000

181

ADDRESSES

AFCRL Meteorological LaboratoryAir Force Cambridge Research LabsHanscom FieldBedford, Massachusetts 01731

AFGWC USAF Global Weather CentralOffutt AFB, Nebraska 68113

CEDDA The Center for Experiment Design and Data AnalysisNOAA Environmental Data ServicePage Building 2Washington, D.C. 20235

EDS Environmental Data ServiceNOAAWashington, D.C. 20235

ERDC (for ERTS pictures - also called EROS Data Center)Earth Resources Data CenterDepartment of the InteriorSioux Falls, South Dakota 57189

ESIC Environmental Science Information Center, NOAAEnvironmental Data ServiceWashington, D.C. 20235

ETAC USAF Environmental Technical Applications CenterBuilding 859, Stop 825Scott AFB, Illinois 62225

FNWC Fleet Numerical Weather CentralMonterey, California 93940

GFDL Geophysical Fluid Dynamics Lab/NOAAP. O. Box 308Princeton, New Jersey 08540

GPO (Government Printing Office)Superintendent of DocumentsU.S. Government Printing OfficeWashington, D.C. 20402

182

LBL Lawrence Berkeley LaboratoryUniversity of CaliforniaBerkeley, California 94720

Nimbus/ATSNASA/GSFCGreenbelt,

Data Utilization Center

Maryland 20771

Data Analysis SectionNational Center for Atmospheric ResearchP. 0. Box 3000Boulder, Colorado 80303 303-494-5151

FTS 303-394-5526

National Climatic CenterNOAAFederal BuildingAsheville, North Carolina 28801 704-258-2850

FTS 704-254-0683

National Environmental Satellite ServiceF.O.B. 4Suitland, Maryland 20233

National Geophysical and Solar-Terrestrial Data CenterNOAAEnvironmental Data ServiceBoulder, Colorado 80302 303-499-1000, Ext. 6323

FTS 303-449-6323

National Hurricane Experimental MeteorologicalLaboratory

P. O. Box 8265University of Miami BranchCoral Gables, Florida 33124

National Meteorological CenterWorld Weather BuildingSuitland, Maryland 20233

National Oceanographic Data Center/EDSPage Building #12001 Wisconsin Ave., N.W.Washington, D.C. 20235 202-426-9052

NESS

NGSDC

NHEML

NMC

NODC

NADUC

NCAR

NCC

183

National Ocean SurveyNOAARockville, Maryland 20852

National Space Science Data CenterCode 601.4NASA-Goddard Space Flight CenterGreenbelt, Maryland 20771 301-982-6695

National Severe Storms Laboratory1313 Halley CircleNorman, Oklahoma 73069

National Technical Information Service5285 Port Royal RoadSpringfield, Virginia 22151

Climate Dynamics GroupThe RAND Corporation1700 Main StreetSanta Monica, California 90406

Scripps Institution of OceanographyUniversity of CaliforniaLaJolla, California 92037

Illinois State Water Survey

Box 232Urbana, Illinois 61801

Meteorology SectionBonneville Power AdministrationPortland, Oregon 97208

Air Quality and Turbidity Data

National Aerometric Data BankEnvironmental Protection AgencyResearch Triangle Park, North Carolina 27711

NOS

NSSDC

NSSL

NTIS

RAND

SCRIPPS &NORPAX

184

Assessment Studies

Center for Climatic and Environmental AssessmentNOAAFederal Building, Room 116Columbia, Missouri 65201 FTS (314) 442-3261

Crop Data

Economics Research ServiceDepartment of AgricultureForeign Demand and Competition DivisionGroup Hospital Insurance Building500 12th Street, S.W.Washington, D.C. 20250

Data Bank of Early Climatological Sources

Center for Climatic ResearchAttention: Data Bank1225 West Dayton StreetMadison, Wisconsin 53704

NOAA Satellite Data

Satellite Data Services Branch (NOAA-EDS-NCC)D 543, World Weather Building, Rm. 606Washington, D.C. 20233

Commercial or FTS (301) 763-8111

Stream Flow Data

U. S. Geological SurveyNational CenterMail Stop 43712201 Sunrise Valley DriveReston, Virginia 22092

CANADADepartment of the EnvironmentInland Waters DirectorateElectronic Data Processing CommitteeOttawa, Canada

185

Atmospheric Environment ServiceClimatic Data Processing Division4905 Dufferin StreetDownsview, Ontario, Canada M3H5T4

187

REFERENCES and BIBLIOGRAPHY

Academy of Sciences, 1974: U. S. Contribution to the Polar Experiment (Polex-North). U.S. Academy of Sciences, 2101 Constitution Ave., Washington, D.C.

Atkinson, G. D., and J. C. Sadler, 1970: Mean-Cloudiness and Gradient-level-windCharts over the Tropics, Vol. II. Charts. USAF Air Weather Service, Tech.

Report 215, Vol. 11.

Barrett, E. C., 1974: Climatology from Satellites. Methuen & Co., Ltd.,11 New Fetter Lane, London EC4, 418 pp.

Bedient, H. A., W. G. Collins, and G. Dent, 1967: An operational tropical analysis

system. Mon. Wea. Rev. 95 (12), 942-949.

Bedient, H. A., and J. R. Irwin, 1970: National Meteorological Center's

Operational Tropical Analysis Procedures. Symposium on Tropical Meteorology,2-11 June 1970, University of Hawaii (available from the American

Meteorological Society, Boston, Mass.).

British Meteorological Office, 1974 (unpublished): Catalog of MachineableMeteorological Data (1974 edition), British Meteor. Office, Bracknell.

Bureau of Meteorology, Australia, 1970: Data Held in Computer-compatible Form

(as at 31 December 1969). Director of Meteorology, P. 0. Box 1289 K,

Melbourne, Victoria, 3001, Australia.

Chin, P. C., 1972: Tropical Cyclone Climatology for the China Seas and WesternPacific from 1884 to 1970, Volume 1: Basic Data. Royal Observatory,

Hong Kong, 207 pp.

Coburn, A. R., 1970: Three-Dimensional Nephanalysis. AFGWC Tech. Memo 70-9,

USAF Global Weather Central, Offutt AFB, Nebraska.

Cressman, G. P., 1959: An operational objective analysis system, Mon. Wea. Rev.

87, 367-374.

Crutcher, H. L., and J. M. Meserve, 1970: Selected Level Heights, Temperatures

and Dew Points for the Northern Hemisphere. NAVAIR 50-1C-52 (revised),

Chief of Naval Operations, Washington, D.C.

Eber, L. E., J. F. T. Saur, and O. E. Sette, 1968: Monthly mean charts of sea

surface temperatures, North Pacific Ocean, 1949-1962. Circular 258,

U. S. Bureau of Commercial Fisheries.

Environmental Data Service, 1974: Atmospheric Turbidity and PrecipitationChemistry Data for the World 1972 (WMO, EPA, NOAA). Prepared by EDS,

National Climatic Center, Asheville, N. C.

EDS (Environmental Data Service): This is a monthly publication by NOAA that

includes information about various data sets.

188

Finger, F. G., K. W. Johnson, M. E. Gelman, R. M. McInturff, 1973: Compatibilityof radiosonde and NIMBUS-4 SIRS - derived data at stratospheric constant-pressure surfaces. Mon. Wea. Rev. 101, No. 3, 244-251.

Flowers, E. C., R. A. McCormick, and K. R. Kurfis, 1969: Atmospheric turbidityover the United States, 1961-66. J. AppZ. Meteor. 8, 955-962.

Hadeen, Kenneth D., 1970: AFGWC Boundary Layer Model. AFGWC Tech. Memo 70-5.A.F. Global Weather Central, Offutt Air Force Base, Nebraska.

Hering, W. S., and T. S. Borden, 1967: Ozonesonde Observations over NorthAmerica, AFCRL-64-30 (IV), Vol. 4, ERP No. 279 (available from Clearinghouse,Federal Scientific and Technical Information).

Hoppe, E. R., and A. L. Ruiz (eds.), 1974: Catalog of Operational SatelliteProducts. NOAA Tech. Memo NESS-53, Washington, D.C.

Inland Waters Directorate, 1973: Guide to Data Holdings. Department of theEnvironment, Inland Water Directorate, Electronic Data Processing Committee,Ottawa, Canada.

Jenne, R. L., H. L. Crutcher, H. van Loon, and J. J. Taljaard, 1974: A SelectedClimatology of the Southern Hemisphere: Computer Methods and DataAvailability. NCAR-TN/STR-92, National Center for Atmospheric Research,Boulder, Colo., 91 pp.

Jenne, Roy L., and Dennis H. Joseph, 1974: Techniques for the Processing,Storage, and Exchange of Data. Technical Note NCAR-TN/STR-93, NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., 52 pp.

Jenne, R. L., K. Labitzke, and H. van Loon (in preparation): A Climatology ofthe Northern Stratosphere from 100 to 10 mb on Microfilm and Tape. NCARTechnical Note, National Center for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.

Labitzke, K., 1972: Climatology of the stratosphere in the northern hemisphere.1: Heights, temperatures, and geostrophic resultant wind speeds at 100,50, 30, and 10 mb. Meteor. Abh. 100 (4), 1972.

Lahey, J. F., R. A. Bryson, H. A. Corzine, and C. W. Hutchins, 1960: 300-mbWind Characteristics for the Northern Hemisphere. University of WisconsinPress, Madison, Wisconsin.

Larson, S., and T. Laevastu, 1971: Numerical Analysis of Ocean Surface Currents.FNWC Tech. Note 71-1, Fleet Numerical Weather Central, Monterey, Calif.

Leese, J. A., A. L. Booth, and F. A. Godshall, 1970: Archiving and ClimatologicalApplications of Meteorological Satellite Data. ESSA Tech. Report NESC 53.NESS, Suitland, Md.

Lewit, H. L., 1972 (unpublished): Project Report, FNWC OceanographicClimatology Project. Fleet Numerical Weather Central, Monterey, California.

189

McInturff, R. M., and F. G. Finger, 1968: The Compatibility of Radiosonde Dataat Stratospheric Levels over the Northern Hemisphere. ESSA Tech. Memo

WBTM-DATAC 2, National Meteorological Center, Suitland, Md.

Meserve, J. M., 1974: Marine Climatological Atlas of the World. Vol. 1:N. Atlantic. NAVAIR 50-1C-528 (revised). Naval Weather Service Command,

Washington, D. C.

Miller, Donald B., and Robert G. Feddes, 1971: Global Atlas of Relative CloudCover 1967-70. NOAA/NESS (U.S. Dept. of Commerce) and USAF, Asheville, N.C.

Muench, H. S., 1962: Atlas of Monthly Mean Stratosphere Charts 1955-59. Air

Force Surveys in Geophysics No. 141, AFCRL-62-494.

Murty, T. S., and A. Wood, 1975: Oceanographic Products and Methods of Analysisand Prediction. Intergovernmental Oceanographic Committee, UNESCO, Paris.

National Climatic Center, 1969: Selective Guide to Climatic Data Sources.Superintendent of Documents, U.S. Government Printing Office, Washington,

D.C. (Prepared by the National Climatic Center, Asheville, N.C.)

National Referral Center, 1974: Directory of Federally Supported InformationAnalysis Centers. Superintendent of Documents, GPO, Washington, D.C.

(Compiled by National Referral Center.)

NOAA, 1974: Environmental Satellite Imagery (August, 1974). NOAA and EDS,

each month starting November 1972. (Available from the National TechnicalInformation Service, Springfield, Va.)

Philippines Weather Bureau, 1973 (unpublished): List of meteorological data

transferred into computer-usable forms. Weather Bureau, Quezon City,

Philippines.

Phillips, H. L., and L. Rubin, 1972: The Operational Processing of Solar Proton

Monitor and Flat Plate Radiometer Data. NOAA Tech. Memo, NESS 29.

Project 433L ESSPO, 1959: Reference Manual for Climatic Data Computer Tapes.

433L ESSPO (joint), 424 Trapelo Rd., Waltham, Mass. (NCC and NCAR have

copies).

Raschke, E., T. Vonder Haar, M. Pasternak, and W. Bandeen, 1973: The Radiation

Balance of the Earth-Atmosphere System from Nimbus 3 Radiation Measurements.

NASA Tech. Note TN D-7249, NASA, Washington, D.C.

Samples, L. C., 1966: Automatic Processing Data, FNWC TN-22, FNWC, Monterey,Calif.

Schutz, C., and W. L. Gates, 1971: Global Climatic Data for Surface, 800 mb,

400 mb, January. ARPA Report, RAND, Santa Monica, Calif.

190

Sherr, Paul E., Arnold H. Glaser, James C. Barnes, and James H. Willard, 1968:World-wide Cloud Cover Distributions for Use in Computer Simulations.NASA CR-61226 NASA George C. Marshall Space Flight Center, Huntsville, Ala.

Stokes, M. A., L. G. Drew, C. W. Stockton (editors), 1973: Tree RingChronologies of Western America. Laboratory of Tree-Ring Research,University of Arizona, Tucson, Ariz. (Contributors were J. S. Dean,H. C. Fritts, C. W. Ferguson, T. P. Harlan, R. L. Holmes, P. R. Julian.,M. L. Parker, V. C. LaMarche, R. L. Nichols, D. G. Smith.)

Stoldt, N. W., and P. J. Havanac, 1973: Compendium of Meteorological Satellitesand Instrumentation. NSSDC 73-02, National Space Science Data Center, NASA,Goddard Space Flight Center, Greenbelt, Md., 500 pp.

Taljaard, J. J., H. van Loon, H. L. Crutcher, and R. L. Jenne, 1969: Climate ofthe Upper Air: Southern Hemisphere. Vol. I, Temperatures, Dewpoints,and Heights at Selected Pressure Levels. NAVAIR 50-1C-55, Chief of NavalOperations, Washington, D.C., 135 pp.

Taylor Ronald C., 1973: An Atlas of Pacific Islands Rainfall. Data Report 25,H1G-73-9, Hawaii Institute of Geophysics, University of Hawaii.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1951: Fluctuations in Crop and Weather, 1866-1948. Statistics Bull. No. 101. Superintendent of Documents, GovernmentPrinting Office, Washington, D.C., 183 pp.

U. S. Department of Agriculture, 1973: Agricultural Statistics, 1973, U.S.Department of Agriculture, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.

U. S. Department of Commerce, 1964: History and Catalogue of Upper Air Data forthe Period 1946-1960, (key to meteorological records documents No. 5.21.).Superintendent of Documents, Government Printing Office, Washington, D.C.(Prepared by NCC, Asheville, N.C., for U.S. and Canadian stations, domesticand overseas.)

U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, 1948-: Monthly Climatic Data of the World,National Climatic Center, Asheville, N.C.

U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, yearly; Atmosphere Turbidity and PrecipitationChemistry Data for the World. National Climatic-Center, Asheville, N.C.

U. S. Department of Commerce, NOAA, monthly; High Altitude Meteorological Data.National Climatic Center, Asheville, N.C.

van Loon, H., R. L. Jenne, and K. Labitzke, 1972: Climatology of the stratospherein the Northern Hemisphere. 2, Geostrophic winds at 100, 50, 30, and 10 mb.Meteor. Abh. 100, 5.

Vonder Haar, Thomas H., and James S. Ellis, 1974: Atlas of Radiation BudgetMeasurements from Satellites (1962-1970). Atmospheric Sciences Paper No. 231,Department of Atmospheric Sciences, Colorado State University, Ft. Collins,Colo., 180 pp and microfilm.

191

Washington, W. M., and L. G. Thiel, 1970:Surface Temperatures. Technical NoteAtmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo.,

Digitized Global Monthly Mean OceanNCAR TN-54, National Center for30 pp.

Weigle, W. F., and B. R. Mendenhall, 1974: Climatology of the Upper ThermalStructure of the Seas. Proj. M-196 for the U.S. Navy, MeteorologyInternational Inc., Monterey, Calif.

World Meteorological Organization, 1972: Catalogue of Meteorological Data forResearch. WMO-No. 174, T.P. 86, Geneva. (The listings were prepared inabout 1968.)

Zipser, E. J., and R. C. Taylor, 1968: A Catalog of Meteorological Data ObtainedDuring the Line Islands Experiment. Technical Note NCAR TN-35, NationalCenter for Atmospheric Research, Boulder, Colo., 318 pp.

193

INDEX

IN THIS LISTING 13.5 MEANS CHAPTER 13, SECTION 5. ALL OFCHAPTER 13 IS REFERENCED AS 13. IN SOME CASES A SECTION OF THETEXT IS REFERENCED WHICH IN TURN CONTAINS OTHER'REFERENCES TOTHE TEXT. PLEASE ALSO NOTE THAT THE TABLE OF CONTENTS AND THEINFORMATION ACCESS TABLE WITH IT ARE ALSO HELPFUL IN LOCATINGTHE DESIRED INFORMATION.

AFGWC 6.AIR QUALITY 19.AIRCRAFT 5.5, 6.3, 8., 8.5AIRWAYS 7.7, 6.2ANALYSES (N HEM) 1., 2., 3*, 4., 6.6, 11., 129. 13., 14., 16.ANALYSES (S HEM) 2.11, 3.9, 6.6, 11.1, 14.13, 14.14, 20.6ANALYSES TROPICAL SEE TROPICAL GRIDSARPA 6.2, 6.3ASSESSMENT DATA 19.AVERAGE GRIDS 1.2, 6.6, 10.3, 11,9 14*D, 16.BALLOON DATA 5.3ROMEX 7.13BRIGHTNESS 13.CANADA 20.5CLIMATOLOGY DATA 6.79 7., 10., SEE SURFACE AND UPPER AIRCLIMATOLOGICAL GRIDS 11., 10.CLOUD ANALYSES 4., 14.6, 6.6, 13.3COASTAL DATA 7.18COOPERATIVE STATION DAILY DATA 7.8CROP DATA 19.CURRENTS SEE OCEANDATA HANDLING 1.10, 21.DEPTH 1.9, 18.DROUGHT 6.7, 7.11FLEVATION SEE GEOGRAPHICrNDEX 20.3ERTS 13.19FTAC 6.FLEET NUMERICAL WEATHER CENTRAL 14.FNWC 14.FORECASTS 3.8FOREIGN DATA SETS 20.GATE 5.5, 7.20, 13.17, 8., 9., APNDX 4GEOGRAPHIC 1.9, 18.GLOBAL WEATHER CENTRAL (AF) 6.HAIL 5.9HEAT FLUX 14.8HURRICANES 7.14ICE 13.16ICE AGE 18.3IGY 2*6, 2.7, 2.11, 2.12, 8.LIBRARIES (BOOKS) APNDX 4LIBRARY (STATION) 5.8, 21.2LOW PRESSURE CENTERS 7.14MESOSCALE 5.9-11 13.MOISTURE 4., 14.6MONTHLY GRIDS SEE AVERAGE

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NATIONAL CENTER FOR ATMOSPHERIC RESEARCH SEE NCARNATIONAL CLIMATIC CENTER SEE NCCNATIONAL ENVIRONMENTAL SATELLITE SERVICE 13.NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTER SEE NMCNATIONAL OCEONOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER SEE NODCNATIONAL SPACE SCIENCE DATA CENTER 13.NCAR 1.NCC 7.NESS 13.NMC 2., 3., 4*2, 8.1NODC 15.NSSDC 13.OCEAN ANALYSES 14*, 14.C, 14.DOCEAN CURRENTS 14.11, 15.8OCEAN SOUNDINGS 14.B, 15.OZONE 5.2, 7.17, 13.15POLLUTION SEE AIR QUALITYRADAR 4.8, 5.9RADIATION SEE SATELLITE AND SOLARRAINFALL 4., 7.10, 6.2, 7.6, 7.8, 9., 10.RAWINSONDE, SEE UPPER AIRROCKETSONDE 7.5SATELLITE CENTER 13.SATELLITE DATA 13., 1.8SATELLITE SOUNDINGS 6.4, 8.1, 13., 13.9-14SEA LEVEL PRESSURE GRIDS 2., 6.6, 14.3SEA SURFACE WATER TEMPERATURE GRIDS 16., 13.12SEASAT 13.18SHIP OBSERVATIONS (SURFACE) 17., 9*. 14.15, 6.2SOIL TEMPERATURE 7.SOLAR 7.12, 13.SOLAR PROTONS, ETC 13.8, APNDX 4STRATOSPHERIC DATA 12., 13.STREAMFLOW 4.7, 20.5SURFACE OBSERVED DATA (MO MEANS) 1.6, 10.SURFACE SYNOPTIC DATA (SYNOP FILE) 1.5, 6.2, 14.15, 9.2, 17.SURFACE SYNOPTIC DATA (TIME SERIES FILE) 6.2, 6.5, 7.6, 9.3, 17.6TOWER DATA 5.1, 7.15TREE RINGS 10.4TROPICAL GRIDS 2.12, 3.5, 6.6, 14.12TURBIDITY 7.19UPPER AIR DATA (SYNOP FILE) 1.3, 8., 6.3UPPER AIR DATA (TIME SERIES) 1.4, 6.3, 7.3, 8.BUPPER AIR OBSERVED DATA (MO MEANS) 1.7, 10.VOLUME OF DATA 21.3WAVES 14.10, 13.18, 9., 17.WIND ANALYSES, DAILY 3., 6.6, 14.AWIND AT SURFACE SEE SURFACE OBSERVED AND AIRWAYSWINDS ALOFT 6.3, 7.4, SEE UPPER AIRWMO 20.2

NCAR-TN/IA-111 Data Sets for Meteorological Research

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