British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC)

1. British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) An Introduction Louise Darroch

2. What is BODC? National facility concerned with looking after and distributing marine data BODC deal with biological, chemical, physical and geological data Our staff include a wide range of research scientists and IT specialists Non-profit organisation (value added products are for others to do)

3. Importance of data management Data are precious! • BODC are dedicated to ensuring data are fully quality controlled, documented and stored for its current and future use • Particularly important for long-term climate studies

4. Roles and responsibilities - National • National Tide Gauge Network • Remote monitoring, data retrieval, processing and quality control • NERC Marine data centre • One of six designated NERC data centres • UK Project data management • ‘End-to-end’ approach • Marine Environmental Data and Information Network (MEDIN) • Hosts MEDIN core team to improve access and stewardship of marine data with 30 partners

5. Roles and responsibilities – International • GEBCO Bathymetric Chart of the Ocean (GEBCO) • Operates under IOC/IHO • Host digital atlas monitor • Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) • Conducted under JCOMM • Maintain GLOSS station handbook • International Argo • UK floats and Southern Ocean array • Near-real time and delayed-mode quality control processing

6. International responsibilities: IOC & ICES • IODE facilitates and promotes the exchange of marine information and data through a network of IOC designated data centres • BODC is one of over 60 National Oceanographic Data Centres • Member/chair of expert teams or steering groups • Promotes marine research in the North Atlantic • BODC part of data and information management working group

7. International: SeaDataNet • European infrastructure for ocean and marine data management • Network of existing marine data centres from 35 countries • SeaDataNet aims to provide online integrated database of data centres • BODC is the UK partner

8. Data processing - overview • BODC comprises two databases • Both are based on the Oracle Relational Database Management System (RDBMS) Accession (archive original files and documents) Process and load data into SERIES schema Process and load data into SAMPLES schema Distribute data

9. Standardised data format • Series data arrive in various formats which are transferred into our standard format, QXF. • QXF is a binary format and is a sub-set of NetCDF • NetCDF is a platform-independent exchange format • NetCDF can be easily transformed to other formats (eg. ODV) • QXF does not hold metadata • BODC delivers detailed metadata (eg. detailed methods) in XML format

10. Parameter codes • BODC parameter codes are assigned to each data channel • BODC parameter codes are made up of sets of controlled vocabularies from the NERC DataGrid (NDG) Vocabulary Server. (http://www.bodc.ac.uk/products/web_services/vocab/) • Using standardised terms and units solves the problem of ambiguity and enables records to be interpreted by computers

11. Quality control • Visualisation by in-house software EDSERPLO • EDSERLPO is versatile and can handle many data types • Profiles (CTD) • Time series (moorings) • 1D/2D wave spectra • ADCP • Tidal data • Anomalous data points marked (data values are not changed or removed) • EDSERPLO software available from BODC • Telephone: 0151 795 4884Email: enquiries@bodc.ac.uk

12. Metadata • Metadata (data about data) stored in Oracle relational database tables (RDBMS) • Export format: Extensible Markup Language (XML) • XML enables the addition of more detailed information (eg. methods, data policies, data quality reports) • Detailed information enables long-term storage of data without referral to originator • Storage in relational database form enables data delivery in different formats (eg. ODV)

13. Quality checking and audit • Automated Matlab software checks the integrity of data files and metadata • Data and metadata audited (second-checked) by peers

14. Little point in data management unless the data and metadata are used 103,000 requests 2010/2011 Telephone: +44 151 795 4884Email: enquiries@bodc.ac.uk Providing access to data and metadata • Personal requests • Online data inventories & catalogues • Online data delivery systems • BODC Web Services (eg. NERC vocab server) • Download interface software (eg. GEBCO) • Near-real time data via sub-webs

15. Inventories and catalogues examples • GLOSS station handbook (http://www.bodc.ac.uk/) • The Global Sea Level Observing System (GLOSS) is coordinated by Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) • 'Global Core Network' of 287 stations around the world • International current meters (http://www.bodc.ac.uk/) • IOC framework inventory comprises over 32,000 records relating to current meter deployments by more than 140 organisations in 22 countries • Cruise inventory (http://www.bodc.ac.uk/) • Assembled using the Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission (IOC) Cruise Summary Report (CSR) forms • Contains entries for 10201 cruises from 618 individual ships.

16. Users now expect to search for, view & receive data via the internet User-defined search system with a GIS interface ~81,000 series Several delivery formats: NetCDF, ASCII and Ocean Data View (ODV) Plot search results in geospatial applications such as Google Earth Rapidly moving to deliver all data this way (eg. Samples data) Online data delivery

17. Example

18. Current and future developments Data delivery Moving towards delivering sample data online, in addition to series data • Near-real time data management • Near-real time and delayed-mode data management of: • UK and International Argo (ARGO) • Seal-tags (SMRU) • Sea surface hydrography and meteorology (BODC/NMF-SS/NOC) • UK Gliders (BODC/MARS)

19. NRT data management – International ARGO • ARGO consists of 3,000 float array • Inexpensive • BODC data assembly centre (DAC) for UK floats and Southern Ocean array • BODC provides: • real-time (via GTS) • near real-time (via GDAC, ~24 h) • delayed-mode, quality controlled data (via DAC)

20. NRT data management – Sea surface hydrography and meteorology National Oceanography Centre National Marine Facilities Sea Systems British Oceanographic Data Centre • Automated meteorological and sea surface hydrography system • High spatial and temporal coverage • BODC will be the Data Assembly centre (DAC) and provide: • Near-real time data • Delayed-mode, quality-controlled data to SAMOS standard • Data quality feedback to ship • Technology extended to other data types (eg. CTD, ADCP) BODC • Data assembly centre (DAC) • (near-real time, delayed-mode data) Data quality feedback while at sea Dissemination(eg. BODC/SAMOS/NODC)

21. Thank you