Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 2028047

• Metadata Summary

• Problem Reports

• Data Access Policy

• Data Policy

• Narrative Documents

• Project Information

• Data Activity or Cruise Information

• Fixed Station Information

• BODC Quality Flags

• SeaDataNet Quality Flags

Metadata Summary

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

Data Access Policy

Rapid Climate Change Programme data access conditions - phase 3

The data are currently under the following restriction:

• Anyone making use of these data is required to include the PI and/or co-workers (as appropriate) as co-author/s on any resulting papers.

Co-authorship contact:

Prof Bill Johns at University of Miami, Rosenstiel School of Marine, Atmospheric and Earth Science(RSMAES)

Data Policy

Rapid Climate Change (RAPID) Data Policy

The following data policy has been ratified by the full Steering Committee and will apply to all projects funded through RAPID:

• data should be lodged with the appropriate data centre on acquisition*, together with such metadata as are defined under the RAPID Data Management Plan.
• data would be embargoed for 1 year from acquisition, allowing the PI and co-workers to exploit it in the first instance. Metadata should not be embargoed, to allow the wider community to be aware of work being carried out under RAPID and facilitate community building.
• data should be made available to the RAPID community after 1 year, and to everyone after 2 years.
• anyone making use of RAPID data within 3 years of it being lodged at the data centre would be required to include the PI and/or co-workers (as appropriate) as co-author/s on any resulting papers.
• PIs and/or co-workers failing to comply with the RAPID data policy would be subject to appropriate sanctions.

[n.b. Data includes palaeo data, present-day observations, model output, data syntheses, data-model syntheses.]

* On acquisition: the time-scale may vary between data types (for example, real-time data could go directly to a data centre) but the overall aim is to keep the time-scale as short as possible and certainly less than 6 months. This is to ensure that data acquired during RAPID are available to the RAPID community within the lifetime of the programme.

Narrative Documents

RAPIDMOC/MOCHA ADCP data processing document

This document outlines the procedures undertaken to process and quality assure ADCP data collected under the RAPIDMOC and MOCHA projects.

Originator's processing

The raw data are downloaded from the instrument and converted to ASCII format.

Corrections

Once in ASCII format the data are corrected for the following -

• Bin mapping
• Sound speed
• Magnetic variation

A 40 hour low pass filter is also applied to the data.

Calculating and applying calibrations

Manufacturers calibrations are applied.

Quality control

Data were visually inspected for out-lying data and instrument electrical spikes removed.

BODC processing

Data are received after quality checks have been made and calibrations have been applied. The data files are submitted in ASCII format as one file per bin.

Once the submitted data files are safely archived, the data undergo reformatting and banking procedures:

• The data files are concatenated and transferred into one file per instrument in a common format, a NetCDF subset.

• Standard parameter codes are assigned that accurately describe the data (see Parameter mapping section below).

• Unit conversions are applied, if necessary, so that units are standardised (see Parameter mapping section below).

• The data are screened visually and any spikes or instrument malfunctions can be clearly labelled with quality control flags.

• Comprehensive documentation is prepared describing the collection, processing and quality of each data series.

• Detailed metadata and documents are loaded to the database and linked to each series so that the information is readily available to future users.

Parameter mapping

The following describes the parameters contained in the originator's files and their mapping to BODC parameter codes:

Project Information

Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (MOCHA) Project

Introduction

Users of these data are referred to the Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (MOCHA) Project Website for more information. The following text has been taken from the website.

Scientific Rationale

To set in place a system for continuous observation of the meridional heat transport in the subtropical Atlantic, with which to document its variability and its relationship to oberved climate fluctuations, and to assess climate model predictions

Overview

MOCHA is a collaborative project, partnered with the UK RAPID Program, to measure the heat and freshwater transports of the North Atlantic Ocean. These transports are called the Thermohaline or Overturning Circulation. Simply put, warm waters move poleward at the surface of the ocean, where they cool and sink, to return equatorward in the deep ocean.

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Data Activity

RAPID Moored Instrument Rig WB0#11

This rig was deployed as part of the Western Boundary (WB) array of the MOCHA/RAPIDMOC project.

The rig was anchored by 3000lbs of railway wheels and kept erect by a 44" syntactic float and groups of small floats distributed along the mooring.

Instruments deployed on the rig

Related Data Activity activities are detailed in Appendix 1

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

Fixed Station Information

RAPIDMOC/MOCHA Western Boundary (WB) Array

The Western Boundary Array defines a box in which moorings were deployed at the western side of the North Atlantic as part of the RAPIDMOC project and the collaborative project Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array (MOCHA). The box region has latitudinal limits of 26° N to 27.5° N and longitudinal limits of 69.5° W to 77.5° W. Moorings have occupied this region since 2004 and are typically deployed for 6 to 18 months.

Moored data summary

Cruise data summary

During the cruises to service the moored array, a variety of data types are collected. The table below is a summary of these data. The number of CTD profiles performed on these cruises within the box region defined above is also included. Trans-Atlantic hydrographic CTD sections have also been performed since 2004 and are included in the table.

Data type ID and description

Related Fixed Station activities are detailed in Appendix 2

BODC Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

Appendix 1: WB0#11

Related series for this Data Activity are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.

Appendix 2: Western Boundary Array

Related series for this Fixed Station are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.