18/04/2327/10/981

EC-Marine Science & Technology Programme

IODE-XVI

Lisbon, 30 October – 9 November 2000

MAST/MEDAR-MEDATLAS Mediterranean Data Archaeology and

Rescue of Temperature, Salinity and Bio-

chemical Parameters (MAS3-CT98--0174/ERBIC20-CT98-0103)

MEDAR Grouppresented by Catherine MAILLARD, project

coordinator, IFREMER/SISMER

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MEDAR GROUP

IFREMER/SISMER Brest, France

IEO Madrid, Spain

UL/GHERLiège, Belgium

ICESCopenhaguen, Dk

INRH/DOTMCasablanca, Morocco

ISMALAlger, Algeria

NCMR/HNODCAthens, Hellas

TN/DNHOIstanbul, Turkey

NIMHSofia, Bulgaria

IOCParis, France

UM-POMsida, Malta

RIHMI-WDCObninsk, Russia

MHI/MISTSevastopol, Ukraine

NIOF/ENODCAlexandria,

Egypt

FD-MANRE/CyNODCNicosia, Cyprus

NCSR-NCMSBatroun, Lebanon

IOLRHaifa, Israel

ENEALa Spezia, Italy

OGSTrieste, Italy

CNR/IMGABologne, Italy

Collaborations and Scientific Advisers : GODAR Project - WDC-A, NODC-Croatia, Tunisia, Georgia

EUROGOOS, IODE Network

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Project History and Context UNESCO/IOC/IODE : International Oceanographic Data & Information Exchange

1993 : Global Oceanographic Data Archaeology and Rescue Project (GODAR) launched

• April 1995 : GODAR IV - IOC-ICSU-CEC Regional Workshop for Member States of the Mediterranean, Malta. UNESCO-IOC Report No 110

Dec 1996 : Mediterranean Data Archaeology and Rescue of temperature, salinity and bio-chemical parameter (MEDAR), officially endorsed by IOC

May 1997 : Joint IOC, EC/MAST and Turkish Data Centre MEDAR/MEDATLAS Meeting, Istanbul. IOC/INF-1084 summary report

EC/MAST : Marine Science and Technology Programme MODB (MAS2-CT93-0075, 1995-1996) MEDATLAS Pilot Project (MAS2-CT93-0074, 1994-1997) MEDAR/MEDATLAS II project submitted for a MAST/INCO Concerted action in

June 1997, accepted for a 3-year support period December 1998 to 2001 March 1999 : Kick-off Meeting in Paris

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Questions Asked and Needs

Managing living and non-living resources, monitoring environmental changes in the sea and protecting the marine environment, require long time series of observations of:

Dissolved Oxygen: low oxygen levels in the upper layers, can result in reduction of higher life forms, release of toxic forms of metals and pathology in living organisms.

Nutrients: changes in nutrient fluxes can alter primary production and bio-diversity, and can directly affect aquaculture and fishing activity.

Temperature and Salinity:  are the primary indicators of climate change and allow the computation of other derived parameters such as density, sound velocity, and geostrophic current, widely used in scientific and technical studies.

The need for marine database and appropriate data management is particularly crucial in the Mediterranean and Black Sea : for environmental studies, for qualification of new data that requires statistics of expected values, for initialisation and qualification of numerical models

When the project started, not all of the data collected by the scientific laboratories of the bordering countries were inventoried and safeguarded. Data never archived in a public data bank are in danger of being lost. Studies show that without appropriate safeguarding, about 30% of them will be lost within 10 years. Data collected in variable environment cannot be remade.

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CyprusFD-MANRE

Inventory

Observed data

Task V : QAAssesments

> ICESENEA,

IMGA-CNR,IOC

Data products

Climatological Data

MANAGEMENTAdvisory Group Steering Committee Co-ordinator EU/MAST Representative

> IFREMER

Task I : Data Rescue and Inventory> RIHMI-WDC

Task II-ER Eastern Region

Assembling & QC > NCMR

Task II-WR Western Region

Assembling & QC > IEO

Task II-CR Central Region

Assembling & QC > OGS

Task II-BS Black Sea

Assembling & QC

> RIHMI-WDC

Task III : Global Assembling, Processing, Products

> IFREMER

Task IV : Objective Analysis, Climatologies

> GHER

MoroccoINRH

SpainIEO

FranceIFREMER

AlgeriaISMAL

MaltaUM-PO

ItalyOGS

GreeceNCMR

IsraelIOLR

TurkeyTN-DNHO

LebanonNCRS

EgyptNIOF

TurkeyTN-DNHO

RussiaRIHMI-WDC

BulgariaNIMH

UkraineMHI/MIST

MEDAR TASKS ORGANIZATION

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Medatlas Inventory (Task 1-a)

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Medatlas Common Protocol for Observations (Task II& V)

Objective : to insure coherence and compatibility between data sets from various sources

Methodology : development of existing international standards workshop and job training in regional intercalibrated data centres

Content1. common MEDATLAS exchange format, which According to ICES/IOC

should:• be autodescriptive• be independant of the computer• be flexible and accept (almost) any number of parameters• keep track of the source and history of the data• allow the processing of each profile independantly

2. quality checks procedure with automatic and visual checks,

and quality flags as a result

This protocol is already used in several Mediterranean projects

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Medatlas Format*FI35199706008 MTPII-MATER/HFF-PELAGOS MA 35EU EUROPE15/03/1997 03/05/1997 MED. WESTERN BASIN35 MICROBIOLOGIE MARINE,LAB. OCEANOGRAPHIE BIOLOGIQUE,LAB. SEDIMENTOLOGIE ET GVAN WAMBEKE France Project=MTP II-MATERRegional Archiving= FI Availability=LData Type=H09 n= 50 QC=YData Type=H22 n= 50 QC=YData Type=H24 n= 50 QC=YCOMMENTDM=PRES TEMP PSAL DOX1 PHOS NTRA NTRI controlled with Levitus 94DM=CPHL controlled with no climatologyDM=DOXY controlled with Levitus 94*FI3519970600800011 Data Type=H09*DATE=16031997 TIME=1130 LAT=N43 02.30 LON=E005 07.90 DEPTH= QC=1119*NB PARAMETERS=16 RECORD LINES=00008*PRES SEA PRESSURE sea surface=0 (decibar=10000 pascals) def.= -999.9*TEMP SEA TEMPERATURE (Celsius degree) def.= 99.999*PSAL PRACTICAL SALINITY (P.S.U.) def.= 99.999*DOX1 DISSOLVED OXYGEN (ml/l) def.= 99.99*DOXY DISSOLVED OXYGEN (millimole/m3) def.=999.999*NTRI NITRITE (NO2-N) CONTENT (millimole/m3) def.= 99.999*NTRA NITRATE (NO3-N) CONTENT (millimole/m3) def.= 99.999*PHOS PHOSPHATE (PO4-P) CONTENT (millimole/m3) def.= 99.999*AMON AMMONIUM (NH4-N) CONTENT (millimole/m3) def.= 99.999*CHLT CHLOROPHYLL-TOTAL (milligram/m3) def.= 99.99*SLCA SILICATE (SIO4-SI) CONTENT (millimole/m3) def.= 99.99*CPHL CHLOROPHYLL-A CONTENT (milligram/m3) def.= 9.99*ALKW ALKALINITY (micromole/kg) def.= 9999.9*PHPH PH (pH UNIT) def.= 9.999*GLOBAL PROFILE QUALITY FLAG=1 GLOBAL PARAMETERS QC FLAGS=1999911111111199*DC HISTORY=BOTTLES**DM HISTORY**COMMENT**SURFACE SAMPLES=**PRES TEMP PSAL DOX1 DOXY NTRI NTRA PHOS AMON CHLT SLCA CPHL ALKW PHPH 4.9 99.999 99.999 99.99 999.999 0.083 0.566 0.082 0.024 99.99 0.88 0.08 2408.4 8.113 19999111111111 9.9 99.999 99.999 99.99 999.999 0.090 0.554 0.085 99.999 0.40 0.83 0.07 2435.7 8.107 19999111911111 19.8 13.467 37.947 5.72 255.455 0.090 0.535 0.079 0.014 0.50 0.96 0.48 2456.1 8.107 11111111111111 39.7 13.438 37.954 5.68 253.669 0.112 0.786 0.090 0.005 0.50 1.39 0.18 2402.9 8.102 11111111111191 59.5 13.473 37.987 5.47 244.290 0.132 1.329 0.090 0.014 0.20 1.64 0.03 9999.9 8.102 11111111111191-999.9 99.999 99.999 99.99 999.999 99.999 99.999 99.999 99.999 99.99 9.99 9.99 9999.9 9.999 99999999999999

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Quality Checks

CHECKS QC-0 : check the format : coherence of station date, time, latitude, longitude, cruise header, conformity of the codes for ship, data type, parameters names & units ..

QC-1 : check of the time and location, search for duplicates QC-2 : check the data points

RESULTS = ELIMINATION OR QUALITY FLAG (GTSPP)

0 1 2 3 4 5 9

No QC Correct Inconsistent Doubtful Bad Changed Missing

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Automatic Checks Result

Duplicate data sets EDate E or

Ship velocity E or

Location/shoreline E or

Bottom sounding (ETOPO5)

E= Elimination

= Correction/Interpolation= Flag «Inconsistant with statistics» - no

correction

QC-1 : check of the time, location & duplicates

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QC-2 : check of the data points

Automatic Checks ResultPressure + one more observation E

Out of the regional scale

(min & max values)

Increasing pressure

Data below the bottom depth

Coherence with pre-existing statistics (LEVITUS, MODB, MEDATLAS)

No constant profiles

Spikes

Vertical stability

E= Elimination

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Regional Assembling and Quality Checks (Task II)

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Task IV: Objective Analysis - Climatologies

VIM Software adaptations Climatological Computations by VIM and Mapping QC of T/S and bio-chemical climatological gridded analysed data Software dissemination & documentation

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Global Assembling, Processing, Products (Task III)

Global Assembling & Processing Final QC : format, duplicates Extraction of data flagged to 1 Interpolation at standard levels Mapping of the annual, seasonnal

and monthly data position distribution

Edition of the Final Product on Cdrom including observed

and gridded data files, documentation, maps and software tools

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Task V : Quality Assurance Assesments

MEDAR/MEDATLAS protocol - Quality Assurance Manual for Observed data, climatological data, inventory A Contribution to the development of International Standards for Marine

Information Management Based on existing international Reference Manuals

• UNESCO/IOC/IODE & MAST, 1993 : Manual of Quality control procedures for validation of oceanographic data. Manual and Guides 26.

• UNESCO/IOC & ICSU, 1991 : Manual on Oceanographic Data Exchange. Manual and Guides 9

• UNESCO 1987 : Un format général pour les données relative à l’environnement terrestre. Description du format GF3 et des tables de code; Manuels et guides 17.

• UNESCO/SCOR/ICES/IAPSO 1983 : Algorigthms for comuputation of fundamental properties of seawater. Technical papers in marine science 44

• Ref : UNESCO Intergovernmental Oceanographic Commission, 1994. IODE Handbook. Committee on International Oceanograhich Data and Information Exchange

Workshops QC workshop for observed data : Brest and Athens 1999 Objective Analysis and Mapping : Liège

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Networking , Communication, Promotion

WWW Links between Coordinating, Regional, Thematic and National Websites, Brochures, Posters, Papers, Contribution to exhibitions and meetings and Actions at govermental levels through IOC mechanisms

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MEDAR/MEDATLAS II FUTURE AND LONG TERM OBJECTIVES

1. to contribute to improve the overall level of data quality by developing and standardising common protocols for data management and data exchange, especially for handling oxygen and nutrients data

2. to decrease the time lag between data collection and data release, and facilitate the further use of the data among different scientific, operational and industrial communities Importance of archiving data before they become archaeological Importance of publishing regular updates of the database

3. to develop a distributed data management structure trained in data qualifying, processing, mapping, archiving and communication Capacity building for real time & delayed mode data management A database and a tool for the operational oceanography and the modelisation of the

Mediteranean Sea

More Information : www.ifremer.fr/medar

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DISSEMINATION OF THE MEDAR/MEDATLAS RESULTS

During the project implementation

Data servicing at each NODC/DNA through Medatlas I release + releasable new national data

Web site : http://www.ifremer.fr/medar/ and hyperlinked websites for meta-data, data requests and dissemination of information

Promotion of the project through IOC mechanisms and participation to scientific meetings & exhibitions

After the project completion MEDAR/Medatlas II data set published on Cdrom Format and QC protocol published and disseminated with IOC manuals Access to data, data products and information at the NODC/DNA for at

least 5 year

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Objectives and Tasks

Task 1: to inventory from a common cruise catalogue, compile, safeguard and make available historical data sets of : Temperature, Salinity, Oxygen, Nitrate, Nitrite, Ammonia, Total Nitrogen, Phosphate, Total Phosphorus, Silicate, H2S, pH, Alkalinity, Chlorophyll-a

Task 2: to make the archived data sets comparable and compatible by using the common MEDATLAS protocol for formatting and quality checking

QC involves automatic and visual checks and takes into account regional statistics

Task 3 : to prepare and disseminate qualified value added products by developing and using efficient gridding, and mapping methodology developed with the Variational Inverse Model of MODB (MAS2-

CT93-0075-BE) Task 4: to publish the observed data, gridded data, maps, software and documentation on CDrom for

further scientific, educational, industrial, governmental use

Task 5: to develop and document a common methodology for data and meta-data formatting and qualifying, in conformity with the internationally agreed standards. This protocol aims to be adapted to the historical data management of different data types, as well as new real time data.

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National Data Rescue (Task I-b)

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National Data Rescue (Task I-b)

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QC-2 : check of the data points

Automatic Checks ResultPressure + one more observation E

Out of the regional scale

(min & max values)

Increasing pressure

Data below the bottom depth

Coherence with pre-existing statistics (LEVITUS, MODB, MEDATLAS)

No constant profiles

Spikes

Vertical stability

E= Elimination

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Time Schedule and Data Flow

TASK \ Date 1/12/98 1/12/99 1/12/00 1/12/01

I - Data Rescue & Inventory

II - Regional Assembling & QC BM1

III - Integration, Processing,Products

BM2

IV - Objective analysis,Climatologies

BM3

BM4

V - Quality Assurance QC

WS

Data Flow Bench Mark 1 : test the format of national data sets Bench Mark 2 : test the format, codes and overall coherence between regional QC centres and the global assembling centre Bench Mark 3 : test of the bio-chemical data sets processing

Bench Marck 4 : test of the complete data set and the full processing

Final processing of the complete data set

Reference protocol manual

Time Schedule

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MEDATLAS Pilot Project 1994-1997(MAST Supporting Initiative MAS2-CT93-0074)

Main Objective : to prepare a qualified data product useful for the Mediterranean scientific and technical programmes

Results : Mediterranean Hydrographic Atlas 1997

1 : Database of observed temperature and salinity profiles from 21 countries and 9 data centres : 16 749 CTD 33 916 Bottle casts, 156 473 XBT & MBT

2 : Monthly (upper temperature), Seasonnal and Annual Climatological Statistics variance and error on a 1/4*1/4 degree and 28 vertical levels and Maps

3 : MEDATLAS format and QC Protocol used in several other new Mediterranean projects

Main Objective : to prepare a qualified data product useful for the Mediterranean scientific and technical programmes

Results : Mediterranean Hydrographic Atlas 1997

1 : Database of observed temperature and salinity profiles from 21 countries and 9 data centres : 16 749 CTD 33 916 Bottle casts, 156 473 XBT & MBT

2 : Monthly (upper temperature), Seasonnal and Annual Climatological Statistics variance and error on a 1/4*1/4 degree and 28 vertical levels and Maps

3 : MEDATLAS format and QC Protocol used in several other new Mediterranean projects

IFREMER/SISMER (coordinator) C. MAILLARD , M. FICHAUT, G. MAUDIRE, D. CURE, M. LAROUR

NCMR/HNODC E. BALOPOULOS, A. THEOCHARIS, A. IONA, A. LYKARDOPOULOS

IEO (Spanish Institute of Oceanography) M-J. GARCIA, J.L. JURADO, N. CANO

SHOM (French Navy) D. JOURDAN, L. BAUDET

ICES (Scientific Adviser ) H. DOOLEY

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Medatlas I - Data sources

CTD, Bottle casts, XBT, MBT, thermistor chains data from : French research laboratories, compiled by IFREMER/SISMER Spanish laboratories, compiled by IEO Hellenic laboratories and Navy + POEM project data set, compiled by

NCMR/HNODC Italian and Spanish scientific data compiled by the MODB consortium Historical dataset compiled by the WDC-A Historical dataset compiled by ICES Recent German cruises archived by DOD Recent British cruises archived by BODC French, UK and Spanish Navies XBT and MBT compiled by SHOM/CMO,

UKHO, IHM

Country sources of the final data set Austria Belgium Denmark Egypt France Germany Greece Israel Italy Monaco Netherlands Norway Portugal Spain Sweden Tunisia Turkey Russia/FSU United Kingdom USA Croatia/FY

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Medatlas Data Product Tools

Selection criteria

• Geographical aera• Data type• Cruise name• Cruise reference• Time/Period• Country• Ship• Parameters• Quality flags

Extraction Software for observed profiles

Maps