The fall rate equation coefficients, a, for the Fast Deep (021) and T-11 (071) XBT probes were incorrectly listed as 6.346 and 1.779 in the WMO code table 1770, respectively. The coefficients for
the Fast Deep and T-11 XBT probes should be a = 6.390 and a = 1.7779, respectively.
Beginning 7 July 2008, all of the individual GTSPP Best Copy files
will be saved on a single file using the Unix utility tar command and then
compressed using the utility gzip. Its main advantage over the old '.zip'
format file is much better compression.
The '.tgz' format files of the monthly GTSPP Best Copy archives
are available from ftp://ftp.nodc.noaa.gov/nodc/data/oc1.gtspp/best_nc.
The US NODC has identified the Argo profiles with pressure offset errors stored
in the GTSPP database and generated a list (inventory file) of the affected
profiles. The following plot shows the station locations of the problematic
profiles. The total number of the problematic profiles is 14,904 as of
February 28, 2007. There were 13,541 stations in the Atlantic, 124 station in
the Indian and 1,239 stations in the Pacific. These stations have been marked
as inactive in the GTSPP database. Users are advised that they should either
exclude all SOLO FSI data from analyses or apply other quality control measures appropriate to their specific application.
Important notice to the GTSPP users (pressure offset errors):
It has been learned that Argo profiles from SOLO floats with FSI
CTD (Argo Program WHOI) may have incorrect pressure values. Profile
data may be offset upward by one or more pressure levels, resulting
in a significant cold bias for these instruments. Problematic floats
are mostly in the Atlantic Ocean (198 out of the 211 presently active
FSI SOLO instruments). The problem does not affect any other combination
of instrument and sensor. That is, SOLO SBE, PROVOR (FSI or SBE), APEX
and all other instrument combinations are unaffected. In GTS TESAC messages,
potentially affected instruments can be identified by instrument type
852 (SOLO FSI, see WMO Code Table 1770). The problem is presently being
analyzed, and once the detailed nature is understood, further information
regarding identification and/or correction (if possible) of affected
profiles will be provided. Please subscribe to the Argo Data Management
mailing list (argo-dm@jcommops.org,
see http://argo.jcommops.org*)
if you want updates.
Users are advised they should either exclude all SOLO FSI data from
analyses or apply other quality control measures appropriate to their
specific application. As a reminder, near real-time (R/T) Argo data
are subjected to only coarse, automated quality control procedures.
The Argo project endeavors to provide the best quality data possible,
but R/T data may contain errors and should be used with due caution.
For full documentation of the Argo data system, see http://www.coriolis.eu.org/cdc/argo_rfc.htm*.
27 February 2007
Announced the enhanced layout design of the Global Temperature-Salinity
Profile Program Web site.
