>> File Naming Conventions

In order to convey useful information about the Argo and GTSPP data files at a glance, we have implemented a standardized naming conventions at NODC as follows:

Argo File Naming Conventions

We adapted the file naming conventions used by the Argo Global Data Assembly Centers (GDACs) and added the prefix "nodc" to all data files converted to the NODC NetCDF format just to emphasize the files have been re-processed (re-formated) by NODC.

1. Multi-profile file naming convention
   
   For a multi-profile float file, the name itself is broken into three parts, separated by underscore symbols:
   
   nodc_[float_ID_number]_[data_type].[ext]
   
   

   where

   "float_ID_number" is a seven digit number: xxxxxxx. The first digit ranging from 1 to 7 is the WMO (World Meteorological Organization) region of deployment, the second digit, always 9, is an indicator for an Argo float (non-Argo float ID numbers may not have the number 9), and xxxx is a number allocated serially.
   
   "data_type" is a four-character string indicating the data type of the fileThe "meta" files are metadata files for each float on this disc; The "prof" files contain vertical distribution of measured parameters such as temperature, salinity, and conductivity of profiling floats; the "tech" files contain the technical information of each float and the "traj" files contain the trajectory information of each float as of the time of this CD production;
   
   

   "ext" is the filename extension, which indicates the kind of data stored in the file. Those files in netCDF format have the .nc extension at the end of the file name.

   
   

2. Mono-profile file naming conventions
   
   File naming conventions for mono-profile files are slightly different than for the multi-profile float files. The file name, beginning with Prefix "nodc", has three parts, again, separated by underscore symbols:
   
   nodc_[data_mode][float_ID_number]_[cycle_number].[ext]
   
   

   where

   "data_mode" is a character indicating the data mode of the float, R for real-time profile data and D for delayed-mode profile data,

   "float_ID_number" is a 7 digit number: xxxxxxx as described above, and

   "cycle_number" is a three-digit numerical number indicating the cycle number of the float, and

   "ext" is always 'nc' indicating the data type is netCDF format.

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GTSPP File Naming Conventions

Because of all of the information contained in the netCDF file structure, every station is contained in a separate netCDF file. Each invidual file uses the following file namining convention as:

[CMD_dbid.[ext]

where

"CMD_dbid" is the data base identification number of the file in the GTSPP Continuously Managed Database (CMD) and "ext" is is always 'nc' indicating the data type is netCDF format.