Tropical Atmosphere Ocean from Buoys (TAO)
Information updated on February 3, 2005, 3:19 pm GMT
General Data Description
These data files contain 2 minute average radiation and 10 minute average meteorology, precipitation, salinity and sea surface temperature data from the seven TAO buoys located on the 165E line (8n, 5n, 2n, 0n, 2s, 5s, 8s) of the TAO Buoy Array. The radiation data were obtained from TAO Array moorings through a collaborative effort between NOAA/PMEL/TAO and DOE/ARM.Data from these buoys are stored in monthly netCDF files that are generated by PMEL.
For detailed information about sampling and sensors, see these two web pages:
Data Stream Names
- 02taorad165e0n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 0 N, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e2n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 2 N, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e2s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 2 S, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e5n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 5 N, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e5s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 5 S, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e8n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 8 N, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 02taorad165e8s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: radiometric data at 165 E, 8 S, 2-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e0n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 0 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e2n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 2 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e2s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 2 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e5n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 5 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e5s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 5 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e8n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 8 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taomet165e8s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: meteorological data at 165 E, 8 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e0n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 0 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e2n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 2 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e2s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 2 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e5n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 5 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e5s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 5 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e8n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 8 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taoprecip165e8s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: precipitation data at 165 E, 8 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e0n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 0 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e2n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 2 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e2s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 2 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e5n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 5 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e5s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 5 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e8n - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 8 N, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File) - 10taosalinity165e8s - Tropical Atmosphere Ocean Buoys: salinity data at 165 E, 8 S, 10-min avg
netCDF File Header Description (Data Object Design File)
Measurement Description
This file contains 2 minute averages of downwelling shortwave radiation in w/m**2 at 3 meters and a data quality flag.
twp10taoprecip165eiiX1.a1.yyyymmdd.hhmmss.cdf
This file contains 10 minute measurements of precipitation in mm/hr and a
data quality flag.
To reduce instrumental noise, internally recorded
1-minute rain accumulation values are smoothed with a
16-minute Hanning filter upon recovery. These smoothed
data are then differenced at 10-minute intervals and
converted to rain rates in mm hr-1. The resultant rain
rate values are centered at times coincident with other
10-minute data (0000, 0010, 0020...).
twp10taomet165eiiX1.a1.yyyymmdd.hhmmss.cdf
This file contains 10 minute averages of u and v component of the wind,
and wind speed (all in m/sec), wind direction in degrees clockwise from true north, air temperature (C),
sea surface temperature (C) and relative humidity (%). There are data
quality flags for each of these measurements.
Winds use the oceanographic convention. A wind
with zonal and meridional components of 1.0 and 1.0 is blowing
toward the Northeast.
twp10taosalinity165eiiX1.a1.yyyymmdd.hhmmss.cdf
This file contains 10 minute averages of salinity (PSU) and data quality flags.
Quality Code Definitions:
0 = datum missing
1 = highest quality; Pre/post-deployment calibrations agree to within sensor specifications. In most cases only pre-deployment calibrations have been applied.
2 = default quality; Pre-deployment calibrations applied. Default value for sensors presently deployed and for sensors which were either not recovered or not calibratable when recovered.
3 = adjusted data; Pre/post calibrations differ, or original data do not agree with other data sources (e.g., other in situ data or climatology), or original data are noisy. Data have been adjusted to correct for error.
4 = lower quality; Pre/post calibrations differ, or data do not agree with other data sources (e.g., other in situ data or climatology), or data are noisy. Data could not be confidently adjusted to correct for error.
5 = sensor or tube failed
DEFINITION OF TIME:
The times within the files are stored as "true Julian day" (in the measurement named time) and milliseconds since 0:00 GMT (in the measurement named time2). The Julian day is assumed to start at 0000GMT. In order to give the netCDF files names that match other ARM names (dates as we know it), we do convert the internal start time of the file to a yyyymmdd.hhmmss date.
The "caldat" routine in IDL is used to do the time conversion. The excerpt from IDL explaining the routine states:
"The CALDAT procedure computes the month, day, year, hour, minute, or second corresponding to a given Julian date. The inverse of this procedure is JULDAY. Note The Julian calendar, established by Julius Caesar in the year 45 BCE, was corrected by Pope Gregory XIII in 1582, excising ten days from the calendar. The CALDAT procedure reflects the adjustment for dates after October 4, 1582. This routine is written in the IDL language. Its source code can be found in the file caldat.pro in the lib subdirectory of the IDL distribution."
The algorithm is more fully described here .
Temporal Coverage
Data Stream | Start Date |
---|---|
twp02taorad165e0nX1.a1 | 01/08/1998 |
twp02taorad165e2nX1.a1 | 01/07/1998 |
twp02taorad165e2sX1.a1 | 06/15/1997 |
twp02taorad165e5nX1.a1 | 06/11/1997 |
twp02taorad165e5sX1.a1 | 01/11/1998 |
twp02taorad165e8nX1.a1 | 06/10/1997 |
twp02taorad165e8sX1.a1 | 06/17/1997 |
twp10taomet165e0nX1.a1 | 01/08/1998 |
twp10taomet165e2nX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taomet165e2sX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taomet165e5nX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taomet165e5sX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taomet165e8nX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taomet165e8sX1.a1 | 02/01/1998 |
twp10taoprecip165e0nX1.a1 | 01/08/1998 |
twp10taoprecip165e2nX1.a1 | 01/07/1998 |
twp10taoprecip165e2sX1.a1 | 06/15/1997 |
twp10taoprecip165e5nX1.a1 | 06/11/1997 |
twp10taoprecip165e5sX1.a1 | 01/11/1998 |
twp10taoprecip165e8nX1.a1 | 06/10/1997 |
twp10taoprecip165e8sX1.a1 | 06/17/1997 |
twp10taosalinity165e0nX1.a1 | 03/20/1999 |
twp10taosalinity165e2nX1.a1 | 03/21/1999 |
twp10taosalinity165e2sX1.a1 | 08/12/1999 |
twp10taosalinity165e5sX1.a1 | 03/14/1999 |
Area Covered
Data Stream Inputs
Notification Form Link
Related Links
Contacts
- ARM Mentor Richard Wagener
- ARM Software Developer Laurie Gregory
Data Source
- Institution Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory
Acronyms
NOAA National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration PMEL Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory PSU Practical Salinity Units TAO Tropical Atmosphere Ocean
Citable References
"The Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Array World Wide Web Site" Mangum, L.J. et al. Argos Newsletter, 53, 9-11 (1998)
"ATLAS Buoy -- Reengineered for the Next Decade" Milburn, H.B. et al. Proceedings of IEEE / MTS Oceans '96, 698-702 (1996)
"The Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Array is Completed" McPhaden, M.J. Bul. of the American Meteorological Society, 76, 739-741(1995)
"TOGA-TAO Array Sampling Schemes and Sensor Evaluations" Mangum, L.J. Proceedings of the Oceans '94 OSATES, 2, 402-406 (1994) "Calibration Procedures and Instrumental Accuracy Estimates of TAO Temperature, Relative Humidity and Radiation Measurements", Freitag, H.P et al NOAA Tech. Report, (1994)