Underway Data Format
CalCOFI cruises collect underway data on NOAA vessels from the SCS (Shipboard Computer System). These data may or may not be combined into a common, comma-delimited, ascii file. Most sensor data are collected at different frequencies and require post-cruise processing to combine into a standard time frame. RV New Horizon's underway dataset may be a few hundred megabytes whereas NOAA underway dataset requires 3 DVDs to archive. Please refer to CalCOFI's Underway Data page for merged, processed data.
SIO vessels collect MET (meterological system) underway data. These data include surface TSG measurements combined with fluorometry, pH, ship instrumentation (such as heading & speed) & meterological data. These values may be combined into 30 second records and collected into daily files. CTD near-surface data are used to correct underway temperature, salinity, & fluorometer measurements. Underway data is available in raw, 30sec MET ascii format and 10 minute binavg, corrected data.
NOAA vessels collect SCS data which may or may not be reported in a single, combined record during the cruise. Since data are sampled at different frequencies & into separate data files. post-cruise processing to a common time-scale is required. This requires significantly more effort which may delay the availability of the underway data products.
SIO-CalCOFI processes SIO, NOAA, and other CalCOFI ship underway data and convert the data into a universal ascii data format. Final underway data files contain both the processed ship specific averaged data and corrected values. Below are examples of column headers and their units.
CalCOFI cruises on SIO vessels, particularly RV New Horizon, collects underway data recorded by the MET (shipboard meterological) system. Every thirty-seconds, a record of surface measurements (T, S, Fl, pH), ship measurements (speed, heading, Ashtech, winch, PDR, & more), and meterological measurements (wind, surface PAR, barometer, & more) are combined into a single, comma-delimited record. Each data field is defined by the adjacent field variable label ie ...10.0,WS,320,WD... is 10.0kts wind speed, 320° wind direction. Please refer to the list below or to MetAcq Operator’s Manual (Shipboard Technical Support Revision 2.00 March 2009) for more information