Quality Control and Interpolations of WOCE-TOGA Drifter Data

TLDR

Satellite‑tracked drifting buoy data from multiple agencies are being collected for the WOCE‑TOGA Surface Velocity Program, and by the end of the century this global dataset will provide the most comprehensive climatology of world surface currents. The study aims to expedite the creation of high‑quality, archival datasets by detailing procedures for preparing drifting buoy data for users and future operators. At NOAA AOML, drifting buoy data are quality‑controlled and optimally interpolated to uniform 6‑hour trajectories, with quantitative uncertainty estimates, before being archived at the Marine Environmental Data Service in Canada.

Abstract

Satellite-tracked drifting buoy data are being collected by numerous investigators and agencies in several countries for the World Ocean Circulation Experiment-Tropical Oceans Global Atmosphere (WOCE-TOGA) Surface Velocity Program. By the end of the century, and thereafter, this global dataset will provide the best available climatology and chronology of the surface currents of the World Ocean. To expedite completion of research quality datasets for archival and dissemination, a data acquisition activity is being conducted at NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML), Miami, Florida. At AOML, data from drifting buoys of cooperating operators are quality controlled and optimally interpolated to uniform 6-h interval trajectories for archival at the Marine Environmental Data Service (Canada). This report describes in detail the procedures used in preparing these data for the benefit of second- or third-party users, or future buoy operators who may wish to process data in a consistent way. Particular attention is given to provide quantitative estimates for uncertainty of interpolation.