Preparing Data for use in HOPS

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Preparing Data for use in HOPS

The examination and preparation of data for use in HOPS is an important undertaking. During our real-time forecasting operations, nearly half of our resources will be devoted to it. Data should never be put into a dynamical model without an examination for consistency and reliability.

The recommended data format for HOPS is an ASCII format called MODS. This format is described in Readme.datamng. The primary advantage of an ASCII format (besides portability) is the ease it provides the user for "hands on" editing.

Datamng

This package is a series of programs to manage data for HOPS. Currently this package is geared towards in situ profile data. The main purpose of this package is to formalize the most frequent operations performed on the data. Functionally, this package can be described as:

Inquiry codes

minmax Reports min/max statistics of the data.
timestat Reports time statistics of the data.

File manipulation codes

cat_hydro Concatenates multiple MODS data files.
select Extracts casts based on cast id.
select_depth Extracts casts based on minimum allowed depth.
selpoly Extracts casts based on a polygon.
selpos Extracts casts based on position.
seltime Extracts casts based on time.
thinclimo Reduces gridded climatology resolution by factor of 2.

Data manipulation codes

add_top Adds a surface value to data.
shifttime Adds a constant time shift to the data.
smooth_casts Smoothes the data with linear or Gaussian filters.

Data conversion codes

convcast Converts data file formats.
saclant2mods Convert SACLANT formatted data to MODS.

AddSalt

This program is designed to add salinity to temperature-depth profiles. The purpose of the program is to eliminate a particular type of inconsistency. Say a CTD survey (depth, temperature, salinity) is augments with XBTs (depth, temperature). The end result can be a resolution mis-match between the temperature and salinity data. The worst case scenario would be the creation of fictitious density fronts from the mis-match. The goal is to create consistent salinities based on the local water mass properties.

This program should be used with caution. A poorly designed, inconsistent salinity is worse than none at all.

Field Preparation Software
(pub/HOPS)
Directory	Files	Date (MM/DD/YYYY)	Size Compressed (bytes)	Size Uncompressed (bytes)
Datamng/	Readme.datamng	01/18/2001		13494
	datamng_1.6.tar.Z	01/18/2001	121213	576000

AddSalt/	Readme.addsalt	01/18/2001		6777
	addsalt_1.4.tar.Z	01/18/2001	55573	209408