Section 6: Boundary-Layer Data This section contains boundary-layer data, which may be broadly divided into two parts: land data and marine data. Some products, such as the surface analyses (section 6.1) do not readily fit into either category, as they include data from both. With the exception of the Nova Scotia Mesonet Data (see section 6.3.6), there were no special land surface observing systems deployed for ERICA. Standard land surface data have been gathered and reformatted. Land surface data are described in section 6.3; precipitation data are described in section 6.2. Special efforts were necessary to gather the marine surface data that were required. The ERICA drifting buoys were dropped from aircraft, the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute deployed a deep-moored buoy to collect ERICA data. Every effort has been made to gather all of the marine surface data available from standard sources. Marine data are described in section 6.5. 6.1 Surface Analyses 6.1.1 NMC North American Surface Analyses Form: paper, microfilm. Size: 3 x 4ft (paper originals) or 8.5 x 11 in (paper copies of microfilm) Volume: 2 rolls of microfilm These are the surface analyses produced every 3 hours at the NMC. The analyses are available on microfilm for borrowing; select portions can be printed on 8.5" x 11" paper. Also available (for borrowing only) are the original large-size paper analyses which were produced at the World Weather Building. The two microfilms cover from November to December, 1988, and from January to February, 1989. 6.1.2 NMC Northern Hemisphere Surface Analyses Form: paper, microfilm. Size: 3 x 4 ft (paper originals) or 8.5 x 11 in (paper copies of microfilm) Volume: 2 rolls of microfilm These are the surface analyses produced by the NMC every 6 hours operationally. They are available on microfilm, which may be borrowed. Select analyses may be printed out (in sections) on 8.5"x11" sheets of paper. Also available are the original large-sheet paper analyses which were produced at the World Weather Building. The two microfilms cover from October to December, 1988, and from January to March, 1989. 6.1.3 Maritime Weather Centre Surface Analyses Form: microfilm, paper Size: 8.5 x 11 in (paper) Volume: 1 roll of microfilm This microfilm contains the three-hourly surface analyses produced by AES at the Maritime Weather Centre. The analyses for IOP days are also available (in sections) on 8.5" x 11" paper. Select non-IOP day analyses will be printed out on request. 6.1.4 Sanders' Surface Analyses Form: paper Size: 8.5" x 11" Volume: 44 maps Shortly after the field study Dr. Fred Sanders completed surface analyses for the first five ERICA IOPs. The analyses are typically every six hours, with some intermediate 3-hourly maps during times of especially rapid deepening. The data for the analyses were drawn from the following sources: 1) real-time observations from ships, moored buoys, and C-MAN stations received and archived at NMC 2) NCDC TD-1129 surface marine data (see section 6.5.3) 3) some real-time collections of data from MIT via Zephyr 4) real time ERICA drifting buoy hourly data (see section 6.5.6) 5) preliminary flight level data from the two P-3s (see section 2.1.1) and from the NCAR Electra (see section 2.2.1) 6) North American and Northern Hemisphere Surface Analyses (see sections 6.1.1 and 6.1.2) 7) satellite imagery from NESDIS (see sections 5.1, 5.3, and 5.4). Note that higher quality data are now available from sources 4 and 5 above, and a more complete set has replaced source 2. 6.1.5 Gridded Surface Pressure Analyses Form: digital, paper Size: 250 Kbytes (digital), 8.5" x 11" (paper) Volume: 44 analyses The six-hourly pressure analyses during IOPs 1-5 from Prof. Sanders (6.1.4) have been digitized at two-degree latitude, longitude resolution and interpolated to one-degree latitude, longitude resolution. These fields were used as preliminary fields from which univariate statistical analyses were made using the TD-1129 files, the ship logs, AES moored buoy data, and the post-processed ERICA buoy data. The preliminary and final analyses are available in digital form. Rejected data and bias corrections are listed. The observations used are listed synoptically and in time series along with the departures of these data from the analyses. Charts of the analyses and data plots are available. This work has been done by Drs. Kreitzberg and Hadlock initially to document the ERICA buoy pressure data error characteristics. 6.2 Precipitation Observations 6.2.1 NCDC Original Format Hourly Precipitation File (TD-3240) Form: digital Size: 7 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set contains data from the approximately 3100 NWS and Cooperative Observer stations who send to NCDC punched paper tapes or rain gauge charts. NCDC digitizes and quality controls these data. The data are in one file per month; within those files the data are sorted by state, station number, day. The files contain hourly, daily, and accumulated precipitation. Depending on the station, these totals are to the nearest tenth inch or one-hundredth inch. 6.2.2 Observed Snow Cover Maps Form: paper Size: 8.5" x 11" Volume: 89 pages These are the standard NWS Observed Snow Cover Maps showing the total accumulation and 6hr snow fall in inches. There is one map per day (at 12Z) for each day in the field study. These maps were provided to the Data Center from the faxed maps received by Professors Greg Forbes (Penn State) and Lance Bosart (SUNY). The faxes copied poorly and, as a result, many of these maps are difficult to read. Additionally, a copy of the map for February 9, 1989 has not been found. 6.3 Land Surface Data 6.3.1 EDC Reformatted Surface Hourly Airways (TD-3280) Form: digital Size: 123 Mbytes Volume: 2 tapes These data are derived from the NCDC quality checked Surface Hourly Airways Data (TD-3280) (see section 6.3.2 below). 288 stations reported data during the ERICA period; map 6.1 shows the locations of the TD-3280 sites. Reformatting at the Data Center included resorting, removing data which were flagged as bad (while retaining NCDCs corrections), and changing the record structure to allow more convenient access to the data. We also converted the observation time from local to UTC, and trimmed the number of elements (parameters) reported to 20, including dew point temperature, horizontal visibility, station level pressure, present weather, relative humidity, sea-level pressure, dry and wet bulb temperature, wind speed and direction, and 11 cloud data fields. (Note that not all elements may be available for any given station). The reformatted data come in two different record structures. The first has a record length of 4998 bytes. Each record holds one stations data for one day. The second format has a record length of 183 bytes. Each record holds one stations data for one hour. In both cases the data are sorted by day and by station WBAN number. 6.3.2 NCDC Original Format Surface Hourly Airways (TD-3280) Form: digital Size: 120 Mbytes Volume: 3 tapes This set contains NCDC quality controlled, hourly surface data for the U.S.; these data have been reformatted and resorted and are available as the EDC Reformatted Surface Hourly Airways Data (see section 6.3.1 above). The data are in variable length records of 45 to 609 bytes. Each record holds one day's observations from one station for one parameter (or element). About 27 different measured elements are reported. For example, the first record might hold one day's observations of the present weather for one station. The next record might hold one day's wind observations from the same station, and so on. The data are sorted by station, with each stations data sorted by day. In some cases NCDC quality control has corrected an observation. In these cases both the uncorrected and the corrected observation are supplied. 6.3.3 NCDC Summary of Day CO-OP Element File (TD-3200) Form: digital Size: 47 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set contains data from the cooperative weather observation network. Stations primarily report daily precipitation values and maximum and minimum temperatures. No quality checking has been performed on these data at the Data Center. 6.3.4 EDC Reformatted DATSAV Surface Data Form: digital Size: 120 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set was drawn from the NCDC Original Format DATSAV Surface Data (see section 6.3.5 below), and contains all of the data from that set which are east of 85 W longitude, with the station latitude, longitude, and elevation inserted into each record (in addition to: pressure, pressure tendency and change, dry-bulb and dew point temperatures, precipitation, wind speed and direction, present weather, visibility, and sky cover). The DATSAV data are the most comprehensive land surface data available (there are over 577,000 observation in the ERICA region during the field study), although the TD-3280 data have been subjected to more quality control (see section 6.3.1). Map 6.2 shows the locations of the DATSAV sites included in this set. These data include NWS, FAA, Coast Guard and military sites. Data from 288 sites are included in this set. 6.3.5 NCDC Original Format DATSAV Surface Data Form: digital Size: 120 Mbytes Volume: 3 tapes This is the most comprehensive surface land data set available for the ERICA period (although the TD-3280 data are of higher quality - see sections 6.3.1 and 6.3.2). These data include NWS, FAA, Coast Guard and military sites. 1154 sites in all are included in the set of these data that we ordered from NCDC which are the stations in WMO blocks 72 and 74. At the EDC we have prepared a set of these data which may be more convenient for most researchers, the EDC Reformatted DATSAV Surface Data (see section 6.3.4 above). 6.3.6 Nova Scotia Mesonet Data Form: digital Size: 15 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set is from the 10 AES mesonet sites along the southern coast of Nova Scotia. Map 6.3 shows the location of the sites. The stations measured temperature, humidity, pressure, wind speed and direction, and (at some sites) precipitation, at 10 minute intervals during IOPs (with some gaps). A Campbell Scientific Data Logger, operated by ARMP, recorded similar data at Shearwater, Nova Scotia (YAW) and is available in the same format. These data have not been thoroughly quality controlled. In addition, ARMP operated a special precipitation site at YAW with laser imaging probes and photography. Enquiries about these data should be directed to Dr. Norman Donaldson at ARMP. A report on the mesonet data has been prepared by the AES contractor in charge of the mesonet data, Jim Salmon. The report is 46 pages and includes descriptions of the instruments, data processing, and sites. The sites are listed below with their latatudes, longitudes, and elevations. Numbers correspond to those map 6.3. Mesonet Stations: 1 The Hawk 43.41 N 65.62 W 2 m 2 Hemeons Point 43.70 N 65.03 W 2 m 3 Cherry Hill Beach 44.14 N 64.50 W 2 m 4 Prospect 44.47 N 63.78 W 3 m 5 Martinique Beach 44.69 N 63.14 W 3 m 6 Shiers Point 44.95 N 62.25 W 3 m 7 New Harbor 45.17 N 61.45 W 5 m 8 Eddy Point 45.51 N 61.25 W 61 m 9 Louisbourg 45.89 N 59.98 W 3 m 10 Fall River 44.81 N 63.65 W 49 m 11 Campbell at Shearwater 44.63N 63.50W 54.3 m 6.3.7 Canadian Surface Hourly Data Form: digital Size: 28 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set is the surface hourly data for Eastern Canada and is not quality checked. It is divided into two parts, the manual site data (22 Mbytes), and the automatic site data (5.7 Mbytes). According to Norman Donaldson of AES a transmissions system glitch at CCC resulted in some garbled data from autosites - these data should be used with caution. Higher quality data may be available from CCC around June, 1990 158 sites (both auto and manual) reported data during the ERICA field study. These sites are listed in Appendix I and a the eastern sites are plotted in Map 3.1. Both the auto and manual data are in the same format. There are 170 different possible elements reported in each observation (most are not present for most of the observations). 6.4 Station Lists 6.4.1 WBAN Station List Form: digital, paper Size: 3 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This station list is an NCDC product (TD-9767), and contains a list of surface observation sites listed by WBAN number. This station list does include stations that are no longer reporting. Researchers may be more interested in the EDC List of TD-3280 Stations (see section 6.4.4). 6.4.2 AWS Master Station List with WMO Numbers Form: digital, paper Size: 2.3 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This list contains all of the sites which report into the DATSAV data set (see sections 6.3.4 and 6.3.5). This station list does include stations that are no longer reporting. Researchers may be more interested in the EDC List of DATSAV Stations East of 85W (see section 6.4.4). 6.4.3 EDC List of TD-3280 Stations Form: digital, paper Size: 38 Kbytes Volume: 1 tape This list contains all of the 288 sites which report into the TD-3280 data set (see sections 6.3.1 and 6.3.2). A subset of these sites are plotted on Map 3.1, and sites in the ERICA region are listed in Appendix G. This station list includes the stations time zone. 6.4.4 EDC List of DATSAV Stations East of 85W Form: digital, paper Size: 18 Kbytes Volume: 1 tape This list contains all of the 288 sites east of 85W which report into the DATSAV data set. A subset of these sites are listed in Appendix G of this Guide. See Map 6.2. 6.4.5 Canadian Surface Hourly Site List Form: digital, paper Size: 18 Kbytes Volume: 1 tape This tape contains all of the 159 sites which report into the Canadian Surface Hourly Data (see section 6.3.7). These sites are assigned station codes by CCC. These sites are listed in Appendix I and plotted on Map 6.1. 6.5 Ocean Surface Data 6.5.1 Master Marine Data Tape Form: digital Size: 130 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This tape contains a variety of marine data products, including the following: 1.) EDC Combined TD-1129 Format Data (section 6.5.3) 2.) EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data (section 6.5.8) 3.) 14 and 50 km Digital SST Analyses from AVHRR (section 5.8.1) The first set is a combination of different data sets. Chart 6.1 shows the different steps involved in merging these data. The creation points of various versions of this tape are indicated. The resulting files were sorted by month, day, platform ID, and hour. Users of surface marine data may wish to examine the quality controlled observations and lists of biases and rejected observations that are included with the Gridded Surface Pressure Analyses (see section 6.1.5). The SST data are provided in their original format and in a condensed format created at the Data Center. Also included are FORTRAN codes to work with the SST data, compare it to the EDB data, and the results of these comparisons. 6.5.2 Plots of Surface Marine Data Form: paper Size: 8.5"x11" Volume: 1 every three hours These plots are produced at the ERICA Data Center from the most current marine surface data available. The plot shows pressure, sea surface and air temperature, dew point temperature, wind speed and direction, and platform ID. (Not all of these will be available for all platforms). The plots come with a listing of the data sets plotted (including their version numbers), and a listing of all of the data plotted. 6.5.3 EDC Combined TD-1129 Format Data Form: digital Size: 15 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set is a combination of the NCDC Surface Marine Data (TD-1129) (see section 6.5.4), the Canadian Marine Data (see section 6.5.5), the U.S. Navy Surface Reports (see section 6.5.7), and the Copies of Ships Logs (see section 6.5.6). All of these sets are in the NCDC TD-1129 format (or close to it, in the case of the Ships Logs). Chart 6.1 documents the data flow. At the Data Center we combined the sets, removing duplicates, observations outside the ERICA region, and all buoy and C-MAN data. (The buoy and C-MAN data are included in the EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data set, section 6.5.8). 6.5.4 NCDC Surface Marine Data (TD-1129) Form: digital Size: 8 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This is the NCDC quality controlled surface marine data tape. Surface marine data are received at NCDC from numerous sources: participating maritime countries mail digitized data; the NOAA Data Buoy Center provides monthly tapes of data from Coastal Marine Automated Stations (C-MAN) and fixed buoys; tapes containing telecommunicated data are received from NMC and the Navy; ships in the U.S. Voluntary Observing fleet mail manuscripts; and other special sets are added periodically. The marine observations are generally taken at 6-hourly intervals at synoptic hours. Research vessels, buoys, and C-MAN stations often record observations more frequently, usually 3-hourly or hourly. Up to 77 different data values are included in each report, including wave and cloud data, present and past weather, ice and precipitation, along with pressure, temperature of sea and air, wind speed and direction, dew point, and quality flags.The quality of these data vary widely, as do the instruments used and the training of the observer. This set should not be confused with other marine data sets in the TD-1129 format (Navy Surface and Canadian Surface Marine Data sets). All of the TD-1129 format sets have been merged (eliminating duplicate observations and real-time ERICA drifting buoy data). This merged is described in section 6.5.3. 6.5.5 Canadian Marine Data Form: digital Size: 7 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape These data are the Canadian equivalent to the NCDC TD-1129 data, and are, in fact, in the same format. Due to staffing problems at the Canadian Climate Centre, this set is not yet complete; we expect to receive more data in the Summer of 1990. 6.5.6 Copies of Ships' Logs Form: paper Size: 24" x 14" Volume: about 150 ships These are copies of the NCDC format paper logs mailed into NCDC from various ships. We have gleaned any reports from these logs which are in the ERICA region and do not appear in the NCDC Surface Marine Data (TD-1129) (see section 6.5.3). These additional observations were typed in and combined with other data of similar format in the EDC Combined TD-1129 Format Data (see section 6.5.4). Interested researchers many order copies of select ship logs from the EDC, or borrow the originals. About 30% of ship observations are available in this form. A list of the ships for which we have logs appears in Appendix I of this Guide. NCDC updates its TD-1129 data set regularly. These observations will eventually be included in the NCDC Surface Marine Data set. 6.5.7 U.S. Navy Surface Reports Form: digital Size: 1.8 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape These are the U.S. Navy surface ship observations. This set is identical in format with the NCDC Surface Marine Data (TD-1129) (see section 6.4.4), and many of these observations can be found in that file. These data have been merged into the merged TD-1129 format data on the EDC Combined TD-1129 Format Data (see section 6.5.8). 6.5.8 EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data Form: digital Size: 9 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape This set is a combination of the AES Moored Buoy Data (see section 6.5.10), the EDB Hourly Interpolated Data (see section 6.5.9), the WHOI Moored Buoy Data (see section 6.5.11) and the NDBC Marine Data (TD-1171 Format) (see section 6.5.12). This combined data set is in NCDCs TD-1171 format. This set is included on the EDC Master Marine Data tape (see section 6.5.1). 6.5.9 EDB Hourly Interpolated Data Form: digital Size: 1.3 Mbyte Volume: 1 tape This first distribution of the ERICA drifting buoy post-processed hourly data includes some statistical programs and results as well as data and documentation. These data supersede all field quality ERICA buoy data produced in real-time at Drexel and by ERICA personnel in the World Weather Building. These data were processed and analyzed by Drs. Jing Guo and Carl Kreitzberg at Drexel University. The data are available in two sorts: time sort (one file per day) or series sort by buoy (one file per buoy).These data are also included in the EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data set (see section 6.5.8). 6.5.10 AES Moored Buoy Data Form: digital Size: 500 Kbytes Volume: 1 tape The Canadian Atmospheric Environment Service (AES) moored 4 buoys in the ERICA region for the field study. They each reported wind direction and speed, air temperature, sea temperature, and barometric pressure. In addition, three of the buoys (137, 138, and 139) reported some wave data. Putting this data set together has been a difficult task, since there seems to be no single, complete source. Data were obtained from the Marine Environment Data Service (with the help of Norman Donaldson of AES), from the Maritime Weather Centre's Surface Analyses (see section 6.1.3), from the NCDC Surface Marine Data (TD-1129) (see section 6.5.4), and from the Canadian Surface Marine Data (see section 6.5.5). We have produced a combined data set from these sources. These data are included in the EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data set (see section 6.5.8). Buoy WMO numbers, locations, and operation times: 44131 42.5 N 64.2 W 12/10/88 - 2/8/89 44137 41.3 N 61.4 W 12/1/88 - 12/8/88 44138 44.4 N 53.6 W 12/1/88 - 3/1/89 44139 44.3 N 57.4 W 12/1/88 - 3/1/89 6.5.11 WHOI Moored Buoy Data Form: digital Size: 1.35 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape The Wood's Hole Oceanographic Institute's moored buoy was located at 42.54N 61.23W, about 150 km south east of Nova Scotia. It was in operation from October 18, 1988, to March 7, 1989, a total of 140 days. During that period data were recorded every 15 minutes from both of its two complete sets of meteorological instrumentation. Measured quantities include pressure, air temperature, sea-surface temperature, wind speed and direction, relative humidity, latent, longwave and shortwave fluxes. These data are included in the EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data set (see section 6.5.8). The buoy also measured ocean current and temperature at 20 and 50 meters below the surface. Around Christmas the current meters were damaged by fishing lines, and so there are no current data for the months of January and February, although the underwater temperature data cover the entire field study. 6.5.12 NDBC Marine Data (TD-1171) Form: digital Size: 3 Mbytes Volume: 1 tape These data come from the National Data Buoy Center and include three hourly data for NWS fixed buoys and C-MAN sites. While some of these data are already included in the NCDC Surface Marine Data (see section 6.5.3), the NDBC set is more complete. These data are included in the EDC Combined Buoy and C-MAN Data set (see section 6.5.8).