Directory taodata/surface This directory contains ascii files of daily averaged surface meteorological data from the TAO array of ATLAS and Current Meter moorings maintained by NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. Time series of mooring latitude, longitude, zonal wind (WND-U: west < 0, east > 0), meridional wind (WND-V: south < 0, north > 0), air temperature (AIRT), sea surface temperature (SST), and relative humidity (RH) are included from the TAO array. Several mooring sites were first occupied in 1979; however data from the majority of the sites begin during the past five years. Relative humidity measurements were not available at any site until 1989. All data are daily averages centered at 1200z on the day listed in each line. This directory also contains data from island wind stations (courtesy of Mr H. Paul Freitag, NOAA/PMEL). Please note that island winds may be influenced by local orographic features. Contact P. Freitag (freitag@pmel.noaa.gov) for specific details. The islands and the file names are listed below: Kapingamarangi 1n155e_isl.met Nauru 1s167e_isl.met Baker Island 0n176w_isl.met Christmas Island 2n157w_isl.met Winds from the moored buoys are measured at a nominal height of 4m above the ocean surface, AIRT and RH at 3m above the surface, and SST at 1m depth. Island winds are measured from 10m or 30m height (see headers for each site), and the island AIRT is measured at 8m height. Also included at the right end of each line of data are are integer values which indicate the quality of the data at left. The column header for these quality values reads PWDHAS which means P quality of lat and lon mooring position W quality of wind speed D quality of wind direction H quality of relative humidity A quality of air temperature S quality of sea surface temperature The quality values may be interpreted using the following key: 0 = datum missing 1 = highest quality; pre/post-deployment calibrations agree 2 = standard quality; pre-deployment calibrations applied 3 = lower quality; pre/post calibrations differ 4 = questionable; doesn't agree with adjacent buoys, climatology, or other data sources 5 = sensor or tube failed 8 = position: buoy drifted or drifting with speed less than 0.1 knots 9 = position: buoy drifting and speed greater than 0.1 knots The quality values at this time are all set to either 2, 0, or 5. As calibration comparisons progress, quality value indices will be updated as appropriate. The most recent data in this directory (past 12 months) should be considered preliminary until post-deployment calibrations are performed for sensors presently deployed. Preliminary data are subject to revision. The files in this directory are organized by site. For example, 0n110w.met contains all the data from the site at the Equator and longitude 110W. At the top of each file you will find a two line header which gives the nominal location, the time range covered by the file, the total number of days, the number of data blocks, the measured variables and their units, and the missing value. Gaps in time longer than 7 days have been removed, and a three line header is inserted at the location of each gap. Blocks of data are separated by these headers which give for their block the time range, the time index range relative to the start of the file, and sensor heights or depths. (The time index range is used by programs that read the files; see below). For sensors above the ocean surface, depth values are negative. The file tao_met.index details the number of daily mean values at each site for Winds, RH, AIRT and SST. Moorings have on occasion broken free from their anchors and drifted from their deployed location while still returning data. These events can be found by inspection of the mooring location time series. Wind data from these drifting buoys have been corrected using drift velocities computed from location changes. Any of the data files in this directory can be read using the example fortran program met_read.f. You may copy this program, and adapt it to your needs. It uses the time index range mentioned above to create real arrays in program memory of winds, RH, AIRT, and SST as well as integer arrays of data quality. All of these arrays are evenly spaced in time with gaps filled by missing data values. DISK STORAGE REQUIREMENTS: As of April 1999, the files in this directory require about 26 Megabytes of disk space. If you GET any of these data, please notify "atlasrt@pmel.noaa.gov" so that we can inform you of any modifications to the data sets. Also, please provide a 1-2 line description of your intended use of the data, so that we can advise you of other TAO analysis projects underway on related topics. If you use TAO data in publications, please acknowledge the TAO Project Office, Dr. Michael J. McPhaden, Director. Also, we would appreciate receiving a preprint and/or reprint of those publications utilizing TAO data for inclusion in the TAO bibliography. These publications should be sent to: The TAO Project Office NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory 7600 Sand Point Way NE Seattle, WA 98115 Please send comments, questions, or problems to "atlasrt@pmel.noaa.gov".