U.S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

NATIONAL WEATHER SERVICE' NATIONAL METEOROLOGICAL CENTER

OFFICE NOTE 368

OPC UNIFIED MARINE DATABASE VERIFICATION SYSTEM

Vera M. GeraldNational Meteorological Center

This is an unreviewed manuscript, primarily intended for informalexchange of information among NMC staff members

U. S. DEPARTMENT OF COMMERCENATIONAL OCEANIC AND ATMOSPHERIC ADMINISTRATION

OCEAN PRODUCTS CENTER

TECHNICAL NOTE*

OPC Unified Marine Database Verification System

Vera M. Gerald

THIS IS AN UNREVIEWED MANUSCRIPT, PRIMARILY INTENDED FOREXCHANGE OF INFORMATION AMONG NMC STAFF MEMBERS

INTERNAL

*OPC Contribution No. 43NMC Office Note No. 368

OPC CONTrIHUTIONS SERIES

Development of Forecast L. UKKuuUnGuidance for Santa AnraConditions.

2.Lake Erie Wave Height W. RICHARDSONForecasts Generated by o.J. SCHWABEmpirical and Dynamical YIY CHAOMethods -- Comparison 0.N. WRIGHTend verification.

. Determination of Errors S.J. AUERin LFM Forecasts SurfaceLosw Over the NorthwestAtlantic Ocean,

. A NMethod of Calculating D. a. Raothe Total Flov from A S.D SteinrodGiven Sea Surface B.V. SANCHEZTopography.

5. Compendium of Marine 0.. FEElTMeteorological andOceanographic Productsof the ocean ProductsCenter.

6. A Comparison of the LFR, S.J. AUERSpectral, and ECMWFNumerical Model Forecastsof Dampening OceanicCyclones During One CoolSeason.

7 Development of open Fog L. BUJRROUHSForecasting Regions.

S. A Technique of Deducing T.W. YuWind Direction fromAltimeter Wind SpeedMesuroenta.

. A 5-Year Climatological S. 3. AUERSurvey of the Gulf Streamand Its Associated RingMovesents.

.0. Forecasting Wave Con- Y. Y. CHAOditions Affected bycurrents and BottomTopography.

1. The Editing and D.C. ESTEVAAveraging of AltimeterWayve and Wind Data.

2. Forecasting Super-structure Icing for

Alaskan Waters.

3. Tidal Estimation in theAtlantic and IndianOceans.

Performance of Tech-niques Used to DeriveOcean Surface winds.

.5. PerformanCe Statisticsof Techniques Used toDetermine ocean SurfaceWinds.

24. Synoptic Surtace NMarine V. GERALDData Monitoring.

TECH. NOTEGI.ERL CON.4471

10/87

7/86

OFF. "OE 313 7/86

NASA TECH.DO 87799

25. Estimating and Removing L. C. BREAKERSensor Induce Correlationfrom AVKR Data.

26. Infinite Elements for H.S. ChenWater Wave RAdiation andscattering.

27. A Statietical Comparison W.N. GEMILLof MthIods for Determining T.W. YUocean surface Wind. D.M. F71T

28. A Reviewv of the Program

Product Dev. of the OPC.4/87

mNRA TECH KmtO 9/86

OFF.NOTE 312TECH NOTE

OFF.NOTE 323

29. Infinite Elements forCombined Diffraction ndRefraction.

30 An Operational SpectralWave Forecasting Modelfor the Gulf of exico.8/86

31. Improving Global Wev-Forecasts IncorporatingAltimeter Data.

2/87

MON.WEA.REV. 9/87

3. GEO. RES. 10/87

TECh. NOTE

TECH. NOTE

0. 8. FElT NWA DIGEST

B.V. SANCHEZD. . RAOS, D. STEINROD

W H GEKRILLT.W. YUD.. FEIT

W.H. GEMEILLT.W. YUD .. FElT

6. Determining Equivalent T.W. YUDepths of the AtmosphericBoundary Layer Over theOcean.

L7. Analysis of the Ateos- T.W. YUpheric Mixed LayerReighte Over cthe Oceans.

la. An Operational Forecast D.8. FEETSystem for SuperstructureIcing.

19g. Evaluation of Several 0. ESTEVAExperimental AssimilatingSignificant Wave HeightEstimte into SpectralWave Models.

20 Evaluation of WavYe .Y. CHAOForecast for the Gulfof Mexico.

21 El Mino and Related L.C. BREAKERVariability in Sea SurfaceTemperature Along Central

California Coast.

22. Oceanic Processes A. BRATKOVICH

Contributing to the L.C. BREAKER

Displacement of O11 Spill

by the Puerto Rican Tankeroff San Francisco.

MAR. GEODESY&NASA TECH.MEMO

TECH. NOTE

OFF. OTE 330

PREPRINT,WORKSHOPPROC. AES/CMOS 2ndWORKSHOPON OPER.MET.

J. OF GEO.RES.

32 Cosputer-Worded MarineForecasts.

3. A Columbia River EntranceWave Forecasting ProgramDeveloped at the OceanProducts Center.

34. Forecasting Open OceanFog and Visibility.

35 Local and Regional ScaleWave Modele.

l/S7

1/8710/97

10/87

4/87

4/87

10/87

4/88

SAME AS NO. 15S

NWA DIGESTPREPRINT

J. GEO. RES. 11/88

PRES. ANAH IECONFERENCE

TECH NOTEOFF. NOTE3:15

J .OF GEO. RESin press

1/87

INTERNATIONAL J.FOR NUHERICALMETHOOS IN FLUIDS

in press

WEATHER AND 6/88

FORECASTING

D B. AO WEATHER ANDFORECASTINGVol. 4pp.427-432

E.S. Chan PRESENTED 4/3-7/89AT 7TH INTERNATIONALCONFERENCE OF FINITEELEMENT METHODSFLOW PROSLEMS

Y.Y, CHA 2ND INTERNATIONALWOReSHOP ON WAVEFORECASTING AND

HINDCASTING

D.C. ESTEVA 2ND INTERNATIONALWORKSHOP ON WAVEFORECASTING ANDHINDCASTING

Wt S RICHARDSON COASTAL ZONE i/89

J 11 NAU LTD.8. FEIT

Y. Y. CHAOT.L. aERTUCCI

L.D. BUJRROUGHS

D.8. RAO

TECH. NOTEOFFICE NOTE1361

5/ /86910/89

PPEPRINT

PROCEED1RG(COO/wHO)TECH.CONF. ON WAVES

in press

36, Gulf of Mexico Wave model Y.Y CHAO(approx, ). DFFY

37. oPC Product Rev. Summary.

28, Compendium of MarineMetmoroloqical 6 Ocean-oqgraphnc Products of theOcean Products Center.(rev. 1)

39 Directional Wave Spectrafor the Labrador ExtremeWave Experimental (Lewex)

40. An Analysis of Monthly

SBa Surface TmaperatureAnomalies in Watere offcthe U. S. East and WestCoasts.

41. A Definition for VectorCorrelation and itsApplication to MarineSurface Winds.

42 Expert System for QualityControl and MarineForec-tintg Guidance.

43. OPc Unified arinaDatabase VerificationSystem.

44. Sea Ice Edge ForecastVerification Proqramfor the Srinq Sea.

45. An Operational MarineFog Prediction Model.

46. The Circulation OfMonterey Bay and RelatedProcEmses

2/88

L.D. BURROUGHS TECH. NOTEOFFICE NOTE

1369

D0M. FEIT NOAA TECH.MEMO. NWSNMC 68

D.C. ESTEVA APL TECH.

Y.y. CHAO REPORTin press

L.C. Breaker FisheriesW.B. Campball Bulletin

6/89

8/89

D.S. Crosby TECH NOTEL.C. BreaKer OFFICE NOTEW.N. Gammill 2365

0.,. FeltW.S. Richardson

V.m. Gerald TECH NOTENMC OFFICE NOTE1361

G.Wohl TECH NOTENMC OFFICE NOTE#370

0. Feit3. Alpert

L. C Breakerw.W. BroenkoS

PACLINAGU MONOGRAPHin press

.J OF GEO.RESEARCH

(submitted)

23. Open Ocean Fog andVisibility ForecastingGuidance System.

L. D. BURROUGHS OFF. NOTE 348TECH. NOTE

.. _.-A u~ t- a DIGESTNl- -.----

Abstract

This Office Note provides general information about the

capabilities of the unified marine database verification system at

the Ocean Products Center. It also describes the data format and

the procedures for accessing the data by the users.

i

INTRODUCTION

The Marine Prediction Branch(MPB) of the National

Meteorological Center(NMC) and the Ocean Products Center (OPC) is

responsible for producing objective analysis and forecast products

on various marine meteorological and oceanographic variables.

These analyses and forecasts are provided directly to the marine

community for use in weather forecasting guidance and as boundary

conditions to ocean models.

An important activity of MPB involves evaluating and

monitoring the performance of these models. To address this matter

a unified marine products verification database system was designed

to provide easy access to marine information from NMC's diverse

database system. This common database matches analyses and

forecasts of wind speed and direction, fog and visibility, air and

sea surface temperature, wave height and direction, relative

humidity and mean sea level pressure with the observed data

reported by ships, fixed and drifting buoys, and other marine

platforms.

Monthly verification statistics, such as, root mean square

error, bias, and correlation coefficient, are used in monitoring

and evaluating these analyses and forecasts. Statistical results

from selected marine models are presented and discussed each month

during the OPC's products performance review. For a complete

1

summary of the monthly performance evaluation of selected

operational marine products see Burroughs(1989).

METHOD

A. Model Outputs

The analyses and forecasts monitored within the unified marine

database verification system come from the NMC's regional(RGL) and

aviation(AVA) models, the MPB's models, and Fleet Numerical

Oceanographic Center's (FNOC) Global Spectral Oceanographic Wave

Model(GSOWM).

In general, output fields from these models are saved at

12-hour increments out to 72 hours. Table I. gives complete

details of all fields extracted during the OOz GMT cycle.

B. VERIFICATION DATA

The observed data, Table II, come from NMC's synoptic surface

marine datasets. These datasets contain real-time marine

observations reported by Volunteering Observing Ships (VOS), Navy

and NOAA research vessels, fixed and drifting buoys, ocean weather

stations (OWS), and marine reporting stations (MARS). NMC receives

these reports via the Global Telecommunication System (GTS), the

Geostationary Operational Environmental Satellite (GOES) network,

and Coastal radio station transmissions.

2

DATA MATCH-UP

A. Record Format

All analysis and forecast fields verifying with the current

00z and 12z ship data are extracted from an 8-day circular file.

For each report a value of the gridded field at the observed

position(latitude,longitude) is generated by quadratic

interpolation. Table III depicts the unified marine verification

database 164 indexed array/record format.

The daily match-up of the observed data and the model outputs

are written to a 17-day circular file called, NWS.WD21.OPC.UNF-

DATA.CYC00. Approximately 1800 records are processed daily. Each

record is packed and blocked with format control. At the end of a

15-day cycle the dataset is transferred from disk to tape.

B. Statistical Evaluations

The boundary layer wind model is verified against fixed buoy

data. Statistics of bias and root mean square(RMS) error are used

to evaluate the analyses and forecasts. Figure 1 shows the 24hr

forecast RMS and bias errors in meters/second for the OPC and FNOC

boundary layer winds for June 1989 - January 1990. Figure 2

displays OPC wind analysis and forecast errors of bias and RMS in

meters/second for Sept 1989 - Jan 1990.

The OPC wave model is verified against 14 offshore deep water

3

fixed buoys. The evaluation of the OPC wave model performance is

based upon statistics of bias(m), RMS(m) error, and correlation

coefficient. Figure 3 shows the statistical comparison between the

OPC and GSOWM wave models.

Figure 4 depicts statistical verification of air and sea

surface temperature analyses, air/sea temperature differences, and

mean sea level pressure with fixed buoy data.

SUMMARY

The development of the unified marine verification database

system allows statistical evaluation and comparison of selected

operational marine products in a timely fashion. These performance

statistics(RMS error, bias, and correlation coefficient) are

presented and discussed each month during the OPC products

performance review.

ACKNOWLEDGEMENT

The author would like to thank Dr. D. B. Rao, Mr. W. Gemmill,

and Mr. D. Feit for their suggestions and guidance during the

writing of this office note. Thanks to Susan Hubbard for the

typing.

4

Table I: Parameters saved for verification from models.

ANALYS FCST(12 24 36 48 60 72)

OPC Wind Speed XWind Dir XWave Hgt XPeriod Prim XPeriod of Sec XWave Dir XFog/Vis XBlended SST XSatellite SST X

NMC RGL Bdyu XBdyv X1000mb rh X1000mb T X1000mb u X1000mb v XMSLP X

NMC AVA Bdyu XBdyv X1000mb rh X1000mb T X1000mb u X1000mb v XMSLP X

FNOC SST XBdyu XBdyv XWave Hgt XPrd Prim XPrd Sec XWave Dir X

xxx xx x xxx xx x xxx xx x xxx xx x xxx xx x x x x x x x

x x

xxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx xxxx x

xx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxx xxxxXxx x

x xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx xx x

xxxxxx

5

Table II: Measurements of verification parameters (and units).

Mean Sea Level PressureWind DirectionWind speedAir TempDew Point DepSea Surface TempPresent WeatherPast WeatherHorizontal VisibilityPeriod of WaveHeight of WavePeriod of SwellHeight of SwellDirection of Swell

Tenth of MBDegreesKnotsTenth deg CTenth deg CTenth deg CCode Figure*Code Figure*Code Figure*Seconds1/2 yardsSeconds1/2 YardsCode figure*

* World Meteorological Organization(WMO) coded Standard

6

Table III: The unified marine database record format.

Record(1)"i 2*. 3

4

" 5" 6

" 7

" 8"i 9

" 10" 11

" 12" 13" 14" 15

" 16" 17" 18

" 19" 20" 21" 22" 23" 24" 25

26" 27" 28" 29" 30" 31" 32

"H 33" 34

" 35" - 36" 37

" 38.. 39

" 40" 41

42" 43" 44i" 45

" 46

Report TypeYYMMDDHHLatitudeLongitudeMean Sea Level PressureWind Direction(deg)Wind Speed(s)Air Temperature(tenth deg C)Dew Point Depression(tenth deg C)Sea Surface Temperature(tenth deg C)Present WeatherPast WeatherVisibilityPeriod of the Wave(s)Wave Height(1/2 yd)Period of the Swell(s)Height of the Swell(1/2 yd)Direction of the SwellBlended Sea Surface Temp(tenth deg C)-999-999-999-999-999-999-999-999Bdy Wind Direction (00hr) RGLi" " Speed t" "

1000mb Rh " "" Temperature " "

" Wind Direction "- "" i" Speed " "MSLP " "

Bdy Wind Direction (00hr) AVA" it Sne-ed to if

-U ---

1000mb Rh " "" Temperature i" "i

" Wind Direction " "i" " Speed I" "MSLP "

Bdy Wind Direction (00hr)" -" Speed "i

Hgt of Wave "Prd Pri Wave "

NVYI.

I.

I,

7

" Sec " I "Way Dir " "-999Wnd Spd (OOhr)" Direction " "

Hgt of Wave " "iDir " " " "

Prd " "-999-999-999-999-999-999-999,-999-999Bdy Wind Direction (24hr)

1" " Speed "1000mb Rh

" Temperature "" Wind Direction"" " Speed "

MSLP "Bdy Wind Direction (24hr)" " Speed "

1000mb Rh "I" Temperature "

" Wind Direction"" " Speed "

MSLP "Bdy Wind Direction (24hr)" " Speed "

Wave HGT "Prd Pri Wav "

" Sec U BTi,,

-999Bdy Wind Speed,, " Direction

Wav Hgt" Dir" Prd-999-999FOG/VIS

'BIIof*.

-999-999Bdy Wind Direction

(24hr)..i!

.I

I.

(00hr)(24hr)(48hr)(72hr)

(48hr) RGL

8

" 47" 48", 49" 50" 51" 52" 53

54" 55" 56

57" 58" 59" 60" 61" 62" 63" 64" 65" 66" 67

" 68" 69" 70" 71" 72" 73I' 74" 75" 76'" 77"B 78.. 79

80" 81" 82

83" 84" 85" 86" 87" 88"' 89" 90" 91" 92" 93.. 94., 95" 96" 98.. 99

NOW

RGL!1

!1

!1

!1

it

..

AVA.,!i

I.

..i!

I.

NVYI.

i!

I!

I.

I!

NOWI.

I,

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I!

OPC....I.

" 100" 101" 102" 103" 104"i 105

" 106"I 107

" 108"I 109" 110" 11" 112" 113" 114

" 115" 116

" 117" 118

" 119" 120" 121" 122" 123" 124" 125" 126

" 127" 128" 129" 130" 131" 132" 133" 141" 142" 143" 144" 145" 146" 147" 148" 149" 150" 151" 152" 153" 154" 155" 156" 157" 158

t" " Speed1000mb Rh

" Temperature" Wind Direction

" " SpeedMSLPBdy Wind direction

" " Speed1000mb Rh" Temperature" Wind Direction" " Speed

MSLPBdy Wind DirectionI" " Speed

Wav HgtPrd Pri Wav" Sec "

Dir Way-999Bdy Wind Speed" " Direction

Wav HgtWav DirWav Prd-999-999-999-999-999-999-999-999-999Bdy Wind Direction" " Speed

1000mb Rh" Temperature" Wind Direction" " Speed

MSLPBdy Wind Direction" " Speed

Wav HgtPrd Pri Wav

" Sec "Dir Wav-999Bdy Wind Speed" " Direction

Way Hgt" Dir

I!

I!

I!

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(48hr)!1

11

It

it(48hr)it

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II

ll

Fi

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(48hr) NVYi t

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if It

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(72hr)Itif11

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(72hr) NOWif ! l

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9

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(00hr) NVY

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" Prd-999-999-999SST ANL

10

v

To

Bias (n/sec)24 fr fcst (1988--90)

I

-°

-3

-2

AS..O-N-O.J FMAMJJA*ONO J

AMS: Error (rn/see)24 Of fost (1988-90)

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,,, . . I . ., . I I A I I QAh; at- ON-J $ U .1 4 A 6 N 0 4

--+1'--- MCC

Figure 1

Comparision of OPC & FNOC

Boundary Layer Winds 24hr FCST

Operational ModelBias (1988-90)

-2

N 0 J F M A M J J A * 0 N G J

Operational ModelRMS Diffl( 1988-90)

: ;~~6:

:5

4

· v ~'. .4, . ~ ;.,34/ ~ ~ ~ -- \ 2'-1'V'

, , \s / X ./~,,Ar* A ll~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

. ! I . f !- I ! ! ! f t t I N :

a C N C J t 4 A M J J A *O 0 NO J;.)

; Or & 24t 4tr --- -72-rFigure 2

OPC Boundary Layer Winds ANL & FCSTS

IC - ! 4w, -: :4

"Y-1111-�7:

-1

.

BA 4TARTN3 APL 1ge R FO ZG 14 BLIJOS AVRAG

RRS 380WE EDP .7C Li -4- OKR

AMIJ J A O N D J PLAI

MONTH

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i

I

CO"..A1A COEF N. SVA FOR +24ZI.OBEAL. 14 DE WATM BUOYS)

R G9OW= EXP 170 + - OPR

6

i

J P , A J JA ONHO J PMAM J J AO ND J

MON TAFH MARCH 198)

Figure 3

Comparision of OPC & FNOC GSOWM Wave Models

COMPSN OF FOS6 aF 8WW PFOR .24 Z. OBN... 14 BuoY AVE:A::

w 2 Ew P s w + CPR

J IMAMJ JAOOD J PMAJ JAONDJ

MONH TTARTn7G JAN 198

NH STATANALYSISMEAN OF OBSMEAN OF MODMODEL BIASRMSCOREL

NH STATANALYSISMEAN OF OBSMEAN OF MODMODEL BIASRMSCORREL

Nil STATANALYSISMEAN OF OBSMEAN OF MODMODEL BIASRHSCORREL

NH STATANALYSISMEAN OF OBSMEAN OF MODMODEL BIASRMSCORREL

AVA 1000MB AIR TAUG SEPTr20.3 19.921.9 21.91.65 2.002.47 2.620.97 0.97

OF OPC BLDSST VSAUG SEPT20.5 20.520.4 20.8-0.1 0.281.11 1.240.98 0.98

VS FIXEDOCT17.318.91.672.330.97

BUOYSNOV14 .315.61 342. 080. 98

FIXED BUOYSOCT NOV18.7 16.319.4 17.20.70 0.821.43 1.540.98 0.98

OF A R/SEA (T) DIFF (MODEL - OSV)AUG SEPT OCT NOV

-0.2 -0 7 -1.4 -2.11.6 1.1 -0.4 -1.5-1.79 1.72 0.91 0.512.53 2.41 2.01 1.830.54 0.56 0.69 0.88

OF AVA MSLP VS FIXED BUOYSAUG SEPT OCT NOV

1015.6 1016.3 1015.2 101. 91015.0 1015.7 1014.9 1014.6-0.55 -0.57 -0.30 -0.341.19 1.24 1.27 1.300.99 0.99 0.99 0.99

DEC11.012.21.171.880.98

DEC14.014 . 80.821.710.98

DEC-3.0-2.60 . 362.010.91

DEC1014.91014.2-0.64

1.550.99

JAN10.311 .91. 602.* 470.97

JAN12.113.90.641.750.98

J N-2.1-1.20. 952.160. 87

JAN1013.51013.1-0.361.660. 99

FEB12.21 3.71.462 0.970 .97

MAR13.014.31.312.520.97

FEB14.2 14.414. 14. 740.51 0.281.92 1.620.98 0.98

F'EB MAR-1. 9 -1.5-1.0 -0.40.94 1.0'32.10 2.220.85 0.83

FEB iMAR1017.3 1017.31016.9 1016.9-0.48 -0.421.41 1.250.99 0.99

A P R1 5. 21 b . 716.72 * 542.) 510. 96

AP f15. 91 b6.0O . 0 90.091.350.99

APR-0.7-0. 7

I. it 442.1410 . 68

APR1016. 141010 . 1

-0 . 331 . 140 .9')

Figure 4

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