Data Sources

What Do We Measure?

The information necessary to provide operational oceanographic forecasts includes:

• Surface conditions (such as surface winds)
• Sea surface height
• Ocean temperatures
• Salinity
• Ocean currents

What are our Primary Data Sources?

• Historical information obtained since about 1900, but mostly from the recent decades
• ARGO profiling floats
• Expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) deployed from 'Ships of Opportunity'
• Surface drifting instruments
• Sea level and tidal data
• Satellites
• Sea surface height data from Topex/Poseidon, Jason-1, and ERS-2 altimeters
• Sea surface temperatures from polar orbiting platforms and microwave instruments
• Surface wind estimates from scatterometers and via numerical weather models
• Sea-ice extent

As part of the BLUElink> initiative, the Bureau of Meteorology will develop a database and server for incoming data (local, regional, global telecommunications), and for the provision of these data to models and scientists involved in the development of the analysis and forecast systems. An archival and retrieval product database and server, including Internet access to digital and graphical information, will be implemented to enable delivery of the derived fields and other relevant product to users.

Other Sites

For additional information on other sites see:

• Cooperative Ocean Observing Network »
• Joint Australian Facility for Ocean Observing Systems »
• Bureau Marine Operations Group »
• International Argo Project »