The NCOF Partners are:
Data Archive Capabilities
Our data archives underpin our ability to analyse the past state of the oceans. Our systems produce a massive amount of data every day, and we use a heirarchy of archive systems to store the outputs so that the most often used can be accessed quickly, while those used less frequently are stored in a deep archive.
The tables below describe our various data holdings. Each model and domain in the tables below is classified according to its status (whether or not it is held in our live archive), with the data sets in our live archive further classified according to what parameter set is held, the length of the archive, the time frequency and sampling of the model outputs.
More information on the classification system.
Wave Model Operational Hindcast - Met Office Wave Model (2nd Generation)
| Configuration (resolution, domain) | Status | Parameter Set | Length | Frequency | Sampling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| UK Waters (12km, 48N-63N, 12W-13E) | Live | Full | 8 yrs | hourly | Full |
| European (35km, 30N-65N, 14W-42E) | Live | Full | > 15 yrs | 3 hourly | Full |
| Global (60km, 80S-80N, 180W-180E) | Live | Full | > 10 yrs | 3 hourly | Full |
Previous forecast runs of these models are also stored in the deep archive
Deep Ocean Operational Hindcast - FOAM Model
| Configuration (resolution, domain) | Status | Parameter Set | Length | Frequency | Sampling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Global (1 degree) | Live | Key params | 5 yrs | 10 daily * | Full |
| Atlantic and Arctic (1/3 degree) | Live | Key params | 5 yrs | 10 daily * | Full |
| North Atlantic (1/9 degree) | Live | Key params | 5 yrs | 10 daily * | Full |
| Mediterranean (1/9 degree) | Deep | ||||
| Antarctica (1/4 degree) | Live | Limited | 3 yrs | 12 hourly | Full |
Previous forecast runs of these models are also stored in the deep archive.
*A limited set of parameters including currents is available for some of these model configurations at higher frequency.
Coastal Seas Model Operational Hindcast - POLCOMS Model
| Configuration (resolution, domain) | Status | Parameter Set | Length | Frequency | Sampling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| Atlantic Margin Model (12km, 40N-65N, 20W-10E) | Live | Key params+ | 6 yrs | Hourly | Some levels |
| Medium Resolution Continental Shelf (6km, 48N-62N, 12W-10E) | Live | Key params+ | 1 yrs * | Hourly | Some levels |
| Irish Sea (1NM, 50N-58N, 8W-0W) | Live | Key params+ | 3 yrs | Hourly | Some levels |
Previous forecast runs of these models are also stored in the deep archive.
+Data from all levels are available at lower frequency (daily).
*The MRCS model version changed near the start of 2007. Here we refer to the current version - 3 years of data are archived for the previous version.
Ecosystem Model Operational Hindcast - POLCOMS - ERSEM
| Configuration (resolution, domain) | Status | Parameter Set | Length | Frequency | Sampling |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| MRCS - ERSEM (6km, 48N-62N, 12W-10E) | Live | Key params | 1 yrs * | Daily | Some levels |
Previous forecast runs of these models are also stored in the deep archive.
*The MRCS model version changed near the start of 2007. Here we refer to the current version - 3 years of data are archived for the previous version.
How the archive status is classified
Each model and configuration is first classified by it's status in our archives:
- Live (green): we have a live archive of this model domain, products based on this data can be produced quickly.
- Deep archive (amber): this model domain is held in our deep archive, there will be a delay when producing products based on this data.
- None (orange): this model domain is not held in our live or deep archives.
Data sets held in our live archives are further classified in the following ways:
Parameter Set:
- Full (green): all parameters from the model are in the live archive.
- Key parameters (amber): the most often requested parameters are in the live archive, in some cases the remaining parameters are held in the deep archive.
- Limited (orange): a limited subset of parameters is available in the archive.
Length:
- > 5 yrs (green): more than 5 years of data is held in the archive, making the dataset useful for most purposes including statistical analysis.
- 2-5 yrs (amber): between 2 and 5 years of data is held in the archive, providing for time series analysis of the available data but with limited statistical value.
- < 2 yrs (orange): up to 2 years of data are held in the archive, limiting application to particular seasons or events.
Frequency:
- > 3 hourly (green): data is available at least 3-hourly, and is expected to resolve tidal, synoptic and long-term processes.
- Daily (amber): data is available at least daily but less than 3 hourly, and is expected to resolve synoptic and long-term processes.
- < daily (orange): data is available less frequently than daily, and is expected to resolve long-term processes only.
Sampling:
- Full (green): data from all model grid points are available at all depths (where applicable).
- Some Levels (amber): data from all model grid points are available at a limited set of levels (either surface only or at a few depth levels).
- Subset (orange): data from a subset of model grid points is held.
(Last Updated: 11-03-2008)