Data Format

 

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Cruise Header
Station Header Format
Data Format

Content

Columns of data points at the units indicated in the header and a last line of default values at each station.

Description

BP =Beginning Position, SL = string length

NL=number of records lines

M= Mandatory

LINE

FIELD

DESCRIPTION

BP

SL

TYPE

1

to

NL

parameter 1

parameter 1 in IS units

1

nlen(1)

num

M

separator

blank

bp(2)-1

1

M

parameter 2

parameter 2 in IS units

bp(2)

nlen(2)

num

M

separator

blank

bp(np)-1

1

M

parameter NP

parameter NP in IS units

bp(np)

nlen(np)

num

M

separator

blank

bp(q1)-1

1

M

QC Flag 1

Quality Flag parameter 1

bp(q1)

1

num

M

QC Flag NP

Quality Flag parameter NP

bp(q1)+np

1

num

M

NL+1

(Last

line

of the

profile)

def. val. par.1

'-999.9' or string of '9'

1

nlen(1)

num

M

separator

blank

bp(2)-1

1

M

def. val. par.2

string of '9'as in header

bp(2)

nlen(2)

num

M

def. val. par.N

P string of '9'as in header

bp(NP)

nlen(NP)

num

M

separator

blank

bp(q1)-1

1

M

QC Flag 1 '

9' (Def. val.Quality Flag)

bp(q1)

1

num

M

QC Flag NP '

9' (Def. val.Quality Flag)

bp(q1)+np

1

num

M

 

Explanations

 

        1. First column

          2. Pressure must be the reference co-ordinate (first column) of the vertical profiles. When the pressure is not explicitly defined (mainly the oldest historical data sets which may have the depth measurements instead), the vertical co-ordinate is supposed to be pressure in decibars (which makes no significant differences on historical data).

          The reference parameter (pressure) must be recorded in strictly increasing order.

        2. Columns length

          3. Each parameter p can have any length nlen(p), but this length must be constant in the profile, and the decimal points at a constant position. The separators are blanks of one character (or more), after each parameter value. The quality flags are grouped after the last separator, with no blank between them. Therefore if a total of NP parameters are recorded, the beginning positions of parameter p (bp(p)) and its quality flag (bpq(p)) in the record lines are:

          bp(p)=nlen(1)+ ..+ nlen(p-1) + p-1

          bpq(p)= bp(NP) + nlen(NP) + p

          For missing data, the default characters are in numbers: 9 or -9 at the same format and length as the expected numbers. The number of decimals must implicitly indicate the accuracy of the measurements and not exceed the resolution.

        3. Last line

The last line of a station is completed with default values.

 

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