Delayed-Mode Quality Control (DMQC) - Australian Argo

What we do

CSIRO Marine & Atmospheric Research are the operators for Argo Australia, which is a component of the Integrated Marine Observing System IMOS. Argo floats are deployed, real-time processed, and delayed-mode processed at CMAR.

Delayed-mode processing is carried out at least 6 months after data has been collected. Under the direction of the lead scientist, a rigourous and internationally standardised treatment is applied to ensure the data is free of all detectable errors and biases.

What is here

The pages here are of most relevance to other members of the international Argo community. They contain our processing diagnostic materials and final reports for each float. Documentation of our processing procedures will be added as it becomes available.

QC material

DMQC Notes contains Processing Reports for each Australian float.

CSIRO Float Manuals links to the different float format types (with float serial numbers for each type) and electronic versions of the float user manuals.

Check Plots leads to many different categories of diagnostic plots. This material is not set up for browser navigation - but is online for use by local staff and so that collegues can be directed to material to share and discuss. However, a large portion of these plots are available in the Processing Reports for each float, accessed via the link above.

DMQC Documentation [not yet available]

AUDITS: Analysis of format and content of the global archives

Audit method description

30 Sep 2013 - pre-ADMT Latest version.

9 March 2013

3 Aug 2012

4 March 2012 As well as usual analysis, new lists provide allow identification of files with particular format problems, such as in PRES_ADJUSTED fields.

25 Nov 2011 Captures all progress made prior to ADMT12. Highlights problem of missing or invalid ADJUSTED fields, especially in RealTime files. Also identifies remaining problems with surface pressure parameter names in tech files.

1 Nov 2011 First audit based on Coriolis GDAC rather than GODAE. Also, now PROVOR auto-correcting floats are expected to use a name indicating that condition, rather than "Pres_SurfaceOffsetNotTruncated_dBar".

6 August 2011 Makes temproary allowance for PROVOR floats which are actually auto-correcting but use "Pres_SurfaceOffsetNotTruncated_dBar".

22 Feb 2011 This version highlights remaining invalid surface pressure parameter names.

15 Jan 2011 Allowed different treatment of SOLO floats (for some just a temporary allowance until parameter names resolved.)

18 December 2010 Audit code now detecting where more than one SP value is supplied for any profile (a simple preference scheme determines which is to be used to pressure correction.) Also using improved SP spike filter.

20 November 2010 Late Nov 2010 audit of tech and meta file formats, and treatment of Surface Pressure correction and TNDP. Plots now indicate profiles where PRES_ADJUSTED has not been loaded (black instead of pink DM profile indicators.) Also, TNPD criterion modified slightly.

November 2010 Nov 2010 audit of tech and meta file formats, and treatment of Surface Pressure correction and TNDP:

Oct 2010 Oct 2010 audit, prior to ADMT-11, but using GDAC state as at mid September 2010: