Global observing system
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3.2.1.3.3.1 Selected, supplementary and auxiliary ships Mobile sea stations consist of selected ship stations, supplementary ship stations, auxiliary ship stations and ice-floe stations (dealt with in section 3.2.1.3.4 below). Mobile ships are one of the main sources of surface observations over the oceans. The Manual on the GOS (WMO-No. 544) Volume I. specifies that Members shall recruit as many mobile ships that traverse data-sparse areas and/or regularly follow routes through areas of particular interest as possible. The international scheme by which ships are recruited for making and transmitting meteorological information is called the WMO Voluntary Observing Ships Scheme. Relevant standards and recommended practices and procedures are contained in the Manual on the GOS, Volume I, Part III, Regulation 2.2.2.2.2 and in the Guide to Marine Meteorological Services (WMO-No. 471). In accordance with the WMO Technical Regulations (WMO-No. 49), each Member shall arrange for the recruitment of ships which are on the national register of that Member as mobile ship stations. In fulfilling this obligation, each Member contributes to the common objective of obtaining sufficient coverage of meteorological observations over the sea. It would be desirable if uniform coverage could be obtained. This is difficult to achieve, however, in view of thedue to large differences in the density of shipping traffic over the oceans, whichthat is comparatively greater in the northern hemisphere. Consequently, greater attention should be given to the recruitment of voluntary observing ships which operate in the tropics or in the southern hemisphere. To satisfy international meteorological requirements for data density over the oceans, the successive plans under World Weather Watch have shown the need for a continued increase in the number of voluntary observing ships. The ships engaged in the WMO Voluntary Observing Ships Scheme are classified as:
For the details, refer to the International Meteorological Vocabulary (WMO-No. 182) and Manual on the GOS (WMO-No. 544), Part III, Regulations 2.3.3.12-2.3.3.14) A selected ship station is a mobile ship station which is equipped with sufficient certified meteorological instruments for making surface observations and which transmits weather reports in the full SHIP code form. (See Regulation 2.3.3.12 of the Manual on GOS (WMO-No. 544), Volume I.) A supplementary ship station is a mobile ship station with a limited number of certified meteorological instruments for making surface observations and which transmits weather reports in an abbreviated SHIP code form. (See Regulation 2.3.3.13 of the Manual on GOS (WMO-No. 544), Volume I.) An auxiliary ship station is a mobile ship station, normally without certified meteorological instruments, which may transmit reports in a reduced code former in plain language as a routine or on request, in certain areas or under certain conditions. (See Regulation 2.3.3.14 of the Manual on GOS (WMO-No. 544), Volume I.) Meteorological Services in many countries are normally required to provide more detailed information on the weather and sea conditions in coastal areas. Some Services have successfully recruited ships of local companies to make and transmit observations during their voyage from harbour to harbour along the coast. Such ships may be recruited as supplementary or as auxiliary ships. Their observations have everywhere been found to be of great value. 3.2.1.3.3.2 Criteria for recruitment of voluntary observing ships Several criteria can be used in deciding whether a particular ship should be recruited as a selected, supplementary or auxiliary ship, to satisfy both national and international needs. Questions which should be examined are whether all the necessary instruments can be installed, whether the ship's officers will have the time available for recording and transmitting the observations and whether the necessary regular contact can be established for the receipt of meteorological log- books. Generally, shipowners and masters are very co-operative in these matters; it is, however, advisable that these questions be thoroughly discussed at the recruiting stage. At the same time, the meteorological authorities must also take into account whether the normal duties of navigation and radio officers would leave them sufficient time to take and transmit the observations. Countries may also recruit ships of foreign registry with a view to obtaining a sufficient number of observations from the oceans. This is sometimes done by arrangement between the Meteorological Services of two countries in cases where the home port of certain ships is situated in other than the recruiting country. Selected or supplementary ships thus recruited should, however, visit the ports of the recruiting country sufficiently often to permit regular contact. In order to avoid the entry of duplicate data into the international archiving system, meteorological log- books from ships of foreign registry should be produced and stored through appropriate arrangements with the Meteorological Service of the country of registry. When a ship of foreign registry is recruited, the Member in whose country the ship is registered should be notified, unless a port in the country of the Member that recruits the ship is considered to be its home port. No prior arrangements are required with the Meteorological Service of the country of registry for the recruitment of an auxiliary ship. The recruitment of voluntary observing ships is the responsibility of each Member participating in the scheme and for this purpose Members should establish a suitable organizational unit. Shipping agencies should be contacted to enlist their co-operation. Appropriate measures should also be taken for the provision of instruments, instruction material and other necessary documents to ships, for the collection and examination of ships log- books for visits to ships and for the various financial questions involved. Within this national unit, a special officer should be made responsible for the recruitment of ships. 3.2.1.3.3.3 Information relating to ships participating in the WMO Voluntary Observing Ships Scheme (a) International List of Selected, Supplementary and Auxiliary Ships Selected, Supplementary and aAuxiliary ships constitute an important source of marine data whichthat are used for various purposes all over the world. In analysing these data, Meteorological Services should be aware of the type of instrumentation on board a given ship, or the particular method of observation when several methods are generally in use. For this purpose WMO issues annually an International List of Selected, Supplementary and Auxiliary Ships (WMO-No. 47) on the basis of information supplied by Members in accordance with Regulations 2.3.8.1.52.3.3.3 and 2.3.8.1.62.3.3.4 inof the Manual on the GOS (WMO-No. 544), Vol. IVolume I, Part III. This publication contains, for each ship, particulars such as:
Regular updating of the International List of Selected, Supplementary and Auxiliary Ships (WMO-No. 47) is needed because of the frequent changes in the international merchant shipping fleet and in the recruitment of auxiliary ships in particular. As a rule, Members are required to provide to the WMO Secretariat before 1 March each year a complete list of their selected, supplementary and auxiliary ships that were in operation at the beginning of that year. This information can also be given in the form of amendments to the list for the preceding year. (b) Logistics Some advice on how to handle the recruitment and operation of mobile ship observations through a national unit is given above. In addition, in larger ports, a port meteorological officer should be appointed for direct contact with ships' officers. This is often necessary in order to provide the latter with manuals and other documents, to inspect the instruments on board, to collect the log- books, and to take any corrective action which might be necessary. The role of the port meteorological officer is a very important one and the efficiency of the Voluntary Observing Ships Scheme is heavily dependent on them. Their duties are set out in detail in the Guide to Marine Meteorological Services (WMO-No. 471). (c) Meteorological log- books The recording of observations in a meteorological log- book is obligatory for selected and supplementary ships and is also recommended for auxiliary ships. The layout of log- books is a national responsibility. An example of a log- book is given in Figure III. 3. Log- books should contain clear instructions for entering observations. It is useful to indicate (by shading, etc.) those columns which are meant for entries to be transmitted as part of the weather report. To facilitate the supply of meteorological log- books to ships which do not regularly visit their home ports, port meteorological officers in various ports keep a stock of log- books of different nNational Meteorological Services. In addition, they may keep stocks of observing and coding instructions in different languages. (d) Communications Weather reports from mobile ship stations should be transmitted to a coastal radio station as soon as possible after the time of observation; hence the meteorological report, as soon as it is made on board ship, should be handed to the ship's radio officer without delay so that it can be cleared to shore as rapidly as possible. ProceduresRegulations for the transmission of weather reports from mobile ship stations to designated coastal radio stations are given in the WMO Manual on the Global Telecommunication System (WMO-No. 386), Volume I, Part I. For ready reference, the relevant procedures are reproduced below. Weather reports from mobile ship stations should (without special request) be transmitted from the ship to the nearest coastal radio station situated in the zone in which the ship is navigating. If it is difficult, due to radio propagation conditions or other circumstances, to contact promptly the nearest radio station in the zone in which the ship is navigating, the weather messages should be cleared by applying the following procedures in the order given below: (a) Transmission to any other coastal radio station in the zone in which the ship is navigating; (b) Transmission to any coastal radio station in an adjacent zone within the same Region; (c) Transmission to any coastal radio station in any other zone within the same Region; (d) Transmission to a coastal radio station in an adjacent zone in a neighbouring Region or, failing that, to any other station in a neighbouring Region; (e) Transmission to another ship or an ocean weather station with the function of or willing to act as a relay station. Captain________________________ Principal Observing Office__________________ Radio Officer________________ Voyage from___________________________ to_____________________
NOTE: Logbook is printed so that those two pages form full record columns 1-56 from left to right when opened flat. Figure III.3 - An example of a meteorological log- book for ships Height of barometer above sea level ______________________ feet/metres Method of taking sea temperatures – (a) Rubber bucket (b) Condenser intake (c) Hull sensor___________(Note any departure from this method in Remarks Column)
Figure III.3 (contd.) Maritime mobile radio systems used for ship-to-shore communications as above can cause problems, for various reasons of a technical nature, in the collection of ships’ weather reports for subsequent distribution over the GTS. The use of new communication techniques, especially through satellites, which are already operational, offers a promising solution to these problems. Special mention may be made of the system known as INMARSAT, designed for full communication capability for public ship-to-shore communication. The use of this system has, however, important technical and financial implications for nNational Meteorological Services and WMO has been studying them.
Once a ship has been recruited, the port meteorological officer should endeavour to visit it at least every three months to check the accuracy of the instruments and to renew the supply of forms and documents, e.g. codes and regulations. He should take the opportunity to foster an interest in meteorology in the crew members concerned and to explain to them the mutual value to seamen and to meteorologists of accurate weather information. 3.2.1.3.4 Ice-floe stations Directory: pages -> prog -> www -> OSY www -> Cyclone programme www -> World meteorological organization technical document www -> Regional Association IV (North America, Central America and the Caribbean) Hurricane Operational Plan www -> World meteorological organization ra IV hurricane committee thirty-fourth session www -> World meteorological organization ra IV hurricane committee thirty-third session www -> Review of the past hurricane season www -> Ra IV hurricane committee thirty-fourth session ponte vedra beach, fl, usa www -> World meteorological organization ra IV hurricane committee thirty-second session OSY -> Implementation plan for the evolution of the surface- and space-based sub-systems of the gos OSY -> Commission for basic systems open programme area group on integrated observing systems expert team meeting Download 2.86 Mb. Share with your friends:
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