World meteorological organization data buoy cooperation panel annual report for

Country: NEW ZEALAND

Year 2003

A. Agency: Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd

(a) deployed during the year : 3 Drifting Buoys (1 FGGE, 2SVPB)

(b) operational at 31 August : 8 Drifters

(c) reporting on GTS as at 31 August : 8 Drifters

(a) deployed during the year : 6 SVPB (Technocean)

(b) operational at 31 August : 6 SVPB

(c) reporting on GTS as at 31 August : 4 with pressure data, 2 SST data only

A. Agency: Meteorological Service of New Zealand Ltd

Main deployment areas: Tasman Sea

Main deployment areas: Southern Pacific Ocean

A. Quality of buoy data: see recovered buoys below

B. Communications: All buoys are tracked by the Argos system.
C. Buoy Lifetimes:

MetService NZ now uses a mix of FGGE and SVPB type buoys in its operational programme. As at 1 October 2003 the first two SVPB buoys to be deployed in to the programme have been operational for 6 and 15 months respectively. The latter buoy is on its second deployment, having been recovered after 10 months operation.

D. Recovered Buoys:

In the twelve months to 1 October 2003, three MetService buoys (#7176, #22187 and #21719) were recovered.
Buoy 7176, FGGE style, was found on a North Cape beach in October 2002. This buoy had been deployed for the sixth time in August 2001, but failed two weeks later after a suspected lightning strike. The finder was allowed to keep this buoy as it was unlikely to be of any further use.
FGGE Buoy 22187 was recovered by the local Coastguard near Yeppoon, Queensland, Australia in January 2003. This buoy had been deployed for the third time in April 2001 and still was fully operational when it beached. Thanks to the co-operation of staff from the Bureau of Meteorology, Australia and a trans Tasman VOS ship the buoy was returned to NZ. Initial tests made after the buoy returned showed the air and sea temperatures, and the barometer output to be within specification. This buoy will be refurbished, re-calibrated and redeployed in the future.
Buoy 21719 was the first SVPB type buoy to be deployed under the NZ National programme. This buoy was deployed in the southwestern Tasman Sea in April 2002. The buoy performed well, sending good data on GTS until it was picked up by a fishing vessel close to the NZ coast in February 2003. Post recovery barometer comparisons over the range 920 to 1050hPa showed the buoy pressure to be within 0.2hPa, unchanged from the pre-deployment calibration results. SST was good. The buoy was redeployed in May 2003 with original batteries (still more than 3/4 life left) and with a new small drogue supplied free of charge by Technocean. The original drogue had been lost after the cable separated at the carrot close to the buoy hull.
Country: SOUTH AFRICA
Year: 2003
CURRENT PROGRAMMES
A. Agency or programme: South African Weather Service

Number and type of buoys: (a) deployed during year: Total 43

17 Indian Ocean

26 South Atlantic

36 SVPB and 7 SVP
(b) operational at 31 August:54
(c) reporting on GTS at 31 August: 54

Purpose of programme: (a) operational: Operational – Weather

Forecasting
(b) met/ocean research: Meteorology
(c) developmental:
Main deployment areas: South Atlantic Ocean and Indian Ocean

B. Agency or programme: Scripps Institute Oceanography/Benefit Program
Number and type of buoys (a) deployed during year: Total 6 SVP

2. 
   operational at 31 August: 3
   

2. 
   reporting on GTS at 31 August: 3
   

Purpose of programme: (a) operational:

Surface water circulation

Number and type of buoys planned for deployment in next 12 months: Total 48

39 SVPB, 9 SVP
Purpose of programme: (a) operational: Operational - Weather

Forecasting

Surface water circulation

(b) Instrumentation: SVPB/SVP

(c) Others:

PUBLICATIONS (on programme plans, technical developments, QC reports, etc.)
South African Weather Service programme statistics and plans are published on the ISABP web page,

While the monthly reports of the programme is distributed to specific users.

drifters in the South Atlantic Ocean with no failures on deployment.. However spikes are experienced on the pressure data, resulting in that the pressure data was removed from the GTS.

by Argos – Toulouse. The Weather Service also operates a LUT on

Gough and Marion Island. Negotiations is till been conducted to improve the communications to the Islands so that the TIP data can be send directly to Toulouse.
(c) Buoy lifetimes: Weather Service SVPB drifters average lifetime 480 days. There is

8 drifters still transmitting after 700 days.