GCOS GOOS WCRP/OOPC IX/3 

page 58 

ANNEX VIII 

VOSCLIM STATUS UPDATE JUNE 2004: REPORT TO OOPC9 

The present status of the VOS Climate project, VOSClim, was summarised in a report 

to the AOPC by Elizabeth Kent and Sarah North, reproduced below (with footnotes added 

with regard to progress, or lack of progress, since April 2004). 

 Peter K. Taylor, June 2004. 

__________ 

VOSCLIM STATUS UPDATE APRIL 2004: REPORT TO THE AOPC 

Elizabeth Kent

*

 and Sarah North

+

*

Southampton Oceanography Centre, VOSClim Scientific Advisor 

+

Met Office, VOSClim Project Leader 

VOSClim Status 

The objective of the Voluntary Observing Ship (VOS) subset envisaged by the WMO 

VOS Climate project (VOSClim) is to provide a source of high quality marine meteorological 

data and associated metadata, suitable for a number of applications, including global climate 

monitoring, research and prediction. The VOSClim project held its fourth meeting at the IMO 

headquarters in London in July 2003 (VOSClim IV, JCOMM 2003a). Important progress was 

reported including the full implementation of ship monitoring for all variables (by the Met 

Office acting as VOSClim Real Time Monitoring Center), the agreement of Marine 

Climatological Summaries Scheme (MCSS) quality assurance limits for variables in the 

VOSClim attachment (by Deutscher Wetterdienst for the Global Collecting Centres) and the 

results of a preliminary scientific analysis (by the Scientific Advisors). A decision was made 

to relax the recruitment criteria for VOSClim ships so that any ship with a good reporting 

record could participate regardless of instrumentation used. The operational side of VOSClim 

is beginning to work well with many Port Meteorological Officers (PMOs) recruiting ships, 

training the officers on the importance of VOSClim and how to make the additional 

observations, collecting metadata, photographing the ship and instrument sites and making 

repeat visits where possible. VOSClim real time data1 is available from the project website2 

but delayed mode observations containing the VOSClim attachment of extra variables 

designed to aid scientific analysis are not yet available3. The first journal paper analysing the 

dataset will shortly be submitted (Berry and Kent 2004). 

Metadata 

The success of VOSClim relies heavily on the availability of good quality metadata. 

VOSClim has adopted the normal VOS route for metadata delivery, through the WMO 

Marine Program Publication No. 47 (List of Selected, Supplementary and Auxiliary Ships). 

1

 Presently (June 2004) from 111 ships. 

2

http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa/climate/vosclim/vosclim.html 

3

 As of June 2004, delayed mode data is still not available from NCDC   although they say that they 

will do it soon (following pressure from the VOSClim Project Manager).