Recommendation Report 1 for HFR data implementation in European marine data infrastructures. JERICO-NEXT WP5–Data Management, D5.13. Version 1.0.

Abstract

The JERICO network is constantly working to improve its core functionality, which is the ability to provide comprehensive observations of Europe’s coastal seas and oceans. This means integrating new, promising observing technologies that can expand its spatial and temporal reach. This effort must include a specific data management fully committed to inform end-users and stakeholders about the quality and reliability of the data routinely delivered. While building the JERICO-Nextproject, High Frequency Radar (HFR) systems were identified as particularly attractive technology tocomplete the JERICO network. HFR technology offers the means to gather information on surface currents and sea state over wide areas with relative ease in terms of technical effort, manpower and costs. There are twelve HFRsites, operated by five JERICO-Nextpartners. Together, they constitute 23.5% of the HFRs currently operating in Europe. Although some countries have started to implement operational data management for HFR systems, a unified implementation is needed for allowing their integration in the JERICO network. Task 5.6 of JERICO-Nextdeals specifically with defining common formats andQuality Control (QC) procedures for HFR data. The present deliverable is a first recommendation at European level to achieve the harmonization of HFR data management including the following points: data format, metadata structure, QC flagging scheme and QC tests.This deliverable gathers recommendations that have been established taking into account: (1) the characteristics of HFR monitoring, considering that HFR surface current velocity data are somewhat unique in the oceanographic observation world sincethey are: i) two-dimensional ocean surface measurement; ii) derived from a fixed land-based remote sensor and iii) they are place on a fixed grid;(2) the existing standards in non-EU networks (in particular in IOOS);(3) the existing standards in Europe for Marine Data Management (EuroGOOS ROOSes, EuroGOOS HFR Task Team, CMEMS, SeaDataNet’s NODC network, EMODnetand its thematic portals, JCOMMOPS in-situ Observing Platforms)