                  NODC Ocean Profile Data Base, Version 3.0


Station Identifier Record (one record per station)

      Field      Width     Name             Content

      1          1         record           always 'i'.
                           type

      2          2         file             database version, decrement
                           version          from 0.

      3          12        station          internal unique database
                                            identifier.

      4          6         platform         platform identifier
                           id

      5          4         platCode         NODC ship/platform code.

      6          8         callsign         radio callsign.

      7          10        reference        NODC reference number.

      8          4         fileAlias        NODC File Alias.

      9          7         accession        NODC archive accession number.

      10         2         country          NODC country code.

      11         4         modagency        agency responsible for this
                                            version of station.

      12         8         mod date         date of last modification,
                                            YYYYMMDD zulu.

      12         4         mod time         time of last modification, HHMM
                                            zulu.

      14         8         pgm Id           program used to make last
                                            modification.

      15         5         pgm              version of program use to make
                           Version          last modification.

      16         4         qc Def           definition of test set used.

      17         4         qc Made          flags indicating tests made at
                                            the station level.

      18         4         qc Flags         flags indicating tests failed
                                            at the station level.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Original Position and Epoch Record ( one record per station )

      Field       Width      Name              Content

      1           1          record type       always 'a'.

      2           7          latitude          latitude, DDMMSSH.

      3           8          longitude         longitude, DDDMMSSH.

      4           8          obsdate           date of observation,
                                               YYYYMMDD zulu.

      5           4          obs time          time of observation, HHMM
                                               zulu.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Current Position and Epoch Record ( one record per station )

      Field       Width      Name              Content

      1           1          record type       always 'b'.

      2           7          latitude          latitude, DDMMSSH.

      3           8          longitude         longitude, DDDMMSSH.

      4           8          obs date          date of observation,
                                               YYYYMMDD zulu.

      5           4          obs time          time of observation, HHMM
                                               zulu.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Station Parameter Record ( one to "n" number of records per station)

      Field      Width     Name            Content

      1          1         record          always 'p'.
                           type

      2          5         sequence        database sequence number.

      3          4         parm Code       OPDB parameter code.

      4          4         parm            parameter units.
                           Units

      5          4         parm            parameter scale factor ( power
                           Scale           of 10 ).

      6          12        parm            parameter value.
                           Value

      7          2         sigDig          parameter significant digit.

      8          4         instrId         Instrument Id.

      9          4         method          Parameter Methodology.

      10         4         qcDef           definition of test set used.

      11         4         qcMade          flags indicating tests made at
                                           the surface parameter level.

      12         4         qcFlags         flags indicating tests failed at
                                           the surface parameter level.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Station Codes Record (one to "n" number records per station)

      Field       Width      Name              Content

      1           1          record            always 'c'.
                             type

      2           5          sequence          database sequence number.

      3           4          parm Code         NODC/GF3/OCL parameter code.

      4           40         parm Info         alphanumeric parameter
                                               information.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Station Num Records (one to "n" number of records per station)

      Field       Width        Name              Content

      1           1            record type       always 'n'.

      2           5            sequence          database sequence number.

      3           4            parm Code         NODC/GF3/OCL parameter
                                                 code.

      4           4            value Code        parameter code value.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Profile Header Records (one to "n" number of records per station)

      Field      Width     Name               Content

      1          1         record type        always 'h'.

      2          3         profile            database profile number.

      3          4         zUnit              depth/pressure units
                                              (OPDB Code).

      4          4         orig. z unit       originators depth/pressure
                                              units.

      5          4         z Scale            depth/pressure scale factor
                                              ( power of 10 ).

      6          4         parm Code          NODC/GF3/OCL parameter code.

      7          4         obs Unit           observation units
                                              ( OPDB Code ).

      8          4         orig. obs          originators observation
                           unit               units.

      9          4         obs scale          observation scale factor (
                                              power of 10 ).

      10         3         instrument         NODC/OCL instrument code.

      11         3         method             NODC/OCL observation method
                                              code.

      12         4         obsAgency          NODC observing agency code.

      13         4         subAgency          NODC submitting agency code.

      14         1         density            observation density
                                              (H=High, L=low, U=unknown).

      15         5         qc Def             definition number of test
                                              set used.

      16         4         qcMade             flags indicating tests made
                                              on profile.

      17         1         isDerived          derived value
                                              (0= observed, 1= derived).

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Profile Num Records (one to "n" number of records per station)

      Field        Width       Name              Content

      1            1           record type       always 'g'.

      2            5           sequence          database sequence number.

      3            4           parmCode          NODC/GF3/OCL parameter
                                                 code.

      4            4           valueCode         coded value.

----------------------------------------------------------------------------

Profile Observation records (one to "n" number of records per station)

      Field      Width      Name              Content

      1          1          record type       always 'o'.

      2          4          qcFlags           flags indicating qc tests
                                              that failed.

      3          5          sequence          database sequence number.

      4          12         z                 depth/pressure.

      5          12         obs               observation.

      6          4          zSigDig           depth/pressure significant
                                              digit.

      7          4          obsSigDig         observation significant
                                              digit.

      8          12         zOld              original depth/pressure ( if
                                              present ).

      9          12         obsOld            original observation ( if
                                              present ).
