                       BODC Data Format for Requests


This is a generalised output format to handle most types of data held in the BODC database.  There are two types of the
format - Standard and Compressed.  The former will be described in detail.  Compressed format is merely a space saving
version of Standard format; the differences between Compressed and Standard format are described later.

The following is an example of a file listed in the standard format:

BODC Request Format Std. V1.0 lrec=  80 Headers=  15 Data Cycles=   1247 BODC QC (a)
Series:   12050 Inv: CMD  1008           Produced:1993/07/07                     (b)
Id:   048/0           United Kingdom    Scottish Office Agric. & Fisheries Dept. (c)
 57d18.1mN001d54.6mW                     Start:19700831095800 End:19701022075800 (d)
Depth: floor  22.0  sensor  18.0         Nom. sample int.:   3600        secs    (e)
    2 Parameters included:                                                       (f)
Parameter  f  P  Q     Absent Data Value  Minimum Value  Maximum Value     Units
LCDAEL01   Y 30 37                 -1.00           0.00         359.70     deg T (g)
Horizontal Current Direction            Eulerian method
LCSAEL01   Y 40 47                 -1.00           0.14          72.07    cm/sec
Horizontal Current Speed                Eulerian method
    1 FORTRAN format record:                                                     (h)
(I7,A20,A1,1X,F8.2,A1,1X,F8.2,A1)
  Cycle    Date      Time    LCDAEL01  LCSAEL01                                  (i)
 Number yyyy mm dd hh mi ssf         f         f
      1 1970/08/31 09.58.00    228.26     18.63                                  (j)
      2 1970/08/31 10.58.00    209.69     36.14
      3 1970/08/31 11.58.00    206.74     44.23
      4 1970/08/31 12.58.00    204.33     40.06
      5 1970/08/31 13.58.00    207.48     27.95

Notes:

(a)The first record contains general information regarding the file.  Std. indicates Standard format and V1.0 indicates
   version 1.0 of the format.  lrec is the length to which the records are blank padded.  Files produced for PC use will
   not be blank padded and will have each record terminated by a carriage return / line feed (lrec will be set to blank). 
   Headers and Data Cycles are counts of the number of header records and data cycles in the file.  BODC QC indicates
   that the data has been through BODC quality control procedures; this field is blank if this is not the case.

(b)Record two indicates the BODC series reference number and any inventory reference numbers by which the series is
   also known (in this case the inventory is the Current Meter Data Inventory).  A reference to a second inventory may
   occur on this line. If a series has not yet been allocated a BODC reference number this record will start with 'File:'
   followed by the full BODC file name.  This record also indicates the date on which the output was produced
   (yyyy/mm/dd).
 
(c)Record three gives the data originator's identifier for the series, the source country and the source laboratory.  If this
   information is not available the record will state 'Series header information not available' and the next two records will
   be blank.

(d)This record specifies one or two geographic positions; if a second position is given its purpose will be described in the
   accompanying documentation.  Start date and end date (if available) are given in the format yyyymmddhhmiss (24 hour
   clock and GMT). If time is unavailable hhmiss will be blank.

(e)This record gives the sea floor depth and the sensor depth.  If a second (greater) sensor depth is given the two sensor
   depths specify the range of depths over which measurements were made.  The second half of this record gives the
   nominal sampling interval and units.
 
(f)This record and the following title record start the parameter section.  There are two records per parameter present. 

(g)The parameter information record gives the BODC parameter name, whether the channel has been flagged with quality
   control indicators (Y/N), byte pointers (P and Q) to the start and end of the parameter within each datacycle record,
   the absent data value, minimum and maximum values of the parameter within the series and parameter storage units. 
   The next record gives the full parameter name and the sampling method.  (Units, parameter name and sampling method
   may be blank if series header information was not available.)

(h)This line indicates the number of following records which together form the FORTRAN format used to write each data
   cycle record.
 
(i)This and the next record are the data cycle title lines.  'f' indicates a flag channel.

(j)Data cycles are listed one per line.  The first seven characters are always a data cycle count.  One of the following
   quality control flags may appear against an individual data value (if the remark 'BODC QC' is present in record 1, then
   a blank flag indicates that the value is good):

   Flag  Description
 
   D     Thermometric depth
   K     Uncertain/suspect value
   L     Improbable value - originator's quality control
   M     Improbable value - BODC quality control
   N     Null value
   P     Trace/calm
   Q     Indeterminate
   R     Replacement value
   S     Estimated value
   T     Interpolated value
   W     Control value


The following annotated listing of a header section will enable positions of any required fields to be calculated (dummy values
have been entered for all possible fields).

            1         2         3         4         5         6         7         8
   12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890
   
 1 BODC Request Format Std. V1.0 lrec=  80 Headers=  15 Data Cycles=   1247 BODC QC
 2 Series:   12050 Inv: CMD  1008WAVE  1234 produced:1993/07/07                    
 3 id:   048/0           United Kingdom    Scottish Office Agric. & Fisheries Dept.
 4  57d18.1mN001d54.6mW 56d12.9mN002d30.9mE start:19700831095800 end:19701022075800
 5 Depth: floor  22.0  sensor  18.0   19.0  Nom. sample int.:   3600        secs   
 6     1 Parameter included:                                                      
 7 Parameter  f  P  Q     Absent Data Value  Minimum Value  Maximum Value     Units
 8 LCDAEL01   Y 30 37                 -1.00           0.00         359.70     deg T
 9 Horizontal Current Direction            Eulerian method                         
10     1 FORTRAN format record:                                                    
   
            1         2         3         4         5         6         7         8
   12345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890123456789012345678901234567890

When reading in numeric fields include all blanks to the left of the fields shown above.

Alternative formats for records 2 and 3 are:

 2 File:KNM820106/DC1125V/IPS62500          produced:1993/07/07                    
 3 Series header information not available

When this version of record 3 occurs, records 4 and 5 and the second record of each parameter description (record 9 above)
will be blank.


Compressed Format

The differences between Compressed and Standard format are:

   All 80 byte long header records are split into two 40 byte records.  The parameter header records (f and next record)
   and FORTRAN header record (h) are not split.
   The parameter names in the data cycle titles are split across two records.
   The data cycle records are smaller.
   A data cycle count occurs only if date/time is not present.
 
The following shows the example file described above listed in Compressed format and in a form suitable for PCs (records
terminated by carriage returns and lrec blank):

            1         2         3         4
   1234567890123456789012345678901234567890

 1 BODC Request Format Comp V1.0
 2 Headers=  24 Data Cycles=   1247 BODC QC
 3 Series:   12050 Inv: CMD  1008          
 4  produced:1993/07/07                    
 5 id:   048/0           United Kingdom
 6 Scottish Office Agric. & Fisheries Dept.
 7  57d18.1mN001d54.6mW
 8  start:19700831095800 end:19701022075800
 9 Depth: floor  22.0  sensor  18.0 
10  Nom. sample int.:   3600        secs
11     2 Parameters included:
12 Parameter  f  P  Q Absent / Min Max Unit
   LCDAEL01   Y 16 21                 -1.00
              0.00         359.70     deg T
   Horizontal Current Direction
   Eulerian method
   LCSAEL01   Y 23 27                 -1.00
              0.14          72.07    cm/sec
   Horizontal Current Speed
   Eulerian method
       1 FORTRAN format record:
   (A14,A1,F6.2,A1,F5.2,A1)
     Date   Time    LCDA  LCSA
   yyyymmddhhmissf  EL01f EL01f
   19700831095800 228.26 18.63
   19700831105800 209.69 36.14
   19700831115800 206.74 44.23
   19700831125800 204.33 40.06
   19700831135800 207.48 27.95

            1         2         3         4
   1234567890123456789012345678901234567890