Format for ICES Oceanographic data
http://www.ices.dk/Ocean/formats/
ICES Oceanographic Data : http://www.ices.dk/ocean/


 
"ICES Oceanographic Format"
Introduction
The following pages provide a detailed description of the formats used by ICES for 
the exchange of oceanographic (water bottle or CTD) station data. Submitters of 
data should, if at all possible, use either of the formats described here. Receivers of 
data from ICES will receive it in only the first described format, the ICES 
Oceanographic 'punch card' format but software is normally supplied with any 
request to help the user read data sets prepared in this format, including an export 
facility to data bases and spreadsheets. The user should note that this format has 
been modified from that published by ICES in 1979 in several important respects. In 
particular provision was made to include position information to .01 of a degree, and 
time to the nearest minute. Other changes include a re-definition of the > (greater 
than) overpunch in the nutrient fields (type '56' chemistry record was replaced by 
type '76') and record type 'P6' was introduced to accommodate the very high 
nutrient levels reported from some coastal regions. In both of these record types 
chlorophyll 'a' is stored to only one decimal place (the '56' record type was 2 decimal 
places).
From early 1994, additional features were added to the format (03 record) to 
accommodate extra decimal places common in CTD records. This affected only 
columns previously used for derived quantities (sigma-t, dynamic depth).
For data received after ca 1997 parameters not supported by the above record types 
were included by the inclusion of the '0Z' record (Additional Parameter Record). This 
record type allows for any number of parameters, so long as it is specified in the 
BODC/JGOFS data dictionary. 
 


ICES Format Specification 
HYDROMASTER RECORD
Position 79-80 = "0J" 
PositionParameter    Description

01-02 Country        Coded according to IOC country codes.
03-04 Ship           Coded according to IOC ship codes.
05-08 Station No.    Station number (within a given year
                     start counting one at the 1 Jan 0000
                     Hrs UTC is recommended).
09-12 Latitude       Geographical latitude in degrees and
                     minutes (decimals see below).
13-17 Longitude      Geographical longitude in degrees and
                     minutes (decimals see below).
18    Quadrant       Indicator of quadrant on globe:
                     0 = Latitude North Longitude East
                     1 = Latitude North Longitude West
                     2 = Latitude South Longitude East
                     3 = Latitude South Longitude West
                     0 Latitude is defined as being North
                     0 Longitude is defined as being East
                     180 Longitude is defined as being West
                     North, South relative to the equator
                     East, West relative to Greenwich
                     meridian
19-21 Year           Last 3 digits of year.
22-23 Month          Number of the month within a year
24-25 Day            Number of the day within a month
26-27 Time           Starting time of hydrographic station
                     in UTC (minutes given later).
28-31 Depth          Corrected depth to bottom in meters
32-45 None           Reserved (usually specifies origin of
                     data)
46-64 None           Weather information (rarely used in
                     recent data)
65-66 Latitude ct'd  Decimals of Latitude minutes
67-68 Longitude ct'd Decimals of Longitude minutes
69-70 Time ct'd      Minutes of time
71-74 None           Reserved
75-77 Secchi         Secchi Disk Depth (metre, 1 implied decimal)
78    None			
79    Indicator      Always "0" (Zero)
80    Record Type    Always "J" (Juliett)


HYDROGRAPHY RECORD
Position 80-80 = "3"

Position Parameter   Description

01-27 Parameter      Copy of contents of positions 01-27 in
                     the Hydromaster record.
28-31 Depth/Pressure Depending on value in column 41 (d/p): depth 
(meters)
                     or Pressure (decibar).No implied decimals (but see 
41-49)
32-35 Temperature    Temperature given in degrees Celsius (C)
                     2 implied decimal places
                     Negative temperatures are indicated by
                     "}" (Closing Brace) in field 32
36-40 Salinity       Salinity given in PSS-78 scale for post-1978 data
                     3 implied decimal places
41-41 d/p            Specifies whether pressure (p) or depth(d). If
                     field not 'p' or 'd', then depth (meters) assumed.
42-49 CTD Decimals   Depending on  a 'p' or 'd' in column 41 then 42-
                     43 is extra decimal places for pressure
                     (p), or depth (d),45-46 is extra decimal places 
for
                     temperature; 48-49 is extra decimal
                     places for salinity 
                     (historical data sets may have sigma-t in 41-45)
50-57 Unused         or derived quantities
58-60 Oxygen         Oxygen content. Given in cm3 02 / dm3
                     (if position 78 = "K" then /kg)
                     water at STP 2 implied decimals
61-64 None           Reserved for derived quantities
65-76 None           Reserved
77    Method         Method of salinity determination
                     1 = Titration by routine method
                     2 = Titration by special precision method
                     3 = Conductivity method precision (<)= 0.01
                     4 = Conductivity method precision (>) 0.01
78 Unit Indicator    Not K = Oxygen in cm3/dm3 (per volume)
                     K     = Oxygen in cm3/kg  (per mass) 
79 Indicator         Indicator for interpolation with depth
                     0 = No interpolation, T and S observed
                     1 = Both T and S have been interpolated
                     8 = T has been interpolated, S observed
                     9 = T has been observed, S interpolated
80 Record type       Always "3" (Three)



HYDROCHEMISTRY RECORD 
(Position 79-80 = "76" or *Position 79-80 = "P6" or Position 79-80 = 
"56") 
PositionParameter    Description
01-27 Parameter      Copy of contents of positions 01-27 in
                     the Hydromaster record.
28-31 Depth/Pressure Pressure (decibars) or Depth (meters) no implied 	
	 	      decimals
                     Assumes unit as in "03" record above.
32-35 Temperature    Temperature Given in degrees Celsius (C)
                     2 implied decimal places
                     Negative temperatures are indicated by
                     "}" (Closing Brace) in field 32
36-39 Salinity       Salinity given in PSS-78 scale for post-1978 data.
                     2 implied decimal places
40-42 Oxygen         Oxygen contents. Given in cm3 02 / dm3
                     water at STP. 2 implied decimals 
                     (If position 78 = "K" then /kg)
43-45 Phosphate      Phosphate phosphorus. Given in mol/l.
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg)
                     2 implied decimals  (* 1 implied decimal)
46-48 Tot.Phosphorus Total Phosphorus contents. Given in mol/l.
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg)
                     2 implied decimals (* 1 implied decimal)
49-51 Silicate       Silicate contents (Silicate Silicon).
                     Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg)
                     1 implied decimal (* 0 implied decimal)
52-54 Nitrate        Nitrate contents (Nitrate Nitrogen).
                     Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg)
                     1 implied decimal (* 0 implied decimal)
55-57 Nitrite        Nitrite contents (Nitrite Nitrogen).
                     Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg) 
                     2 implied decimals (* 1 implied decimal)
58-60 Ammonium       Ammonium contents (Ammonium Nitrogen)
                     Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg) 
                     1 implied decimal (* 0 implied decimal)
61-63 Tot. Nitrogen  Total nitrogen contents. Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg) 
                     1 implied decimal (* 0 implied decimal)
64-66 Hydrog. Sulph. Hydrogen Sulphide contents (Sulphide
                     Sulphur).Given in mol/l. 
                     (if position 78 = "K" then mol/kg) 
                     1 implied decimal (* 0 implied decimal)
67-69 pH             Hydrogen ion concentration in situ 2
                     implied decimals
70-73 Alkalinity     Alkalinity. Given in milliequivalents(millival)/dm3 
		      water at 20C.( if position 78 = "K" then meq/kg) 
                     3 implied decimal places
74-76 Chlorophyll a  Chlorophyll a. Given in ug/dm3 water at
                     20C.(if position 78 = "K" then ug/kg) 
                     1 implied decimal (if 56 record, 2 implied 		
	             decimals)
77 None              Reserved 
78 Unit Indicator    Not K = All Chemistry units in /l (per volume)
                     K     = All Chemistry units in /kg (per mass) 
79Indicator          Always "7" (Seven) (**or "P" in which
                     case all nutrients and H2S X10, ie decimals-1)
80Record type        Always "6" (Six)

 *P6 records
**P6 records be derived from 76 records only. In P6 records only the 
nutrients and H2S are times 10. pH, alkalinity and chlorophyll are 
untouched.
If nitrite is not reported, but nitrate is then the value in the nitrate field is assumed 
to represent nitrate + nitrite. 


ADDITIONAL PARAMETER RECORD 
(Position 79-80 = "0Z") 
PositionParameter    Description
01-27 Parameter      Copy of contents of positions 01-27 in
                     the Hydromaster record.
28-31 Depth/Pressure Pressure (decibars) or Depth (meters) no implied 	
                     decimals
                     Assumes unit as in "03" record above.
32-39 Parameter Code 8 Character Code as used by BODC in its
                     BODC/JGOFS Data Dictionary
40-49 Data Value     Value of parameter in free format. Value might
                     be expressed in scienific notation. Store any data 
		      flag, e.g., < in position 49
50-78 Description    Abbreviated full name of parameter followed by 		
	             units (in parenthesis). Units normally expressed as      
		      given in BODC/JGOFS Data Dictionary
79 Indicator         Always "0" (zero) 
80 Record type       Always "Z" (zed)



General Rule for Coding Data into Fields (not 0Z record type)
All fields for which a value is given should be "0" (Zero) filled to the left, fields where 
no value is given must be left blank. If within a field the rightmost positions are left 
blank, it is assumed that the measurement accuracy did not allow determination of 
this decimal position; e.g. Temperature measured is 2.3 C the Temperature field 
given "023 " (Zero, Two, Three, Blank). 
Coding of values too big for Field Width and Qualifiers 
In all chemistry fields, including the oxygen field in the hydrographic record, a 
provision is made to accommodate values which are too big for the field width 
provided. In case the e.g. oxygen exceeds the value of 9.99 cm3/dm3 you have to 
subtract 10.00 from the value observed, enter this new value and recode the first 
digit of the field according to the conversion for overpunch type 11 (see below). The 
value of 19.99 is used to indicate a value out of range, coded as "R99" (Romeo, Nine, 
Nine). Hence the highest value which can be reported is for oxygen 19.98 cm3/dm3. 
For substances which are reported to only 1 decimal place, e.g. nitrate these 
numbers are 199.9 and 199.8 respectively. 
If the value found seems unrealistic you recode the second digit in the field 
according to the following scheme: 1 mapped into "J", 2 mapped into "K" etc. Note 
however that "0" is mapped into asci character 125 ("}") . This conversion is referred 
to overpunch type 11. An overpunch in column 31 should be made when the depth 
has been obtained by application of an unprotected thermometer in this depth. That 
a depth is questionable is indicated by an overpunch 11 in column 29. 
If there are traces found below the threshold of the reporting format ((<)0.01 or 
(<)0.1 respectively) you code "00}" (Zero, Zero, Closing Brace). 
If for some reason the value can be observed only as being below a certain threshold, 
this threshold value is given and the last digit is recoded according to overpunch 
type 12, ie 1 mapped into "A", 2 into "B" etc and 0 into ascii character 123 ("{") 
The recoding according to Table 1 of the second digit within a field applied as well to 
T and S in the hydrographic records, indicating questionable values. 
The left columns in Tables 1 and 2 show the digits to be recoded, the right columns 
the replacement characters.






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