The DBCP is an international program coordinating the use of autonomous data buoys to observe atmospheric and oceanographic conditions, over ocean areas where few other measurements are taken.
Data buoys measure air pressure, sea surface temperature, ocean current velocity, air temperature, humidity, wave characteristics and wind velocity across all oceans. The DBCP aims to increase the quantity, quality, global coverage and timeliness of atmospheric and oceanographic data. These observations are relayed by satellite and used immediately to improve forecasts and therefore increase marine safety.
The DBCP encourages free and open access to data. Real-time data sharing is achieved via the Global Telecommunications System of WMO. At present, all of the archiving agencies and many of the operational and research bodies make provision for the release of drifter data to scientific and other customers. In particular, many data are available via the web, either in the form of trackplots or as data sets. In many cases, the policies relating to the release and use of these data are not immediately clear. The Panel is seeking clarification from these agencies, and from its action groups, with a view to developing a coordinated data access policy for drifter data within the letter and the spirit of the WMO data exchange policy defined in WMO Congress Resolution 40 (Cg-XII).
The first DBCP session took place in 1974. At that time it was known as the Drifting Buoy Cooperation Panel.
The DBCP was the first Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS) component to achieve its initial goal, when in 2005, it deployed its 1250th drifter near Halifax Harbor, Nova Scotia. A ceremony was held aboard the Tall Ship Silva in association with the JCOMM-II meeting to put the buoy in the water and to commemorate this historic event.
UKMO ODAS Buoy in the yard at Southampton, old design. Courtesy of H Viola, 2009The DBCP worked over many years to design a drifting buoy to suit the needs of Oceanographers and Meteorologists. It has also provided support for the development of moored buoy arrays and ensuring that the data from those buoys was made available in real-time. As such, they form an essential component of marine observing systems established as part of the World Weather Watch, the World Climate Research Programme, the Global Ocean Observing System, the Global Climate Observing System and other meteorological and oceanographic operational and research programs.
The primary objective of the DBCP is to maintain and coordinate all components of the network of over 1250 drifting buoys and 400 moored buoys, which provides measurements such as sea-surface temperature, surface current velocity, air temperature and wind speed and direction. This data is useful for Weather and Ocean Forecasts and research and additionally can be used to complement or validate remotely-sensed data and operational models. The DBCP also explores and evaluates new technologies and uses those which prove successful to improve operations.
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MAP/ CSV.
Tis site provides links to the data portals that contain the actual DBCP datasets.