ICOADS

Chronology and News

Release 2.5 (1662-2007):

July 2009: ICOADS.DM observational data extensively updated and extended to cover 1662-2007, with revised monthly summaries for 1800-2007. Figure 2 illustrates the platform type (PT) makeup of Release 2.5 for 1936-2007 (extensive DM ship data have been included through 2007), and this webpage reviews a variety of Release 2.5 data characteristics. Coincident with Release 2.5 we are extending ICOADS observations (IMMA format), together with monthly summary statistics, to near-real-time based on preliminary ICOADS.RT data, updated monthly, and lagging real-time by 2-6 weeks (note: data and products following the December 2007 official end date of Release 2.5 are subject to change).

Preliminary ICOADS.RT (IMMA format) observations (note: these data following the May 2007 official end date of Release 2.4 are subject to change):

February 2009: January-December 2008.

December 2008: August-December 2007.

June 2008: June-July 2007.

Release 2.4 (1784-2007):

July 2007: ICOADS.RT observational data and monthly summaries made available for 2006-May 2007, and ICOADS.DM observational data and monthly summaries replaced for 1784-2005 to correct minor problems and attach supplemental data through 1997.

Release 2.3 (1784-2005):

March-May 2006: ICOADS.RT observational data and monthly summaries made available for 2005 as an extension to the ICOADS.DM archive. Also, some updates and minor corrections were made to IMMA data for 1999-2004, limited to the ship metadata attachment. Figure 1 illustrates the platform type (PT) makeup of Release 2.3 for 1936-2005, and indicates the degree to which DM ship and other data have been included, versus real-time GTS data.

Release 2.2 (1784-2004):

October-November 2005: ICOADS.DM observational data and monthly summaries made available for 1998-2004 to replace the 1998-2002 ICOADS.RT products. Thus for this release, products for 1784-2004 were entirely ICOADS.DM based. Specifically, this included replacement of some Ocean Data Acquisition System (ODAS) data received via the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) with these DM sources:

• Worldwide drifting buoy data from Canada's Marine Environmental Data Service (MEDS).
• Tropical Pacific and Atlantic moored buoy data, for the TAO/TRITON and PIRATA arrays, from NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) and the Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC).
• US moored buoy and Coastal-Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) data from NOAA's National Data Buoy Center (NDBC).

Release 2.1 (1784-2002):

November 2003: Real-time (ICOADS.RT) observational data and monthly summaries made available for 1998-2002 as an extension to the ICOADS.DM archive, plus the ICOADS.RT observations were offered in a new ascii IMMA format.

Release 2.0 (1784-1997):

September 2002: Began website transition from the earlier Release terminology and, by international agreement, to the name ICOADS. The delayed-mode (ICOADS.DM) archive encompasses the data and monthly summary products referred to below as from three separate COADS updates: Releases 1a (1980-97), 1b (1950-79), and 1c (1784-1949).

Release 1c status (1784-1949):

Individual observations, plus 2°x2° monthly summaries. Together with Releases 1b and 1a, this update completed replacement of the original Release 1 products, plus it extended coverage prior to 1854.

August 2001: Report rejection (ZQ) problem corrected (description), including revised 2°x2° summaries back to 1800.

March 2001: Initial 2°x2° summaries completed (available back to 1800).

February 2001: Final LMRF completed.

November 2000: Preliminary ("beta") individual observations (LMRF) completed.

Release 1b status (1950-79):

Individual observations, plus 2°x2° monthly summaries (and 1°x1° summaries starting in 1960).

January 1999: For October-November 1970, 505 mislocated reports (LMRF) were deleted from deck 555 (Monterey Telecom.); 2°x2° and 1°x1° summaries in MSG format were updated in June 1999.

November 1996: 2°x2° summaries for 1950-79 completed.

October 1996: 1950-1959 individual observations completed (also, individual observations for the additional period 1946-49 were completed in October 1997 for the NCEP/NCAR Reanalysis Project).

July 1996: 1960-1969 LMRF completed.

January 1996: 1970-1979 individual observations (LMRF) completed.

Release 1a status (1980-97):

Individual observations, plus 2°x2° and 1°x1° monthly summaries.

June 1999: 1980-97 update and extension completed, including an update of the previously available 1980-95 data (a preliminary version of the data for this period was completed in March 1999).

March 1997: 1990-95 extension completed, including an update of the previously available 1990-93 data.

June 1995: 1992-93 extension completed, including an update of the previously available 1988 and 1992 data to correct dew point and wet bulb temperature errors in US-keyed data. For more information see Moisture Variable Corrections for 1988 and 1992-1993.

July 1993: Data completed for 1980-92 (original version of Release 1a), introducing the LMRF format to replace the CMR observational format.

Modernized 1°x1° and 2°x2° summary products (MSG format), initially developed for the Pan-American Climate Studies (PACS) Program:

March 2001: 2°x2° summaries in the MSG format were made available for 1800-1949 based on Release 1c data.

June 1999: The 1°x1° summaries were revised to include updated Release 1a data for 1980-97. In addition, 2°x2° summaries in the MSG format were made available for 1950-97 based on the latest Release 1b and 1a data.

November 1997: The 1°x1° summaries were revised and extended to include the latest Release 1a data available for 1990-95.

November 1996: A new set of 1° latitude x 1° longitude monthly summary statistics for an expanded set of 22 variables became available for 1960-93 (see PACS examples).

Interim products (1980-91):

Following completion of Release 1, Interim updates were constructed using simplified procedures and preliminary input data. Note: Release 1a superseded the interim products.

COADS Release 1 (1854-1979):

April 1985: 70M reports output for 1854-1979 (abbreviated CMR format), plus 2° latitude x 2° longitude monthly summary statistics for 19 observed and derived variables.