Summary

Abstract: (Summary adpated from the SEAS/AMVER web page) Under a cooperative agreement between the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U. S. Coast Guard, the SEAS IV software has been created to assist Volunteer Observing Ships (VOS) in submitting marine weather reports and participating in the Automated Mutual-Assistance VEssel Reporting System (AMVER). The VOS program allows commercial ships to report marine weather to the National Weather Service (NWS) so that high seas forecasts will be as timely and accurate as possible. The Shipboard Environmental [data] Acquisition System (SEAS) is a global volunteer observing ship program operated by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration for the collection of marine meteorological and ocean data. SEAS participants are requested to take weather observations four times per day, enter the data into the AMVER/SEAS IV software and transmit the data to SEAS Headquarters for global dissemination. In addition to weather observations, some ships may be requested to drop Expendable Bathythermographs (XBT's) into the ocean to obtain subsurface temperature data. This information is used in the preparation of the High Seas Forecast that is distributed to the marine community. Researchers and Climate Modelers also use the data as input to their models to help predict long-term climate variability and change.

Service Citation

Originators: NOAA Title: SEAS (Shipboard Environmental [data] Acquisition System) Provider: NOAA URL: http://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/goos/seas/seas.php

Service Keywords

DATA MANAGEMENT/DATA HANDLING >ARCHIVING   [Definition]

Science Keywords

ATMOSPHERE >ATMOSPHERIC TEMPERATURE >MAXIMUM/MINIMUM TEMPERATURE   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >ATMOSPHERIC WATER VAPOR >DEW POINT TEMPERATURE   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >ATMOSPHERIC WINDS >SURFACE WINDS   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >CLOUDS >CLOUD PROPERTIES >CLOUD FREQUENCY   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >CLOUDS >CLOUD PROPERTIES >CLOUD HEIGHT   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >CLOUDS >CLOUD TYPES   [Definition]

ATMOSPHERE >PRECIPITATION >PRECIPITATION AMOUNT   [Definition]

OCEANS >OCEAN TEMPERATURE >SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE   [Definition]

OCEANS >OCEAN WAVES >WAVE HEIGHT   [Definition]

OCEANS >OCEAN WAVES >WAVE PERIOD   [Definition]

ISO Topic Category

CLIMATOLOGY/METEOROLOGY/ATMOSPHERE OCEANS

Use Constraints

In order to participate, a ship must have the following equipment located on the bridge and available to the mates who will be making the reports: PC - IBM compatible, 286 or better 3.5 inch floppy drive Hard drive with MB of free space DOS 5.0 or greater or Windows 3.1 or greater INMARSAT Std C with a 3.5 inch floppy disk drive

Service Provider

Marine Operations Center, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce Service Provider Personnel Name: BOB DECKER Phone: (206)526-4280 Fax: (206)526-4281 Email: Bob.Decker at noaa.gov Contact Address: NOAA/OES42 7600 Sand Point Way NE City: Seattle Province or State: WA Postal Code: 98115-0070 Country: USA Service Provider Personnel Name: JIM W. FARRINGTON Phone: (757)441-3062 Fax: (757)441-6495 Email: James.W.Farrington at noaa.gov Contact Address: NOAA/NC/AMC Atlantic Marine Center 439 W. York St. City: Norfolk Province or State: VA Postal Code: 23510 Country: USA

Distribution Media

Distribution_Media: 3.5 inch floppy disk Distribution_Size: 1 MB

Personnel

TYLER B. STEVENS Role: SERF AUTHOR Phone: (301) 614-6898 Fax: 301-614-5268 Email: Tyler.B.Stevens at nasa.gov Contact Address: NASA Goddard Space Flight Center Global Change Master Directory City: Greenbelt Province or State: MD Postal Code: 20771 Country: USA

Creation and Review Dates

SERF Creation Date: 2000-02-02 SERF Last Revision Date: 2012-05-09