Characteristics of National Data Buoy Systems: Their Impact on Data Use and Measurement of Natural Phenomena

摘要

The report presents a framework by which the characteristics of National Data Buoy Systems, the variability of natural phenomena in the oceans and atmosphere, and data use techniques, may be compared to better define what marine environmental phenomena National Data Buoy Systems can measure most effectively. This framework is based on the utilization of hypothetical buoy system characteristics which would collect measurements over a three dimensional array of points in the ocean at regular intervals in time superimposed over wave spectral analysis of natural environmental phenomena, using frequency for time variability and wave number for space variability. By matching the spectral content of the natural environment with the characteristics of buoy systems, spectral windows describing what is measureable, may by analyzed against their ability to meet the spectral content required by users of marine environmental information. (Author)