Remote ocean environmental data acquisition

Since the summer of 1971, the NOAA Data Buoy Office has deployed numerous environmental moored data buoys possessing automated data acquisition and over-the horizon telemetry features. These buoys have been deployed off the east and west coast of the United States and in the Gulf of Mexico and Alaska. As of summer 1977, between fifteen to twenty synoptic environmental reporting buoys located in the Gulf and deep ocean areas are in service. In addition, numerous drifting buoys have been deployed worldwide. Although the hull configuration of NDBO buoys are diverse, the environmental data which is acquired on-board the buoy and transmitted to shore have been received and processed shoreside with good performance. Near real-time synoptic reports have been delivered around the clock to various weather forecasting groups. In addition, other environmental data is used for engineering evaluation and analysis, and for the generation of monthly inputs to the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) and the National Climatic Center (NCC) for archival purposes. Initially, the data link requirements were successfully met by judicious implementation of on-board High Frequency (HF) communications and cooperative shore stations. However, since program inception the long-range plans for accomplishing the environmental reporting function were to use satellites, both geostationary and orbiting, at such time that they become available. This paper will review the orderly transition from HF to satellite communications. The various phases of satellite communications from testing to operational confidence and finally to full operational satellite mode will be described. Analyses of data defining satellite communication performance in terms of link reliability and data quality will also be addressed. Finally, data acquisition and telemetry implementation will be discussed with a view towards assisting potential satellite link subscribers in scoping out their system.