[Seavox] Platform Codes

[Lowry, Roy K.]

Dear All,

Time for SeaVoX to opo out of hibernation for a while. The L06 vocabulary for platform categories has been stable since the end of 2008.  However, recent activity between SeaDataNet and JCOMMOPS to manage platform instance and their identifiers has raised some questions that I would like us to consider.

1)      There are undrogued drifting surface buoys that are released at Arctic latitudes when the area is ice-free but become trapped when the sea ice develops.  Thus for part of the year they are tracking currents but for the rest they are tracking ice movements.  It has been proposed that we add an additional entry (ice buoy) to L06 to cover these. Comments?
2)      The 'cryosphere' section of L06 was set up on the basis of conversations between myself and a colleague at the British Antarctic Survey, which resulted in two categories being set up for 'ice island' and 'ice shelf'. Now this has something of a southern bias as it ignores the Arctic sea ice with is neither an ice island nor an ice shelf with a rate of movement somewhere between the other two. Consequently, it has been proposed that we add a category 'ice pack' with a DRAFT definition 'Sea ice that has sufficient bulk to inhibit free movement by currents but is not attached to land.' Comments - including improvements to the definition which came off the top of my head.
3)      There has been a rapid expansion in the last couple of years in the number of gliders. The question has therefore been asked whether these should continue to be categorised as 'autonomous underwater vehicles' or have their own category that would of course have a broadMatch to 'autonomous underwater vehicles' (L06 is a hierarchy). Again comments? If we go down this path are there any other AUV sub-categories that we should be considering?

Cheers, Roy.

Please note that I now work part-time from Tuesday to Thursday.  E-mail response on other days is possible but not guaranteed!




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