V.L. Vladimirov, D. Aubrey
HydroBlack-91 Database, Data Base Requirements for CTD Data. - HYDROBLACK 91/92 Workshop. 24 February - 1 March 1992, Yalta, Crimea, Ukraine.

Abstract

The studies on the Black Sea oceanography were started at the end of the last century. According to our estimation, within nearly 100 years about 80000-90000 hydrological stations, 10000-15000 chemical stations, 3000 Secchi disk measurements, etc. were made in the Black sea.

Unfortunately, these data are dissipated in different countries and organizations and are still not collected in one center. Moreover, basin-wide quasisimultaneous surveys were not executed. An attempt was made to perform a number of surveys in 1984 by the MHI and other Soviet institutions. However, these surveys did not cover the entire sea and were performed partly with CTD-probes and with the Nansen bottles. In 1990, the MHI (Ukraine) and IMS (Turkey) organized the survey, which covered the great part of the sea excluding the west and the north-west areas. This survey was made with the help of modern CTD probes.

Nowadays, a HydroBlack-91 survey is the most complete one as for the list of the parameters measured as for the covered area. During one month, nearly 300 CTD stations were performed, also a number of chemical, biological, optical (Secchi disk) and meteorological measurements were done. Unfortunately, the process of data exchange was delayed slightly and today the final physical data set is not ready. As well as, chemical, biological, and meteorological data exchange has not been commenced yet.

When the data exchange will be finished, these data will be loaded into the special data base, which will simplify and accelerate to a considerable degree the work with data. DBMS for this data base is designed in the MHI especially for multivariable data bases of the research cruises. This DBMS permits to load and manipulate all types of data obtaining in the cruises. The part of this system is presented at the workshop and one can see it in room 254. One can note that we load data in terms of depth, not pressure, because it is multivariable data base and, as a rule, chemical, biological and optical data are used in terms of depth.

Suggestions:
1. It is necessary to improve quality of exchanged data and to pay particular attention to the accuracy of the station coordinates and to the correct format of the data.
2. One must accelerate the data exchange process and formation of the final data base of the surveys.
3. It is desirable to create the data exchange formats for the chemical, biological and meteorological data for future surveys.
4. For future surveys (may be for HydroBlack-91 also?), it is desirable to include in the database meteorological data from the near-shore stations along all the Black Sea.

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