Systematic Validation of Conductivity and Temperature from Ocean moored buoy data in the northern Indian Ocean with in situ ship based measurements

Abstract

A continuous data on the surface meteorological, surface and subsurface data on temperature, salinity and current is available online with the deployment of twelve moored buoys; Ocean Moored Network for the Northern Indian Ocean (OMNI) with seven buoys in the Bay of Bengal and five in the Arabian Sea. This network of OMNI buoys has been providing data which are of great relevance to the climate research community to constantly monitor the seasonal, intra-seasonal, annual and inter-annual variations in the northern Indian Ocean. In the long run the data accuracy is another important part of the program, to ensure the quality of the data delivered from these buoys, especially for the sub-surface data where satellite cannot reach. Conductivity-Temperature-Depth profile is done adjacent to the buoy locations during various phases of service of the buoys. This operation carried out in three phases in the Bay of Bengal has been compared with the buoy data, in order to ensure the quality of the conductivity-temperature measurements taken by the OMNI buoys. The high correlation between both the data sets ensures the quality of the data delivered by the Conductivity- Temperature sensors attached along the mooring line of the OMNI buoys.