An operational system for real- and delayed-time quality control (QC) and submission of thermosalinograph (TSG) data into the Global Telecommunication System (GTS) is under development at NOAA/AOML. Several components of this system have been already implemented allowing the reception, analysis, storage and distribution of TSG data from several ships of the NOAA fleet and the Ship Of Opportunity Program (SOOP).

After properly downloaded, the data received at NOAA/AOML is quality controlled through several procedures based on the ten Global Ocean Surface Underway Data Pilot Project (GOSUD) real-time control test. Among other parameters, the QC procedures check the data for errors in date, location, platform identification, ship speed, global and regional temperature and salinity ranges compatibility, gradient and the presence of spikes. The TSG data is also compared with a monthly climatology (Levitus 2005) and against the NCEP (National Center for Environmental Prediction) weekly analysis fields. The data approved in the QC tests is then transformed in TRACKOB messages and inserted into the GTS. This new system is already operational in real-time and will be also processing data in delayed-time during 2009, providing important tools to automatically detect problems in data transmission, equipment calibration and marine operations of the NOAA fleet in general.