## Downloading data for import to Ocean Data View

This download software is based on ODV User's Guide Version 3.4.0 found at the ODV home site July 2008. Note that ODV version 4 is available (details at the home site; above). Among other things, version 4 removes many of the restrictions enforced by this JGOFS->ODV v 3 converter. At present, we do NOT have a JGOFS->ODV v 4 converter. However, ODV v 4 will accept netcdf files, which JGOFS can generate. We hope that if you take the output from the JGOFS->netcdf converter to an ODV v 4 site, you will be able to use ODV v 4. If not, please let us know

The software prepares a Generic ODV Spreadsheet Format version of a JGOFS-format object by mapping JGOFS-format variable names into the required ODV metadata variables. ODV requires cruise ID, station number, station type, latitude, longitude, date/time, and depth information. It permits several input date/time formats.

The download software has chosen to require separate variables for year, month, day, and time. If the JGOFS-format object does not have this date/time format, the time conversion utility (link on main page) may be able to help.

The ODV station type variable is not looked for in the JGOFS-format object. The value '*' is generated.

The latitude data in the JGOFS object must have positive values representing north and the longitude data must have positive values representing east. The download software cannot compensate if these conventions are not used.

In the JGOFS object, year, month, and day must be integers. Time format must be hhmm, 24-hour clock. The download software will round hhmm.mmm if necessary.

Depth must be in meters. It can be either instrument depth or bottom depth, depending on which is appropriate. For example, instrument depth is appropriate for time series data whereas bottom depth may be more appropriate for profile data.

The download software converts the JGOFS-format missing data indicator 'nd' to an empty field, which is considered a missing data indicator in ODV format. ODV version 3 does not allow missing data in any of the required fields except depth. By default, the download software will eliminate a JGOFS-format record if any of its required ODV variables is missing (except depth, in which case this software will output a 0., the ODV missing data indicator for depth). ODV version 4 will accept such records. The download software has a switch to allow inclusion.

Last modified: Jun 20, 2011