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For decades, most of weather moored buoys have been reporting their data onto the GTS in FM13 SHIP code. For a few months, some of these data are converted in FM94 BUFR according to template TM308009 (B/C10 - ship data). They are so transmitted in both codes, in parallel. Tropical moored buoys (TAO, PIRATA and RAMA networks) using Argos as communication system report their data in FM18 BUOY. and FM94 BUFR in parallel. The unvalidated template for data buoys is used in this latter case. Some morred buoy networks, operated by non-meteorlogical agencies, transmit their data in BUFR only, according to the unvalidated template for buoy data. They did not spend time and money to develope the transmission with the near-obsolete dataformat FM18 BUOY.   

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(Data received and processed at Meteo-France)

1. This monitoring includes moored buoys but other fixed marine stations too.

2. Many moored buoys or fixed marine stations report their data in FM13-SHIP code. Some also report their data in BUFR (but according to ship template further to a "FM13 to BUFR" conversion). In the longer term they should report according to moored buoy template... or a more suitable template for fixed marine stations. .

How to easily encode MOORED BUOY data in BUFR, using Python or Fortran

The procedure below is just an example and other software may be used.

1. Starting from a BUFR file such as the one attached to this page, view its contents in the ECMWF BUFR validator
2. Install ECC. No admin rights are necessary if making a local installation (-DCMAKE_INSTALL_PREFIX=<my_installation_path>)
3. Using ecCodes, get a text (JSON) dump of the BUFR file above:
   1. BFILE=IOBD02LFPW070000.20161107000104_81607384_F.BU
   2. bufr_dump -j a ${BFILE} > ${BFILE}.json
      The resulting file (${BFILE}.json) can be opened in a browser.

4. To create a new BUFR file using PYTHON

   1. bufr_dump -E python ${BFILE} > ${BFILE}.py
      This creates a python source (${BFILE}.py, as attached here)
      

   2. Create a new BUFR from the Python source code

      1. export PYTHONPATH=${PYTHONPATH}:<my_installation_path>/lib/python2.7/site-packages

      2. export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<my_installation_path>/lib

      3. python2.7 ${BFILE}.py.txt
         This creates a BUFR file (outfile.bufr)

   3. Compare the contents of this BUFR with the original one:

      1. mv outfile.bufr outfilejson.bufr

      2. bufr_dump -j a outfilejson.bufr > outfilejson.bufr.txt

      3. diff outfilejson.bufr.txt ${BFILE}.json.txt
         No difference should be found.

5. To create a new BUFR from FORTRAN

   1. bufr_dump -E fortran ${BFILE} > ${BFILE}.F90
      This creates a Fortran source (${BFILE}.F90, as attached here)

   2. Create a new BUFR from the Fortran source code

      1. gfortran ${BFILE}.F90 -o ${BFILE}.F90.x -L<my_installation_path>/lib -leccodes_f90 -leccodes -I<my_installation_path>/include

      2. export LD_LIBRARY_PATH=${LD_LIBRARY_PATH}:<my_installation_path>/lib

      3. ./${BFILE}.F90.x
         This creates a BUFR file (outfile.bufr)

   3. Compare the contents of this BUFR with the original one:

      1. mv outfile.bufr outfileF90.bufr

      2. bufr_dump -j a outfileF90.bufr > outfileF90.bufr.txt

      3. diff outfileF90.bufr.txt ${BFILE}.json.txt
         No difference should be found.