SOFAR Data
National Data Buoy Center (NBDC) receives the SOFAR data from https://www.sofarocean.com/ and it is then converted to BUFR format and sent to NCOs Telecommunications Gateway via ftpsin line 421. It is then sent to WCOSS via TNC feed. SOFAR WMO header is IORX04 KWNB.
The data is collected by Spotter buoys - extensible ocean sensing platforms delivering real-time surface and subsurface data. They make direct observations of wave spectra, wind, sea surface temperature, and atmospheric pressure. Under an agreement between NOAA and SOFAR, the data are restricted to remain within NOAA and its agencies. These data, along with the NCEP decoders, may not be redistributed at any time to entities outside of NOAA, nor to any other U.S government agency, any educational institution or research group, any foreign agency, or anyone in the general public.
The SOFAR ocean surface and subsurface data are stored in the NCEP database as BUFR types/subtypes b001/xx121 and are being evaluated for assimilation into NCEP models and for verification purposes.
SOFAR data is restricted in that it cannot be made available to anyone outside of NOAA.
There is no expiration on this restriction.
Users of this data, including any code or decoder associated with it, may not redistribute it at any time to any U.S. government agency outside of NOAA, nor to any educational institution, research group, foreign government agency, or the general public. If a user is redistributing this data within NOAA, then before doing so, the user must complete the "inform and acknowledge" procedure with the intended recipient as described on the previous page. A template is provided for this purpose which may be cut-and-pasted into an e-mail from the user to the intended recipient. Once the reply acknowledgement is received from the recipient, the user should then forward a copy of this acknowledgement to (ncep.nco.ccsdata@noaa.gov) before making the redistribution.
