Shipborne Automatic Marine Meteorological Observation System

Collecting meteorological data in open ocean areas is a challenging task and plays a critical role in weather forecasting. Currently, satellite observations are widely used; however, ground-truth data are still required for calibration and validation. Among various in-situ observation platforms, data buoys are commonly deployed in nearshore and offshore regions and play an important role in marine meteorological observation. To obtain more extensive coverage of marine meteorological data, attention has turned to ships, which are constantly present across the world’s oceans. If ships can be utilized as ocean observation platforms, they provide a major advantage in understanding the marine environment and improving weather prediction accuracy. Ships navigating across global oceans participate in an international program established by the World Meteorological Organization (WMO) known as the Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) Program, in which they transmit meteorological observations for global weather services. To enhance the collection and transmission of marine meteorological data from ships, a Shipborne Automatic Marine Meteorological Observation System has been developed. This system is installed on ships and integrates data compression, satellite communication, data visualization, and system management technologies to provide real-time meteorological information to the ship’s bridge for display and operational use. Transmit observation data to the Central Weather Administration (CWA) to increase surface-level marine monitoring data for forecast calibration and validation.

The automatic shipborne marine meteorological observation system is a new onboard instrument designed to measure meteorological parameters such as wind speed, air pressure, air temperature, and humidity in real time. The advantages of the system are:

1. Increases the frequency and reliability of shipborne meteorological reports, thereby improving forecast accuracy.
2. Provides integrated meteorological information for ships, enhancing navigation safety.
3. Automated observation improves data quality, reduces manual operations, and encourages shipping company participation.

Key Features:

1. Fully automated and unmanned marine meteorological monitoring capability.
2. Real-time wireless communication and data visualization both onboard and onshore.
3. Compact size with self-sustaining power supply.
4. Dynamic data correction based on ship motion.
5. High durability for operation in harsh marine environments.
6. Scalable system architecture for future expansion.