Quality Codes

Most parameters may also have an associated column of numeric quality flags. Quality flag columns appear as a normal parameter in the Parameter and Unit Lines, they MUST NOT have any associated units. The quality flag parameter name are constructed and require parsing to determine which parameter they need to be associated with.

The basic formula for constructing a quality flag parameter name is:

<PARAMETER_NAME>_FLAG_W

where <PARAMETER_NAME> is the parameter for which the quality flags are for.

For example, the quality column for the parameter CTDOXY would be CTDOXY_FLAG_W.

The meaning of the flags is determined by the type of measurement it is. Bottles have Bottle Quality Codes, measurements from CTD based instruments use the CTD Quality Codes, and discrete measurements from bottle use the Water Quality Codes. The quality codes to use for any specific parameter is also listed with each parameter in the parameters section.

All quality flag codes are single digit integers.

The following descriptions of each quality code is taken from the WOCE manual.

WOCE Bottle Quality Codes

1:

Bottle information unavailable.

2:

No problems noted.

3:

Leaking.

4:

Did not trip correctly.

5:

Not reported.

(6):

(Significant discrepancy in measured values between Gerard and Niskin bottles.)

(7):

(Unknown problem.)

(8):

(Pair did not trip correctly. Note that the Niskin bottle can trip at an unplanned depth while the Gerard trips correctly and vice versa.)

9:

Samples not drawn from this bottle.

WOCE Water Sample Quality Codes

1:

Sample for this measurement was drawn from water bottle but analysis not received.

2:

Acceptable measurement.

3:

Questionable measurement.

4:

Bad measurement.

5:

Not reported.

6:

Mean of replicate measurements (Number of replicates should be specified in the .DOC file and the replicate data tabulated there).

7:

Manual chromatographic peak measurement.

8:

Irregular digital chromatographic peak integration.

9:

Sample not drawn for this measurement from this bottle.

Note

Note that if water is drawn for any measurement from a water bottle, the quality code for that parameter should be set equal to 1 initially to help ensure that all water samples are accounted for.

WOCE CTD Quality Codes

1:

Not calibrated.

2:

Acceptable measurement.

3:

Questionable measurement.

4:

Bad measurement.

5:

Not reported.

6:

Interpolated over a pressure interval larger than 2 dbar.

7:

Despiked.

(8):

Not used for CTD data.

9:

Not sampled.