Missing link between BUFR data and OSCAR/surface records

[efucile]

BUFR data are currently exchanged using Traditional Station Identifiers (TSI) (for most stations block and station number). Stations in OSCAR/surface are identified with WSI. The link between TSI and WSI was supposed to be present only for the stations listed in Vol. A in July 2016. We have many stations that were not registered in Vol. A, but are exchanging data with TSI and either don't have a WSI or have one that is not in the 20000 range assigned by Secretariat and therefore not associated with the TSI. There are also stations with a WSI assigned by the Country (with country code) exchanging data with TSI. This is again not allowing a simple link between data and OSCAR/surface records.

This is the text from the Guide on WIGOS defining the link that is broken in several cases.

Table 2.2 defines the issuer of identifier values in the range 20000–21999 to be used for WIGOS station identifiers. This range is used to ensure that observing facilities that have pre-existing station identifiers can be allocated a WIGOS station identifier in a way that retains an association with the pre-existing identifier. Any new observing facility will be given an identifier within the range allocated to the Member operating the observing facility.

Issuer of identifier values	Category of station identifier	Issue number	Local identifier
20000	World Weather Watch land station with sub-index number (SI) = 0	0: station defined in Weather Reporting (WMO-No. 9), Volume A, on 1 July 2016 Any other positive number: to distinguish between different observing facilities that used the same station identifier in the past	Use the block number II and station number iii, a five-digit number with leading zeroes ). Example: station 60351 would be represented by 0-20000-0-60351
20001	World Weather Watch land index	0: station defined in Weather Reporting, Volume A, on 1 July 2016	Use the block number II, and the station number iii, as a single five-digit number IIiii (with leading zeroes). Example: upper-air station 57816 would be represented by 0-20001-0-57816
20002	World Weather Watch marine platform (moored or drifting buoy, platform, etc.)	0: platform for which the identifier was in use on 1 July 2016	Use the region/platform number combination A1bwnbnbnb. Examples: The data buoy 59091 would be represented by 0-20002-0-59091 The World Weather Watch list of data buoys has two buoys with identifier 13001. The buoy most recently used at the time WIGOS station identifiers  were  introduced is allocated 0-20002-0-13001 and the second is issued identifier 0-20002-1-13001
20003	Ship identifier based on the International Telecommunication Union call sign	0: ship to which the identifier was most recently allocated on 1 July 2016 Any other positive number: to distinguish between different ships that used the same ship identifier at different times	Ship call sign Example: the (now obsolete) weather ship C7R would be represented by 0-20003-0-C7R
20004	Ship identifier – issued nationally	0: ship to which the identifier was most recently allocated on 1 July 2016 Any other positive number: to distinguish between different ships that used the same ship identifier at different times	Ship identifier Example: the fictitious ship XY123AB would be represented by 0-20004-0-XY123AB
20005	AMDAR aircraft identifier	0: aircraft to which the identifier was most recently issued on 1 July 2016 Any other number: to distinguish between different aircraft that used the same aircraft identifier at different times	Aircraft identifier Example: aircraft EU0246 would be represented by 0-20005-0-EU0246

[jitsukoh]

I am not sure if this issue is well defined. In my opinion, the problem is that there is no link between traditional identifiers that are used in BUFR (e.g. TSI, ship and AMDAR aircraft identifiers) and OSCAR/surface records.

And this presents a fundamental question if we really need to report WSI in BUFR to make WSI a unique identifier of stations, when stations have already identifiers (TSI and others). Establishing a link between traditional identifiers that are used in BUFR and OSCAR/surface records through a simple database could be a realistic solution rather than forcing 193 Members to change their system to add WSI to existing BUFR reports?