General Description

Malta hosts one of the node stations of the MedGLOSS Network. The installation of sea level gauge was completed in February 2001 in the Portomaso marina at the Malta Hilton in St. Julians and constitutes the first real-time monitoring station for oceanographic data in Malta.

Parametres measured

The instrument, donated by the International Commission for the Scientific Exploration of the Mediterranean Sea (CIESM), collects sea level data (every half-a-minute), seawater temperature, atmospheric pressure and waves in the marina. Charts of hourly averaged sea level and temperature data and atmospheric pressure are collected in real time by the Malta MedGLOSS station.

Sensors used

The equipment of the station includes:

• an underwater pressure sensor of Paroscientific manufacture, type Digiquartz Intelligent sensor, model 8DP060-1 with an RS-232 communication cable
• Setra atmospheric pressure sensor, type 470
• Trimble GPS timer computer card and antenna for accurate time recording
• Computer serving to process and store data
• Server to interrogate and transmit data in real-time

The ISRAMAR package of computer programmes integrated in a unified system provides near real-time data gathering and transmissions. At the receiving end, the software automatically controls the quality of the data received for the MedGLOSS station, including automatic regular submission of status to the operator by email messaging.

Atmospheric Sensor

The Setra 470 Digital Pressure Transducer is a highly accurate pressure measurement system, utilizing the patented SETRACERAMTM sensor, advanced micro-computer based electronics, and sophisticated firmware. The Setra 470 accurately measures and reports barometric pressure. The digital design of the Setra 470 provides a simple and reliable communications interface for easy integration into digital control systems. This, in addition to the digital signal processing of the sensing element signal, allows the elimination of inaccuracies and cost of an analogue data acquisition module.

Underwater Sensor

The underwater sensor is 10cm in diameter and 25cm long. It is housed in a stainless steel protective frame whose diameter is 15cm and 60cm long. It is attached to a 1” diameter stainless steel rod which is approximately 1m long. The rod is inserted underwater into a vertical stainless steel tube slightly larger than 1” inner diameter, welded to a horizontal stainless rod, which is attached to a steel plate (40cm x 40cm x 2cm) found attached to the quay in situ at about 3m (in a total depth of 3.5m) below sea level.

Sampling protocols

These charts are compiled from high frequency data sampling of the key parameters and are updated on the website four times daily (00:45, 06:00, 12:00 and 18:00 GMT).

Data management System

The sea level station registers data every half minute on a computer on site. This computer communicates data with a server at the University of Malta. The sea level station is interrogated every hour by the server. The shortest packet of data is on the first hour of the day.Successive hours transmit also the previous hourly data packets of the day. The largest packet is on the 24th hour and is about 1K in size. This daily cycle of data transmission is fully automated.

Accesibility

These data are presented in twice-daily updated graphical representation on this website. Data are also achieved at the Permanent Service for Mean Sea Level (PSMSL) centre in Bidston, UK which is the global data bank for long term sea-level change information from tide gauges.

Daily files and charts of hourly averaged values of sea-level, water temperature and atmospheric pressure are available from this site http://www.capemalta.net/pounit/levmalta.html

Agencies which are interested to subscribe for direct access to the data can contact Dr. Aldo Drago (responsible for the Malta MedGLOSS station).

General Description

The automatic realtime weather monitoring station is positioned on the tip of the Marsaxlokk breakwater at latitude 35o49'05.20”N and longitude 14o32'59.00”E at a heigth of 4.5m above mean sea level. The station is an addition to the meteo-marine observing system of the Physical Oceanography Unit at the IOI-Malta Operational Centre of the University of Malta. It has been set up with funding through the RISKMED project which targets to provide early warnings of adverse atmospheric conditions. The station also provides important meteo information for the safer navigation of ships into and out of the port of Marsaxlokk.

Parametres measured

The parameters measured by this station include:

• Wind Magnitude and Direction,
• Wind Gust,
• Atmospheric Pressure, and
• Air Temperature.

sensors used

The stations utilizes robust sensors from Aanderaa Instruments to measure the meteorological parameters. UHF radar is used to transmit the data to the control station.

sampling protocols

The measurements are done every 2 minutes. The webpage publishing the results is updated every 15 minutes.

Data management System

The measurements done every 2 minutes are transmitted by UHF to a control station at the OilTanking Malta Ltd. premises, transferred by FTP to the server at the PO-Unit centre where it is quality controlled, elaborated and published on this webpage with updated charts every 15 minutes. Time on the station is synchronised every hour with a GMT Internet Time server.

Accesibility

All the measurements and charts are accessible free of charge on the website:

[[http://ioi.projects.um.edu.mt:73/capemalta/stations@malta/MARSAXLOKK/]]

Any requests for previous measurements and/or further value-added products on this data may be done via email to Prof. Aldo Drago on aldo.drago@um.edu.mt.

General Description

This automatic realtime atmospheric monitoring station is positioned at the University of Malta at latitude 35o54'08.64”N and longitude 14o29'03.51”E at a height of 28.0m above mean sea level. The station runs in parallel with the other meteo monitoring station on the Marsaxlokk breakwater. It has been set up with partial funding through the RISKMED project which targets to provide early warnings of adverse atmospheric conditions.

Parametres measured

The parameters measured by this station include:

• Air Temperature,
• Atmospheric Pressure,
• Net Radiation,
• Solar Radiation, and
• Relative Humidity.

sensors used

The station utilizes robust sensors from Aanderaa Instruments to measure the meteorological parameters.

sampling protocols

The measurements are done every 2 minutes. The webpage publishing the results is updated every 15 minutes.

Data management System

The measurements, done every 2 minutes, are transmitted to the control room at the PO-Unit centre. The data is then quality controlled, elaborated and published on a dedicated webpage with updated charts every 15 minutes. Time on the station is synchronised every hour with a GMT Internet Time server.

Accesibility

All the measurements and charts are accessible free of charge on the website:

[[http://ioi.projects.um.edu.mt:73/capemalta/stations%40malta/UNIVERSITY/]]

Any requests for previous measurements and/or further value-added products on this data may be done via email to Prof. Aldo Drago on aldo.drago@um.edu.mt.