Data form FAQ page -- Windward Watersheds Web-Ring

DATA FORM FAQ PAGE

This page explains the layout, codes and contracted words used on the Water Quality Data Archive form used by the Windward Watersheds Web-Ring. Following is a typical layout for presenting basic water quality data. The tables providing statistical summaries are set up similarly (see FORM 2 below). Note that each table represents a single station or sampling location.

Form 1

STATION ID - Station location description (1)

EVENT DATE TIME FLOW TEMP DO COND pH TURB TSS LINKS (2)

No. L/sec ^oC mg/L uS/cm ntu mg/L (3)

VO NC NC NC NC AE AE (4)

001 01/01/2000 0000 out ------ ------ ------ ------ 3.21 5.0 Link Code

For Form 1:

Line (1) gives Station ID (number or letter code) and a brief description of the station location (stream name, other geographic information including GPS reading if available).
Line (2) establishes the columns, giving primary header information. For water quality results, these headers are the analyses conducted. Links are provided here to explanatory information in CPIE. Also included are information columns giving the Event number (consecutive numbering of sampling visits to project area), Date of event, and Time of sample collection at that Station.
Line (3) gives the units of measurement applicable to each column of analytical data. While we prefer metric units, there are many ways that amounts can be quantified, even within the metric system, so specifying the units is extremely important.

Line (4) gives codes that apply to the data below in that column. These codes are a form of quality control: indicating something about the instrument used, person(s) doing the analysis, etc. At the present time, the following codes may be found (arranged alphabetically):

AE -	Analysis conducted at AECOS, Inc laboratory in Kailua (O`ahu)
CV -	Calculated value (not measured, but calculated from other measured parameters)
DH -	State of Hawaii, Department of Health laboratory
MR -	Marine Research Consultants
NC -	No code (no information, or not applicable, as in "no analysis conducted")
SY -	In situ measurement using an Optic StowAway temperature logger manufactured by Onset Computer Corp. Value is the temperature logged at the time closest to the time recorded for the grab sample.
UK -	something measured, but unknown or questionable result provided
VO -	visual observation; without an instrument
WR -	University of Hawaii, Water Resources Research Center (WRRC)
YM -	Field reading made with a YSI Dissolved Oxygen (DO) meter.

Data summaries present water quality data collected over time (typically from a monitoring program) as statistical values calculated from the original data set or a selected subset (for example "wet season values only") of the data set.

....

Form 2

STATION ID - Station location description
period of record ~ (sampling frequency) ~ data subset (1)

STATISTIC TEMP DO COND pH TURB TSS NO₃+NO₂ NH₃ Total N PO₄ Total P (2)

^oC mg/L uS/cm ntu mg/L ugN/L ugN/L ugN/L ugP/L ugP/L (3)

SY YM AE AE AE AE AE AE AE AE AE (4)

MEANS 25.8 8.9 220 7.75 3.15 5.0 1094 18 1384 22 49 (5)

N = 5600 28 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 (6)

For Form 2:

Line (1) gives Station ID (number or letter code) and a brief description of the station location (stream name, other geographic information including GPS reading if available). In smaller type is information on time period encompassed by summarized data set, approximate sampling frequency (if regular), and subset of data set summarized in this table.
Line (2) establishes the columns, giving primary header information. For water quality data statistics, these headers are the analyses conducted. Links are provided here to explanatory information in CPIE. The first column is used to indicate the statistic presented in each row.
Line (3) gives the units of measurement applicable to each column of statistical data. While we prefer metric units, there are many ways that amounts can be quantified, even within the metric system, so specifying the units is extremely important.
Line (4) gives codes that apply to the collection of the data summarized in that column. These codes are a form of quality control: indicating something about the instrument used, person(s) doing the analysis, etc. The codes used presently are listed above (under Form 1).
Line (5): The statistic mean is calculated as a standard mean for temperature, dissolved oxygen, conductivity, and pH. This value is calculated as a geometric mean for turbidity, total suspended solids, and all nutrient parameters. Note that because the pH scale is logarithmic, a calculated standard mean of these data is a geometric mean.
Line (6): "N =" the number of data points used to generate the statistic(s) given in that column. If an active link, this link leads to the data table.

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