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    • International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) Project, Version 4

    Metadata Updated: September 19, 2023

    The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) provides location and intensity for global tropical cyclones. The data span from the 1840s to present, generally providing data at 3-hour intervals. While the best track data is focused on position and intensity (maximum sustained wind speed or minimum central pressure), other parameters are provided by some agencies (e.g., radius of maximum winds, environmental pressure, radius of hurricane force winds, etc.) and are likewise provided in IBTrACS. Files are available subset by Basin or time period, where basins include: East Pacific, North Atlantic, North Indian, South Atlantic, South Indian, South Pacific, and the West Pacific. Time periods include: All data, since 1980, and the last 3 years.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

    Downloads & Resources

    Dates

    Metadata Date July 6, 2023
    Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
    Metadata Updated Date September 19, 2023
    Reference Date(s) February 15, 2019 (publication)
    Frequency Of Update daily

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from ncdc

    Other Data Resources

    Graphic Preview

    A sample plot of one year of tropical cyclone tracks available in IBTrACS.

    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date July 6, 2023
    Metadata Created Date October 28, 2022
    Metadata Updated Date September 19, 2023
    Reference Date(s) February 15, 2019 (publication)
    Responsible Party NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.ncdc:C01552
    Access Constraints Cite as: Knapp, Kenneth R.; Diamond, Howard J.; Kossin, James P.; Kruk, Michael C.; Schreck, Carl J. III (2018). International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS) Project, Version 4. [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. https://doi.org/10.25921/82ty-9e16 [access date]., Users are also asked to cite: Knapp, K. R., M. C. Kruk, D. H. Levinson, H. J. Diamond, and C. J. Neumann, 2010: The International Best Track Archive for Climate Stewardship (IBTrACS): Unifying tropical cyclone best track data. Bulletin of the American Meteorological Society, 91, 363-376. doi:10.1175/2009BAMS2755.1, Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives., Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
    Bbox East Long 180.0
    Bbox North Lat 90.0
    Bbox South Lat -90.0
    Bbox West Long -180.0
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update daily
    Graphic Preview Description A sample plot of one year of tropical cyclone tracks available in IBTrACS.
    Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/pub/data/metadata/images/C01552_IBTrACS.png
    Graphic Preview Type PNG
    Harvest Object Id 1aa96298-6031-4628-aae4-b222f2498dfc
    Harvest Source Id 2cb3ef77-1683-4c2a-9119-dc65e50917c6
    Harvest Source Title ncdc
    Licence The primary limitation is that information is limited to known tropical systems. So those not observed are not recorded (this is much more prevalent prior to satellite observations). Another limitation is that various agencies have different practices when it comes to reporting maximum sustained wind speeds. This makes comparing winds between basins or through time problematic because changes in agencies, personnel or practices can mask underlying climatological shifts (and vice versa).
    Lineage Prior to receiving the data at NCEI, there is some uncertainty in the lineage as data processing practices at some agencies are better documented than others. The data are produced from real time (during the season) and post-season analysis of TC observations. Thus, there is some uncertainty on what observations were available at a given agency, what practices were in place that might affect intensity estimates and what practices and procedural thresholds were used to track some systems but not others.
    Metadata Language eng; USA
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -90.0], [180.0, -90.0], [180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, -90.0]]]}
    Progress onGoing
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 1842-10-25

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