Data access
In order to access the data provided on the REFMAR portal, you must have a valid account.
- I do not have an account, I register;
When registering, you select the tide gauge stations to which you wish to have access rights.
- I have an account, I identify myself;
You are then able to download the tide gauge data to which you have access rights.
- I have an account but I wish to modify my rights;
This option applies to you if, in particular, you fall in one of the following categories:
- you wish to have access to data to which you do not currently have access rights;
- you wish to extend your account's activity period;
Last update of the portlef : 29/09/2011
Downloading of data
From each page of a station, you are able to download some or all of the sea level observations in the form of a file.
In order to do this, complete the Start date and End date fields contained in the DOWNLOADS portlet (portlets with the chronological strip to the left of the page). Do not forget to tick those that you require; for example, the raw real-time data, the time data, the positive and negative surge data (if you have the necessary rights for this type of product.)
Once selected, the file is either:
- displayed directly via a text editor or on a new tab on your Internet navigator;
- downloaded to the desired location on your computer;
It should be noted that when you have downloading rights for a station, you have access to all the data available on REFMAR.
Positive and negative surges are a product available for display on REFMAR. Consequently, access to downloading of this type of product is not automatic.
Similarly, predictions are also a product available for display on REFMAR but it is impossible to download them. Nevertheless, you can consult them on the SHOM tidal prediction site at the following address: http://www.shom.fr/fr_page/fr_serv_prediction/ann_marees.htm.
Last update of the portlef : 29/09/2011
Téléchargement automatique des données
For regular downloads, you can download electronic versions of any or all of the sea level observations simply by typing a URL into your browser.
The URL format is as follows:
http://refmar.shom.fr/onivmerzip/download?id=USER_ID&pass=PASSWORD&idstation=STATION_NUMBER&idsource=SOURCE_NUMBER&datedeb=START_DATE&datefin=END_DATE
You replace:
- USER_ID (1) ;
- PASSWORD (2) ;
- STATION_NUMBER (3) ;
- SOURCE_NUMBER (4) ;
- START_DATE (5) ;
- END_DATE (6).
with the information you want.
(1) (2) The USER_ID and PASSWORD are the ones you use to log in to REFMAR.
(3) Each tide gauge station has a unique identifier. The STATION_NUMBER can be found on the Tide Gauge Data page in the first column of the chart (column "Identifier").
(4) Each tide gauge station delivers different types of sea level measurements: raw data, delayed data, at various intervals (1 minute, 5 minutes, 10 minutes, hourly). Each type of measurement is identified by a SOURCE_NUMBER. Once you log in to the portal, the DOWNLOAD portlet on the Tide Gauge Data page lets you know what type of station data you can download. Usually, SOURCE_NUMBER 1 is for quasi-real-time raw data, SOURCE_NUMBER 4 is for data validated hourly..., etc. There may be differences from one producer to another.
(5) (6) START_DATEand END_DATE are used to define the periods for which you want the data. The format is as follows: YYYY-MM-DD (year-month-day). For example 2011-12-07 for December 7, 2011. Note that the start and end dates are not required. In this case you will download all the water heights available for the given source.
Once you click Display the Results, the file will be:
- displayed directly via a text editor or in a new tab on your browser;
- downloaded to the desired location on your computer.
Example:
If you want data from the Brest tide gauge station (STATION_NUMBER = 103), 10 minute raw data (SOURCE_NUMBER = 2) between December 5 (start_date = 2011-12-05) and December 6, 2011 (end_date = 2011-12-06), you would enter the following:
http://refmar.shom.fr/onivmerzip/download?id=UTILISATEUR_ID&pass=PASSWORD&idstation=103&idsource=2&datedeb=2011-12-05&datefin=2011-12-06
taking care to enter the user name and password you were given when you registered.
It should be noted that when you have downloading rights for a station, you have access to all the data available on REFMAR.
Positive and negative surges are a product available for display on REFMAR. Consequently, access to downloading of this type of product is not automatic (SOURCE_NUMBER 6 to 9).
Similarly, predictions are also a product available for display on REFMAR but it is impossible to download them. Nevertheless, you can consult them on the SHOM tidal prediction site at the following address: http://www.shom.fr/les-services-en-ligne/predictions-de-maree/presentation/
Last update of the portlet : 27/05/2013
"Raw" "real-time" data type
"Real time" data are sent either by ADSL, GPRS or satellite. The measurements are received by the REFMAR collection system.
The transmissions may occasionally fail for various reasons. "Real time" heights not received are lost.
However, each measurement sent (or not) in real time is stored in the data logger associated with the sensor. All the data from the data loggers are downloaded and saved regularly, including those that were not sent in real time in the form of 10 minute raw data.
Last updated: 12/12/2012
Non real time data types
The tide gauge observations distributed on REFMAR are sea level heights expressed in the TU+0 time system with respect to an arbitrary local reference plane.
Several types of sea level height are available on the REFMAR FTP server:
- raw water height data every 10 minutes, available for 1 week following the measurement;
- validated water heights every 10 minutes
- hourly water heights, available for 2-3 months following a quality check.
Last update of the portlet : 29/09/2011