MAINTENANCE OF PLOTTING CHARTS 

While the use of Department of Defense Weather Plotting Charts has been on a steady decline since the introduction of computers into the weather business, the Navy geophysics community will continue to hand-plot weather charts in the immediate future. The ships that normally carry AGs, and all of the shore activities, have established requirements for weather-plotting charts. Most shore stations and many ships have signed up, in the past, for automatic distribution of certain weather plotting charts. With automatic distribution, pre-designated quantities of each type of chart are automatically forwarded to the ship or activity on a monthly, quarterly, or annual basis.

During pre-deployment chart inventories aboard ship, and during regular annual inven-tories ashore, a count of the type and quantity of weather-plotting charts is usually made. Based on the past usage of each chart, the monthly usage of each type of chart should be calculated. Ship-board personnel must estimate monthly usage of each type of chart that may be necessary for several different contingencies. Charts not normally used in routine operations may be especially important in different operational scenarios. Consult your Division Chief or Division Officer, who may be familiar with the ships classified contingency plans, for chart require-ments. All ships and stations should keep a 90-day supply of plotting charts on hand. However, decreased usage of many charts, along with automatic distribution, has resulted in an accumulation of several years usage of plotting charts on hand in many cases.

When you are tasked to maintain your commands stock of weather-plotting charts, inventory the quantity of each type of plotting chart. After inventory, carefully calculate the usage of each chart during the past year, and determine how long current quantities on hand will last. If you have more than a 90-day supply, consider suspending or amending automatic-distribution requirements.

Detailed instructions for establishing or changing automatic distribution requirements and for completing a one-time order of weather-plotting charts are contained in the Catalog of Maps, Charts, and Related Products, Part 1- Aerospace Products, Volume II, or it may maintain the entire catalog.

Review the catalog if you have a chance. You will find that many of the products listed in Part 2 - Hydrographic Products and in Part 3 - Topographic Products are essential in calculating certain meteorological and oceanographic forecasts.

In this lesson we have discussed some basic knowledge you must have to accomplish the administrative tasks of maintaining files, records, directives, publications, and plotting charts. As an Aerographers Mate Second Class, you will be asked to do these tasks from time to time.

Atmospheric Climatic Publications, NOCD ASHEVILLENOTE 3146, Naval Oceano-graphy Command Detachment, Asheville, NC, February 1990.

Department of the Navy Directives Issuance System Consolidated Subject Index of Instructions by Washington Headquartered Organizations, DC, April 1989.

Department of the Navy File Maintenance Procedures and Standard Subject Identifica-tion Codes (SSIC), October 1987.

Meteorological and Oceanographic Publications, Charts, and Forms; requirements and distribu-tion, NAVOCEANCOMINST 5605.2E, Naval Oceanography Command, Stennis Space Center, MS, September 1983.

NAVAIR Allowance List, Section L, Meteorological Equipment for Navy Meteorological Units, PA, February 1984.

Ross, Dan, CWo4, USN, "Naval Oceanography Command Equipment Issues," paper pre-sented at the 1989 CNOC Command Master Chief Conference, Stennis Space Center, MS, January 1989.

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