Southwest Atlantic Acoustic Travel Time and Bottom Pressure Data (2009-2012)

Acoustic travel time and bottom pressure measurements were collected by inverted echo sounders as part of the Southwest Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation project. The dataset covers a period from March 2009 to December 2012. The data was collected by the NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal trends in acoustic travel time to infer changes in ocean temperature and current velocity.
• Correlate bottom pressure measurements with regional sea level variations and deep ocean dynamics.
• Validate numerical ocean circulation models using the time-series of acoustic and pressure data from the Southwest Atlantic.
• Study the variability of the Meridional Overturning Circulation using the multi-year record of integrated ocean measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over 3.5 years, from March 2009 to December 2010.
• Focuses on a specific, scientifically critical region for monitoring the Meridional Overturning Circulation.

Limitations

• The specific number of measurement stations, rows of data, and sampling frequency are unknown.
• Data is over a decade old, limiting analysis of recent oceanographic changes.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Collected using inverted echo sounders deployed in the ocean.

Time Range

2009-03-18 to 2012-12-10

Freshness

Data collection ended on 2012-12-10.

Geography

Southwest Atlantic Ocean, specific to the SAM project area.