Gulf of Mexico Moored Current Meter Data from 1979

NOAA_NCEI provides ocean current direction and temperature data collected via moored Aanderaa current meter casts in the Gulf of Mexico. Measurements were taken at fixed stations from June 13 to July 3, 1979, using the NODC standard F005 format. The dataset includes time-series records of speed and direction, typically at 10-15 minute intervals, along with other potential environmental parameters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal patterns of current speed and direction at specific mooring stations.
• Correlating water temperature measurements with current flow data from the same sensor depth.
• Studying Eulerian current dynamics in the Gulf of Mexico using fixed-point, time-series observations.
• Using reported position, water depth, and sensor depth metadata for spatial analysis of oceanographic conditions.

Strengths

• Data adheres to the standardized NODC F005 format, ensuring consistent structure and metadata.
• Time-series measurements are reported at a high temporal resolution, typically every 10-15 minutes.
• Collection uses the established Eulerian method with moored Aanderaa current meters, a recognized instrument.

Limitations

• The exact number of rows, columns, and file size is unknown across all sources.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date, reporting either 1979-07-03 or 2026-04-01.
• The full list of available columns (e.g., salinity, wind speed) beyond direction and temperature is not specified.

Provenance

Source

National Ocean Service (NOS), processed by NODC/NOAA_NCEI.

Collection Method

Data collected using moored current meter casts (Aanderaa instruments) following the Eulerian method.

Time Range

1979-06-13 to 1979-07-03

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:18:36.505307

Geography

Gulf of Mexico