Gulf of Mexico Current and Wave Spectra Measurements from Moored Sensors

Moored current meter casts collected ocean current direction, speed, temperature, and wind wave spectra data in the Gulf of Mexico from June 28 to December 31, 1978. Texas A&M University submitted the data as part of the Brine Disposal project, and NOAA NCEI processed it into standard F005 and F191 formats.

Use Cases

• Analyze current direction and speed patterns at 10-15 minute intervals to model coastal circulation.
• Correlate water temperature measurements with current data to study thermal transport.
• Process wind wave spectra records to estimate wave energy density and dominant wave period.
• Combine reported wind direction and speed with ocean current data to investigate air-sea interaction.
• Use station position, water depth, and sensor depth metadata to contextualize measurements spatially.

Strengths

• Data spans a continuous 6-month period from June to December 1978.
• Processed into standardized NOAA NODC F005 and F191 formats with documented specifications.
• Includes multiple environmental parameters beyond currents, such as temperature and wave spectra.

Limitations

• Dataset is limited to a single 6-month period in 1978, offering no modern or long-term context.
• Specific row count, column list, and sample size are unknown.
• Data originates from a specific project (Brine Disposal) in a limited geographic area (Gulf of Mexico).

Provenance

Source

Texas A&M University, processed by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Data collected using moored current meter casts, representing Eulerian fixed-point measurements.

Time Range

1978-06-28 to 1978-12-31

Freshness

null

Geography

Gulf of Mexico