Gulf of Mexico Moored Current and Chemistry Measurements from 1980-1982

Moored current meter casts and water sample analyses collected in the Gulf of Mexico from December 13, 1980, to March 1, 1982. Data were submitted by Texas A&M University for the Brine Disposal project and processed by NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center into standard formats F004, F005, and F069. The collection includes time-series measurements of current direction and speed alongside chemical and physical water column parameters.

Use Cases

• Analyze current direction and speed time-series (F005) to model coastal circulation patterns near brine disposal sites.
• Correlate chemical parameters like salinity, dissolved oxygen, nitrate, and phosphate (F004, F069) with physical measurements such as temperature and sigma-t density.
• Investigate relationships between current velocity components (east-west, north-south) and concurrent environmental parameters like wind speed or wave height (F005).
• Study temporal variability in marine chemistry, including chlorophyll, suspended solids, and hydrocarbons (F069), over the 15-month observation period.

Strengths

• Time-series data reported at 10-15 minute intervals for high temporal resolution.
• Multiple standardized formats (F004, F005, F069) integrate physical, chemical, and current measurements.
• Data collection spans over a year (Dec 1980 - Mar 1982) for seasonal analysis.

Limitations

• Exact row count, sample size, and spatial station density are unknown.
• Data is temporally stale, collected over 40 years ago, limiting analysis of current conditions.
• Potential for sensor-specific limitations or calibration issues inherent to 1980s mooring technology.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Data collected from moored current meter casts and water sample instruments deployed in the Gulf of Mexico.

Time Range

1980-12-13 to 1982-03-01

Freshness

null

Geography

Gulf of Mexico