Drifting Buoy Trajectories and Ocean Data from the NW Atlantic (1992-1993)

25 files of drifting buoy data were collected over a one-year period from May 1, 1992 to June 13, 1993. The data tracks buoy movement to determine ocean circulation patterns and mass transport in the Northwest Atlantic offshore North Carolina. Each record likely contains position, date, time, and may include other surface meteorological or subsurface oceanographic parameters.

Use Cases

• Mapping ocean current directions and speeds based on point-to-point buoy trajectories.
• Analyzing circulation patterns and mass transport in nearshore and offshore regions.
• Studying surface or subsurface oceanographic conditions using reported parameters like water temperature, salinity, or air pressure.
• Validating hydrodynamic models with observed Lagrangian drift data from the NW Atlantic.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific one-year field program with a defined time range from May 1992 to June 1993.
• Contains 25 processed files in the standardized F156 Drifting Buoy format, suggesting structured data.
• Describes a wide range of potential measurements beyond position, including meteorological and subsurface data.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are unknown, limiting immediate usability.
• Metadata on license, author, and exact row counts is missing from all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1993 vs 2026) create uncertainty about recent curation.

Provenance

Source

Science Applications, Inc., Raleigh NC, deployed by Dr. Thomas Berger, processed by NODC/NOAA_NCEI.

Collection Method

Buoys deployed and tracked via shore-based, ship, aircraft, or satellite observations as part of the Physical Oceanography Field Program Offshore North Carolina (MMS contract # 14-35-0001-30599).

Time Range

1992-05-01 to 1993-06-13

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:35:05.950332

Geography

Northwest Atlantic, offshore North Carolina (limit -40 W).