Gulf of Mexico Oceanographic Measurements from Brine Disposal Project

National Data Buoy Center submitted oceanographic data collected via moored current meter casts on vessels SW RESEARCHER and PEARL from September 1977 to May 1981. Measurements include current direction, speed, water temperature, salinity, phytoplankton abundance, and wind wave spectra. The National Oceanographic Data Center processed the data into standard formats F005, F028, and F191.

Use Cases

• Analyze current direction and speed time-series from F005 format to model Gulf of Mexico circulation patterns.
• Correlate phytoplankton species counts and carbon concentration from F028 format with concurrent temperature and salinity measurements.
• Model wave energy using dominant wave direction, height, and period parameters from F191 wind wave spectra records.
• Assess seasonal variability by comparing time-series of meteorological parameters like wind speed and solar radiation against ocean current data.
• Study brine disposal impacts by examining comment fields across formats for observational notes on environmental conditions.

Strengths

• Data spans nearly four years from September 1977 to May 1981, providing longitudinal coverage.
• Includes measurements from three distinct instrument formats (F005, F028, F191) covering physical, biological, and meteorological oceanography.
• Data were processed to standardized NODC formats, ensuring consistent structure for analysis.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column names, and sample sizes are unknown, limiting precise assessment of data volume.
• Data collection ended in 1981, making it temporally stale for contemporary climate or ecosystem studies.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the Gulf of Mexico, with unknown station density or spatial resolution.

Provenance

Source

National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Moored current meter casts deployed from vessels SW RESEARCHER and PEARL.

Time Range

1977-09-24 to 1981-05-31

Geography

Gulf of Mexico