Coastal California Current Meter Data 1984-1985

Current meter components data were collected from fixed platforms in the Coastal Waters of California. The dataset contains time series measurements of ocean currents, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) to its F015 standard format. Data collection was performed by the Skidaway Institute of Oceanography from November 18, 1984, to October 1, 1985.

Use Cases

• Analyzing east-west (u) and north-south (v) current vector components to map coastal flow patterns.
• Correlating water temperature and salinity data with current measurements for water mass analysis.
• Studying temporal variability of currents at 10-15 minute intervals for tidal or inertial period investigations.
• Using reported position, bottom depth, and sensor depth to contextualize current observations spatially.

Strengths

• Data adheres to a documented standard format (NODC F015), ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides a continuous time series over a 10.5-month period from late 1984 to 1985.
• Includes multiple physical parameters: current vectors, temperature, and potentially pressure and salinity.

Limitations

• Exact row count, file size, and complete column list are unknown across all platforms.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: Data.gov reports 2026-03 05, while NASA Earthdata reports the collection end date of 1985-10-01.

Provenance

Source

Skidaway Institute of Oceanography (SKIO), processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Eulerian method measurements from current meter moorings at fixed platforms.

Time Range

1984-11-18 to 1985-10-01

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:38:15.903744

Geography

Coastal Waters of California