Gulf of Guinea Ocean Current Measurements from Fixed Platforms (1976-1982)

Fixed platform data from the Gulf of Guinea and other locations provide a time series of ocean current vector components from July 1976 to April 1982. The University of South Florida collected these measurements for the Equatorial Pacific Ocean Climate Studies (EPOCS) project, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center into the F015 standard format. Records include east-west (u) and north-south (v) components, sensor depth, and may include water temperature, pressure, and conductivity.

Use Cases

• Analyzing equatorial current vector variability using the east-west (u) and north-south (v) component time series.
• Studying the vertical structure of ocean currents by correlating measurements with reported sensor depth and bottom depth.
• Investigating relationships between ocean currents and water properties using reported temperature, pressure, and conductivity/salinity data.
• Validating or initializing regional ocean circulation models for the Gulf of Guinea using historical in-situ mooring data.

Strengths

• Data covers a multi-year time series from July 1976 to April 1982, providing a multi-year climatic record.
• Measurements follow a standardized (F015) format from the National Oceanographic Data Center, ensuring consistent structure.
• High temporal resolution is indicated, with data typically reported at 10 to 15 minute intervals.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and complete column list are unavailable from all sources.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, with dates ranging from 1982-04-01 to 2026-03 05.

Provenance

Source

University of South Florida (USF), collected for the Equatorial Pacific Ocean Climate Studies (EPOCS) project.

Collection Method

Eulerian method measurements from current meter moorings deployed at fixed platforms.

Time Range

1976-07-08 to 1982-04-01

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:37:24.170232

Geography

Gulf of Guinea and other unspecified locations.