Santa Barbara Channel Current Meter Components from Fixed Platforms

Santa Barbara Channel ocean current data were collected from fixed platforms between February 1992 and February 1993. The dataset contains time series measurements of east-west (u) and north-south (v) current vector components, typically at 10-15 minute intervals, and was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) in the F015 standard format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal patterns in east-west (u) and north-south (v) current vector components to characterize tidal or wind-driven flow.
• Correlating water temperature and salinity data with current speed and direction to study density-driven circulation.
• Using reported sensor depth and bottom depth to create vertical profiles of current velocity for the mooring location.
• Validating regional ocean circulation models with in-situ Eulerian current measurements from fixed platforms.

Strengths

• Data reported at high temporal resolution, typically every 10-15 minutes.
• Includes multiple physical variables: current vectors, temperature, pressure, and conductivity/salinity.
• Provides metadata for each station including position, bottom depth, and sensor depth.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to approximately one year (1992-1993).
• Spatial coverage is restricted to fixed platform locations in the Santa Barbara Channel.
• Sample size (number of rows/platforms) is unknown from the description.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from Science Application, Inc. (SAI).

Collection Method

Data collected from current meter moorings (Eulerian method) at fixed platforms.

Time Range

1992-02-22 to 1993-02-18

Freshness

null

Geography

Santa Barbara Channel, California, USA.