Moored Current Meter Time Series for Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska

Current meter data document ocean currents in the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska from April 1991 to September 1992. Data were collected using moored sensors as part of the Fisheries-Oceanography Cooperative Investigations (FOCI) project and processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center into the standard F015 format. The dataset provides high-frequency time series measurements of current vector components and may include associated water properties.

Use Cases

• Analyzing current speed and direction via east-west (u) and north-south (v) vector components.
• Studying temporal variability of ocean currents at 10-15 minute intervals over an 18-month period.
• Correlating water temperature, pressure, and salinity or conductivity readings with current flow patterns.
• Investigating Eulerian current measurements from fixed mooring stations with known position, bottom depth, and sensor depth.
• Validating regional ocean circulation models for the Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska using in-situ observational data.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a significant 18-month period from April 4, 1991 to September 23, 1992.
• Measurements follow a standardized, documented format (NODC F015) ensuring consistent structure.
• High temporal resolution with data typically reported at 10-15 minute intervals.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA Earthdata and Data.gov indicates recognized importance and curation.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and exact column schema are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting metadata exists for the last update date (1992-09 23 vs. 2026-03-05).
• The license for public use is not explicitly stated in the provided descriptions.

Provenance

Source

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), submitted as part of the Fisheries-Oceanography Cooperative Investigations (FOCI) project.

Collection Method

Data collected from moored current meter casts using the Eulerian method, processed by NODC to the F015 standard format.

Time Range

1991-04-04 to 1992-09-23

Freshness

2026-03 05 23:39:02.273785

Geography

Bering Sea and Gulf of Alaska