Equatorial Pacific Current Meter Mooring Data 1987-1988

EPOCS project moorings collected ocean current measurements in the Tropical Pacific from 30°N to 30°S. Data were processed by NOAA's NODC into the standard F015 format, capturing east-west and north-south vector components at 10-15 minute intervals. The dataset represents a 15-month time series from May 1987 to August 1988, submitted by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory.

Use Cases

• Analyzing equatorial current variability using the east-west (u) and north-south (v) vector components.
• Correlating ocean flow patterns with climate indices using the 15-month time series from fixed mooring locations.
• Validating hydrodynamic model outputs against in-situ measurements of current speed and direction.
• Studying vertical current structure using data from specified sensor and bottom depths at each station.
• Investigating relationships between currents and water properties where temperature, pressure, or salinity are reported.

Strengths

• Data follows the standardized NODC F015 format, ensuring consistent structure for time series of ocean currents.
• Measurements were taken at high temporal resolution, typically every 10-15 minutes, capturing detailed flow dynamics.
• The dataset provides a continuous 15-month record from a critical climate region during the late 1980s.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals recognized scientific importance and curation.

Limitations

• Specific row count, file size, and complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-04-01 vs 1988-08-05), casting doubt on metadata maintenance.
• The availability of ancillary variables like temperature or salinity is noted as conditional ('may also be reported').

Provenance

Source

Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL), processed by NOAA National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Eulerian current measurements from moored instrument casts, data processed to NODC F015 standard format.

Time Range

1987-05-01 to 1988-08-06

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:17:51.382896

Geography

TOGA Area - Pacific (30°N to 30°S)