Sargasso Sea Current Meter Measurements from POLYMODE Experiment

Daily measurements of zonal and meridional current components were recorded at 19 locations across four depth levels during the USSR-USA POLYMODE Experiment. Data collection spanned from July 1977 to August 1978, with synoptic variability estimated using low-pass filtering. The dataset was compiled by the organization SCIOPS.

Use Cases

• Analyze temporal patterns in zonal and meridional current components at 100, 400, 700, and 1400 meter depths.
• Estimate synoptic ocean variability using the low-pass filtered current data from 19 measurement points.
• Compute and visualize the daily stream function for each depth level using the Gandin optimal interpolation method.
• Study the spatial structure of currents in the Sargasso Sea over a 13-month period from the POLYMODE experiment.

Strengths

• Data collected at 19 distinct spatial points, providing spatial coverage of the study area.
• Measurements taken at four standardized depth levels (100, 400, 700, 1400 meters) enabling vertical profile analysis.
• Daily temporal resolution over a continuous 13-month period from July 1977 to August 1978.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally stale, with the last update occurring in August 1978.
• Specific sample size (row count) and data completeness metrics are unknown.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the Sargasso Sea region.

Provenance

Source

nasa_earthdata

Collection Method

Discrete daily measurements from current meters, processed with low-pass filtering and Gandin optimal interpolation.

Time Range

July 1977 to August 1978

Freshness

Data collection ended on 1978-08-31; no updates are expected.

Geography

Sargasso Sea, North Atlantic Ocean (19 measurement points)