Ocean Current Direction and Speed Measurements from Fixed Platforms

Aanderaa current meters collected Eulerian flow measurements at fixed mooring points for the Brine Disposal project in August 1978. The National Data Buoy Center gathered the data, which was processed by NODC into the standard F005 format. This time series includes current direction and speed values recorded at 10-15 minute intervals.

Use Cases

• Analyzing temporal patterns in current direction and speed at 10-15 minute resolution.
• Correlating water temperature and salinity measurements with current flow data.
• Modeling brine dispersion using fixed-point current and ancillary environmental parameter records.
• Validating Eulerian current measurement methods against model outputs for August 1978.

Strengths

• Data collected using standardized Aanderaa current meters, a principal instrument for moored measurements.
• Records include position, water depth, and sensor depth for each station, providing spatial context.
• Time series data reported at high-frequency 10-15 minute intervals.

Limitations

• Very limited temporal coverage, spanning only one month (August 1978).
• Unknown sample size (row count) and specific geographic coordinates for stations.
• Data is over 45 years old, which may limit relevance for contemporary climate studies.

Provenance

Source

National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), processed by NODC/NOAA.

Collection Method

Moored Aanderaa current meters deployed at fixed platforms, measuring flow past the sensor (Eulerian method).

Time Range

1978-08-01 to 1978-08 31

Freshness

null

Geography

null