Washington Continental Shelf Currents and Temperature 1972
Updated 4mo ago
13files
Available on 2 platforms
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Description
Current meter moorings recorded ocean currents and water temperature off the Washington and Oregon continental shelf in 1972. The dataset includes observations from five moorings (IN, OF, S6, S8, S11) using Aanderaa, Braincon, and VACM instruments, with data edited for spurious values. It was collected by the University of Washington and NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory as part of a joint project and the Coastal Upwelling Experiment.
Use Cases
Analyzing coastal upwelling dynamics using temperature and current velocity components (u, v).
Modeling shelf circulation patterns from high-frequency current meter data sampled at 3.75 to 20-minute intervals.
Studying cross-shelf transport processes by comparing inshore (IN) and offshore (OF) mooring records.
Calibrating regional ocean models with observed current speed, direction, and temperature data.
Strengths
Data has been edited for spurious values and filtered using binomial methods, indicating quality control.
Provides a two-month continuous record from three specific moorings (S6, S8, S11) in September 1972.
Includes measurements from 27 Aanderaa and 20 Braincon current meters, offering spatial instrument coverage.
Limitations
Conflicting last updated dates: datagov lists 2026-03 06 (future date, likely an error), while nasa_earthdata lists 1972-09-25.
Exact row count, file size, column names, and license information are unknown across all platforms.
Temporal coverage is discontinuous, with moorings active only in January, July, August, and September of 1972.
Provenance
Source
University of Washington and NOAA's Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (formerly Pacific Oceanographic Laboratory).
Collection Method
Data collected from moored Aanderaa RCM-4, Braincon 381, and vector averaging current meters (VACM), with speed/direction rotated to true North and resolved into u/v components.
Time Range
1972-01-05 to 1972-09-25
Freshness
1972-09-25 00:00:00
Geography
Washington continental shelf and slope, North East Pacific Coast.
Data file format is reported as plain text, but specific structure and column details are not provided. The datagov platform shows an implausible future last updated date (2026-03-06).