ECOHAB PNW Mooring Data on Ocean Currents and Temperature 2003-2008

ECOHAB PNW mooring data contains eastward and northward ocean current components, water temperature, and other measurements from the North East Pacific Coast. The dataset originates from a 5-year multi-disciplinary project led by Dr. Barbara Hickey at the University of Washington, with moorings designed by Dr. Rick Thomson's group at the Institute of Ocean Sciences. Data was collected from three surface moorings (E1, E2, E3) deployed spring through fall from 2003 to 2006 and one subsurface mooring (E4) maintained from 2005 to 2008.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the relationship between ocean currents (eastward/northward components) and harmful algal bloom formation.
• Studying seasonal water temperature variations and their influence on toxic Pseudo-nitzschia species ecology.
• Modeling freshwater plume interactions from the Columbia River and their role in seasonal hypoxia.
• Investigating the physical oceanography of the Juan de Fuca Eddy region using multi-year mooring observations.
• Validating regional ocean circulation models with in-situ current and temperature data from 2003-2008.

Strengths

• Data is supported by peer-reviewed publications in journals like Journal of Geophysical Research.
• Provides multi-year temporal coverage from 2003 to 2008 across four distinct mooring locations.
• Originates from a structured 5-year multi-disciplinary research project (ECOHAB PNW).
• Dataset is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata), indicating vetting and importance.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 2026-03-05 and another 2008-10 28.
• License information is not specified across all platforms.

Provenance

Source

University of Washington (Dr. Barbara Hickey) and Institute of Ocean Sciences (Dr. Rick Thomson), project funded under ECOHAB PNW.

Collection Method

Data collected from three surface moorings (E1, E2, E3) and one subsurface mooring (E4) deployed in the vicinity of the Juan de Fuca Eddy.

Time Range

2003 to 2008

Freshness

2026-03 05

Geography

North East Pacific Coast, specifically the Juan de Fuca Eddy region off the Pacific Northwest.