Massachusetts Bay Oceanographic Measurements 1989-2006

Long-term oceanographic observations from two sites in western Massachusetts Bay, LT-A and LT-B, collected by the U.S. Geological Survey. The dataset spans 16 years from December 1989 to February 2006 and includes over 160 mooring deployments across about 90 research cruises. Measurements include current, temperature, salinity, light transmission, pressure, oxygen, fluorescence, and sediment-trapping rate.

Use Cases

• Analyze sediment-trapping rate time-series to model contaminant fate in the bay.
• Correlate salinity and temperature measurements with seasonal current patterns.
• Use fluorescence and oxygen data to assess long-term biological productivity changes.
• Model light transmission data against sediment transport observations.
• Validate hydrodynamic models using pressure and current measurements from the two sites.

Strengths

• 16-year temporal coverage from 1989 to 2006.
• Data from two distinct sites, LT-A and LT-B, with different deployment periods.
• Includes over 2,500 pages of statistical summaries and plots.

Limitations

• Data collection ended in February 2006, making the dataset temporally stale.
• Specific row counts, file sizes, and detailed column structures are unknown.
• Geographic scope is limited to two specific points in Massachusetts Bay.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), in cooperation with the Massachusetts Water Resources Authority and the U.S. Coast Guard.

Collection Method

Observations collected via about 160 separate mooring or tripod deployments on approximately 90 research cruises.

Time Range

December 1989 through February 2006 for LT-A; October 1997 through February 2004 for LT-B.

Freshness

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Geography

Western Massachusetts Bay at sites LT-A (42° 22.6' N., 70° 47.0' W.) and LT-B (42° 9.8' N., 70° 38.4' W.).