Seaglider Oceanographic Measurements from Gulf of Alaska 2004

Oceanographic data collected by an autonomous Seaglider underwater vehicle during a mission in the Gulf of Alaska. The dataset includes measurements of temperature, salinity, and depth-averaged currents along a sawtooth trajectory. The mission was deployed by NOAA NCEI from August to December 2004.

Use Cases

• Analyze vertical temperature and salinity profiles to study water mass structure in the Gulf of Alaska.
• Calculate depth-averaged currents from glider trajectory data to map regional ocean circulation.
• Model the sawtooth dive trajectory against time-series data to validate autonomous vehicle performance.
• Correlate physical measurements like temperature with location and time to identify seasonal hydrographic changes.

Strengths

• Data collected via a specialized autonomous underwater vehicle designed for long-duration scientific missions.
• Temporal coverage spans over four months from August to December 2004.
• Includes core physical oceanography variables: temperature, salinity, and depth-averaged currents.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column details, and data resolution are unknown.
• Dataset is from a single vehicle deployment in 2004, limiting spatial and temporal generalizability.
• Lack of documented license and precise file formats may complicate reuse.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Measurements gathered by a buoyancy-driven Seaglider autonomous underwater vehicle following programmed dive profiles.

Time Range

2004-08 21 to 2004-12-30

Freshness

Static dataset from a 2004 mission; no ongoing updates.

Geography

Gulf of Alaska, along the Alaska Stream.