Great Lakes Glider Trajectory Data with Temperature and Salinity Measurements

Physical oceanographic measurements collected by a Slocum glider deployed in the Great Lakes. The dataset contains profiles of temperature, conductivity, salinity, and density. Data was gathered by the University of Minnesota Duluth's Large Lakes Observatory and archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in September 2012.

Use Cases

• Modeling water column stratification by analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and density.
• Calibrating regional salinity models using in-situ conductivity and salinity measurements.
• Analyzing glider trajectory paths to study spatial variability of physical properties in the Great Lakes.
• Validating satellite-derived sea surface temperature data with high-resolution in-water temperature profiles.

Strengths

• Data from a dedicated scientific glider deployment ensuring instrument-grade measurements.
• Includes multiple core physical oceanographic variables: temperature, conductivity, salinity, and density.
• Archived and quality-checked by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Limitations

• Dataset is from a single, short deployment in September 2012, limiting temporal analysis.
• Spatial coverage is restricted to the specific trajectory of the 'gichigami' glider during its 3-day mission.
• Unknown sample resolution and depth range of the profiles.

Provenance

Source

University of Minnesota Duluth - Large Lakes Observatory (LLO), funded by Great Lakes Observing System (GLOS).

Collection Method

Measurements gathered by a Slocum glider, processed and aggregated by the IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center.

Time Range

2012-09-13 to 2012-09 15

Freshness

Single deployment from 2012-09, no ongoing updates.

Geography

Great Lakes (specific trajectory of glider 'gichigami').