Caribbean Sea Glider Trajectory with Oceanographic Measurements

Seaglider SG609 collected over three months of physical oceanographic data in the Caribbean Sea for a NOAA tropical cyclone research project. The dataset contains measurements of temperature, salinity, conductivity, and density along the glider's underwater path. Data were assembled by the IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center and archived by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in November 2016.

Use Cases

• Analyze temperature and salinity profiles to calculate ocean heat content relevant for tropical cyclone intensity forecasts.
• Map the three-dimensional density structure of the Caribbean Sea water column using conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) measurements.
• Model glider trajectory and dive patterns against ocean currents inferred from the positional and sensor time-series data.
• Validate regional ocean circulation models by comparing simulated salinity and temperature fields with the in-situ glider observations.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a continuous 112-day period from July to November 2016.
• Includes core physical oceanographic variables (temperature, salinity, conductivity, density) essential for water mass analysis.
• Data underwent quality checks and standardization via the IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center before archival.

Limitations

• The dataset is from a single glider deployment, limiting spatial coverage to its specific trajectory.
• Data is from 2016 and represents a specific seasonal snapshot, not a continuous long-term record.
• Unknown sample resolution (rows) and file size may complicate immediate assessment of data density.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, via IOOS National Glider Data Assembly Center and NCEI.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements collected by an autonomous Seaglider (SG609) during a dedicated research deployment.

Time Range

2016-07-21 to 2016-11-10

Freshness

Data collection ended on 2016-11-10; it is a static archival snapshot.

Geography

Caribbean Sea, along the deployment trajectory of glider SG609.