SPURS-1: Shipboard Current Velocity Profiles from North Atlantic Cruises

North Atlantic data from the SPURS-1 oceanographic campaign provides shipborne Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) measurements. The dataset captures water column current velocity profiles from five research cruises in 2012-2013 within a 900 x 800-mile study area centered at 25N, 38W. It supports analysis of processes maintaining the subtropical surface salinity maximum in a high-salinity, high-evaporation region.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite ocean salinity retrievals using in-situ current and inferred transport data.
• Analyzing the role of ocean currents and eddies in maintaining the subtropical salinity maximum.
• Studying seasonal variability in upper-ocean circulation from repeated cruises in 2012-2013.
• Initializing or assessing high-resolution regional ocean circulation models.

Strengths

• Data integrates in-situ measurements with satellite remote sensing for multi-scale characterization.
• Covers a defined 900 x 800-mile study area with measurements from five dedicated research cruises.
• Uses multiple state-of-the-art ADCP instruments (300 kHz, 75 kHz, 76.8 kHz) across different vessels.

Limitations

• Dataset size, row count, and specific column schema are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata: one source shows 2013-10-13, another shows 2026-04-09.
• Documentation gaps exist; the provided file formats (PDF, BIN, JPEG, ISO) suggest ancillary files rather than a primary, structured data table.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via shipborne Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers during dedicated oceanographic cruises.

Time Range

2012-09-06 to 2013-10-13

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:27:36.035780

Geography

Subtropical North Atlantic, within a 900 x 800-mile square centered at 25°N, 38°W.