POLYMODE: Ocean Current and Temperature Time Series from Moorings

IDOE/POLYMODE project data captures detailed Eulerian current measurements at 10-15 minute intervals over nine months in the Northwest Atlantic. Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution submitted these records, which include east-west and north-south current vector components alongside temperature profiles. The data uses the standardized NODC F015 format, designed for fixed-point mooring measurements that track flow past a sensor.

Use Cases

• Analyzing current velocity and direction variability based on the reported east-west (u) and north-south (v) vector components.
• Studying temperature-depth relationships and water column structure using the temperature profile data.
• Validating or calibrating ocean circulation models with in-situ Eulerian current measurements from fixed moorings.
• Investigating the temporal coherence of oceanographic signals with time-series data reported at sub-hourly intervals.

Strengths

• Provides a continuous nine-month time series from August 1974 to May 1975.
• Data follows the well-documented NODC F015 standard format for current meter components.
• Includes precise sensor metadata such as position, bottom depth, and sensor depth for each station.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as exact row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one showing 1975 and another showing a future date in 2026, casting doubt on metadata maintenance.
• The dataset's age means it may lack modern quality control flags or be in a legacy format requiring specific interpretation.

Provenance

Source

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, submitted as part of the IDOE/POLYMODE project.

Collection Method

Data collected using current meters and thermistor casts deployed on moorings, representing Eulerian fixed-point measurements.

Time Range

1974-08-03 to 1975-05-01

Freshness

1975-05-01 00:00:00

Geography

Northwest Atlantic Ocean