Northwest Atlantic Ocean Current Meter Data from POLYMODE Project

Time-series ocean current and temperature data were collected from the Northwest Atlantic Ocean using moored current meters and thermistor casts. The dataset was submitted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution as part of the IDOE/POLYMODE international ocean exploration project. Measurements span from June 12, 1977, to September 1, 1979.

Use Cases

• Analyzing time-series of east-west (u) and north-south (v) current vector components to study ocean circulation patterns.
• Correlating water temperature measurements with current flow to investigate heat transport dynamics.
• Using reported position, bottom depth, and sensor depth metadata to contextualize Eulerian current measurements for specific stations.
• Examining optional text comments for additional observational context on specific data records.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major international research project (IDOE/POLYMODE) led by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.
• Provides high-resolution time-series data, typically reported at 10-15 minute intervals over a multi-year period (1977-1979).
• Includes multiple physical oceanographic variables: current vectors, temperature, and potentially pressure and conductivity/salinity.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and exact file size are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (1979-09-01 vs. 2026-03-06), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• License information is not provided, which may restrict certain uses.

Provenance

Source

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, submitted to NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Collected using moored current meters and thermistor casts, representing Eulerian (fixed-point) measurements.

Time Range

1977-06-12 to 1979-09-01

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:24:56.198613

Geography

Northwest Atlantic Ocean.