Massachusetts Tidal Currents Greater Than 3 Knots from NOAA Tables, 2006

2006 tidal information for Massachusetts waters, derived from National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tidal current tables. The GIS datalayer contains areas where tidal current speeds exceed 3 knots, a threshold for tidal in-stream energy conversion devices. The dataset was created by SCIOPS and last updated in 1997.

Use Cases

• Site suitability analysis for tidal energy converters based on the 3-knot current speed threshold.
• Mapping high-energy tidal zones along the Massachusetts coastline based on NOAA station data.
• Supporting marine spatial planning with GIS layers of significant tidal currents.

Strengths

• Data is derived from authoritative NOAA tidal current tables.
• Focuses on a specific, technologically relevant threshold of currents greater than 3 knots.
• Provides a GIS datalayer for spatial analysis of coastal energy resources.

Limitations

• Last updated 1997-12-31 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) tidal current tables.

Collection Method

Information obtained from published NOAA tidal current tables for reference and subordinate tidal gaging stations.

Time Range

2006

Freshness

1997-12-31 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Massachusetts coastal waters.