COARE Drifting Buoy Water Temperature Data from the Tropical Pacific

Twenty-eight drifting buoys collected oceanographic data for the Coupled Ocean-Atmosphere Response Experiment (COARE) between August 1992 and September 1993. The dataset includes observations from French BODEGA drifters deployed along meridians 165E and 156E in the western tropical Pacific. Data was submitted by Yves Du Penhoat of ORSTOM, New Caledonia, and coordinated with deployments by researchers from the University of California, San Diego.

Use Cases

• Analyzing sea surface temperature variability along specific meridians (165E, 156E) in the tropical Pacific.
• Studying surface ocean current pathways and dispersion using Lagrangian drifter trajectories.
• Validating regional ocean model outputs for the COARE Intensive Observation Period.
• Investigating air-sea heat fluxes by correlating in-situ buoy data with atmospheric conditions.

Strengths

• Data originates from a coordinated, scientifically significant field experiment (COARE) involving multiple institutions.
• Provides a continuous, one-year time series from August 1992 to September 1993.
• Includes detailed deployment metadata specifying buoy types, deployment dates, and precise geographic coordinates (e.g., along 156E, 4S-5N).

Limitations

• The exact number of data rows, specific column names, and complete data schema are unknown from provided sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one listing 1993-09-30 and another listing 2026-04-01, creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• License information is not provided, restricting clarity on terms of use.

Provenance

Source

Yves Du Penhoat, Office de la Recherche Scientifique et Technique Outre Mer (ORSTOM), Noumea, New Caledonia.

Collection Method

Collected from 28 BODEGA drifting buoys deployed from research vessels in the western tropical Pacific.

Time Range

1992-08-01 to 1993-09-30

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:12:02.431082

Geography

Western Tropical Pacific Ocean, specifically along meridians 165E and 156E, between 4S and 5N.