North Atlantic Ocean Drifter Water Temperature Data from 1974 to 1980

42 drifter deployments released by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution collected water temperature and other data in the North Western Atlantic. The data were collected jointly with the University of Rhode Island from October 1974 to April 1980. Each drifter has a unique reference number from L00717 to L00759.

Use Cases

• Model historical ocean surface currents based on drifter trajectories.
• Analyze seasonal water temperature variability in the North Western Atlantic.
• Validate satellite-derived sea surface temperature data against in-situ measurements.
• Study long-term changes in oceanographic conditions from the mid-1970s.

Strengths

• Data from 42 distinct drifter deployments provides multiple observation points.
• Covers a multi-year period from 1974 to 1980, allowing for temporal analysis.
• Originates from the authoritative Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution.

Limitations

• Last updated 1980-04-28 00:00:00; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI), Dr. Phil Richardson.

Collection Method

Data collected from drifter buoys deployed in the ocean.

Time Range

1974-10-02 to 1980-04-28

Freshness

1980-04-28 00:00:00

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, North Western Atlantic