NOAA FERREL 1982: Buoy Wave Spectra and Meteorology

Wave spectra and meteorological data were collected from NOAA Ship FERREL over a two-month period in 1982. The dataset is structured in the NODC F191 format, which includes seven record types for buoy identification, meteorological parameters, and wave time series. Data in this accession are noted to not completely conform to the standard F191 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing wave spectra frequency and density for coastal engineering studies.
• Correlating meteorological parameters like temperature and pressure with wave conditions.
• Validating historical ocean wave models using time-series buoy data.
• Studying solar radiation and surface wave interactions in a specific time period.

Strengths

• Data covers a specific two-month time range from September 7 to November 6, 1982.
• Structured according to a documented standard format (NODC F191) with defined record types.
• Cross-platform presence on datagov and nasa_earthdata signals established archival importance.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable across all sources.
• The dataset is explicitly noted to not completely conform to its stated standard format (F191).
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1982 vs 2026) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected from NOAA Ship FERREL by the National Ocean Service (NOS).

Time Range

1982-09-07 to 1982-11-06

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts: one source lists 1982-11-06, others list 2026-03-05.

Geography

Location of NOAA Ship FERREL is not specified, but data is from a buoy deployment.