Drifting buoy data as part of the Physical Oceanography Field Program Offshore North Carolina in the NW Atlantic from 1992-05-01 to 1993-06-13 (NCEI Accession 9300136)

The drifting buoy data in this accession was collected over a one year period from buoys deployed by Science Applications, Inc., Raleigh NC in NW Atlantic (limit-40 W). The data was collected as part of Physical Oceanography Field Program Offshore North Carolina MMS contract # 14-35-0001-30599 from May 1, 1992 to June 13, 1993.

This data type contains time series ocean circulation data determined by tracking the movement of drifting buoys, drogues or other instrumented devices. Movement is reported as point-to-point geographic locations determined by shore-based, surface ship, aircraft or satellite observations. Data from both ocean currents and sea ice movement can be reported in this format over time periods ranging from minutes to months. Directions and speeds between individual observations may be computed from these data and presented in graphic or summary listing form to provide information on circulation patterns and mass transport in offshore and nearshore regions.

Platform name (for platform acquiring data or deploying device), drogue characteristics, start and end positions and times, and observation frequency (if constant time interval) are reported for each series of observations. The data record comprises position, date and time for each observation. Other surface meteorological or oceanographic parameters (e.g., water temperature and salinity, air temperature and pressure, wind, waves) and subsurface data (depth, pressure, temperature) may also be reported. Text records may be used to report general comments or to describe individual drogue observations.

25 files of water depth and other drifting buoy data submitted by Dr. Thomas Berger has been processed by NODC and is currently available in F156 Drifting Buoy file format.