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Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

NODC Standard Product: NOAA Marine Environmental Buoy Database through December 1997 (7 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0090141)

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This CD-ROM set contains the historic archive of meteorological and oceanographic data collected by moored buoys and C-MAN stations operated by the NOAA National Data Buoy Center (NDBC). The files are sent to the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) for permanent archiving and distribution in NODC's F291 format.

To reduce costs, the buoy data files on the CD-ROMs have been compressed. This set consists of 7 discs containing 16.5 gigabytes of data from the early 1970's through December 1997, with online Internet links to updated data, information, and time series plots available on the NODC website. The data files and inventories on the discs can be viewed with an Internet browser.

Principal measured parameters reported by both moored buoys and C-MAN stations include air temperature and pressure, wind speed and direction, wind gust, and sea surface temperature. The buoys (and a few C-MAN stations located on offshore platforms) also report wave data, which usually includes wave height, wave period, and wave spectra. Since the late 1980s, some buoys have reported directional wave spectra. The data and information files are recorded in ASCII format.

Disc 1 - Upper North Atlantic Buoys
Disc 2 - Mid and Lower North Atlantic Buoys
Disc 3 - Gulf of Mexico Buoys
Disc 4 - Great Lakes Buoys
Disc 5 - Lower Eastern US Coast Pacific Buoys
Disc 6 - Upper Eastern US Coast Pacific Buoys
Disc 7 - Alaska, Hawaii, and other Pacific Buoys
  • Cite as: US National Oceanographic Data Center (2023). NODC Standard Product: NOAA Marine Environmental Buoy Database through December 1997 (7 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0090141). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0090141. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:0090141
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Search Data
Download Data
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    Navigate directly to the URL for data access and direct download.
  • FTP (download)
    These data are available through the File Transfer Protocol (FTP). FTP is no longer supported by most internet browsers. You may copy and paste the FTP link to the data into an FTP client (e.g., FileZilla or WinSCP).
Distribution Formats
  • F291
    • File Specification: NOAA Marine Environmental Buoy Data (F291)
Ordering Instructions Contact NCEI for other distribution options and instructions.
Distributor NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
+1-301-713-3277
NCEI.Info@noaa.gov
Dataset Point of Contact NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information
ncei.info@noaa.gov
Time Period 1970-01-01 to 1997-12-31
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: 135
East: -65
South: -18
North: 65
Spatial Coverage Map
General Documentation
Associated Resources
  • US National Oceanographic Data Center (2023). NODC Standard Product: Documentation for NODC Standard File Formats and Related Codes, 1960 - 1996 (NCEI Accession 0189890). NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0189890.
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2023-01-05
Data Presentation Form Digital table - digital representation of facts or figures systematically displayed, especially in columns
Dataset Progress Status Complete - production of the data has been completed
Historical archive - data has been stored in an offline storage facility
Data Update Frequency As needed
Supplemental Information
The contents of these discs are available as 1) a compressed .tar file via the download data button (download size limit may prevent obtaining all data in one transaction); 2) a complete ISO 9660 disc image, from which an identical replica of the original disc may be burned on new CD/DVD media, by navigating to the .iso file in the data/0-data/disc_image/ subdirectory; 3) individual files, by navigating to specific file(s) in the data/0-data/disc_contents/ subdirectory.
Purpose This dataset is available to the public for a wide variety of uses including scientific research and analysis.
Use Limitations
  • accessLevel: Public
  • Distribution liability: NOAA and NCEI make no warranty, expressed or implied, regarding these data, nor does the fact of distribution constitute such a warranty. NOAA and NCEI cannot assume liability for any damages caused by any errors or omissions in these data. If appropriate, NCEI can only certify that the data it distributes are an authentic copy of the records that were accepted for inclusion in the NCEI archives.
Dataset Citation
  • Cite as: US National Oceanographic Data Center (2023). NODC Standard Product: NOAA Marine Environmental Buoy Database through December 1997 (7 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0090141). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0090141. Accessed [date].
Cited Authors
Contributors
Resource Providers
Publishers
Theme keywords NODC DATA TYPES THESAURUS NODC OBSERVATION TYPES THESAURUS WMO_CategoryCode
  • oceanography
Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords
Data Center keywords NODC COLLECTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS NODC SUBMITTING INSTITUTION NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Data Center Keywords
Instrument keywords NODC INSTRUMENT TYPES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Instrument Keywords
Place keywords NODC SEA AREA NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Location Keywords
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: US National Oceanographic Data Center (2023). NODC Standard Product: NOAA Marine Environmental Buoy Database through December 1997 (7 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0090141). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0090141. Accessed [date].
Access Constraints
  • Use liability: NOAA and NCEI cannot provide any warranty as to the accuracy, reliability, or completeness of furnished data. Users assume responsibility to determine the usability of these data. The user is responsible for the results of any application of this data for other than its intended purpose.
Fees
  • In most cases, electronic downloads of the data are free. However, fees may apply for custom orders, data certifications, copies of analog materials, and data distribution on physical media.
Lineage information for: dataset
Processing Steps
  • 2023-01-05T17:27:19Z - NCEI Accession 0090141 v1.1 was published.
Output Datasets
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • anemometer
  • barometer
  • buoy
  • buoy - moored buoy
  • CTD
  • thermometer
Last Modified: 2024-03-28T12:42:26Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov