Skip to main content
Dataset Overview | National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI)

Current direction, bathythermograph (xbt), CTD, and other data from moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico during the Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography (GMPO) project, 1985-06-11 to 1986-09-03 (NCEI Accession 8900186)

browse graphicPreview graphic
Current direction, bathythermograph (xbt), CTD, and other data were collected using moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico from June 11, 1985 to September 3, 1986. Data were submitted by Science Applications, INC - Raleigh NC as part of the Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography (GMPO) project. Data has been processed by NODC to the NODC standard F015- Current Meter Data, F022- CTD High Resolution, C100- Ocean Station Data, and C116- Bathythermograph XBT formats.

The F015 format is used for time series measurements of ocean currents. These data are obtained from current meter moorings and represent Eulerian method of current measurement, i.e., the meters are deployed at a fixed point and measure flow past a sensor. Position, bottom depth, sensor depth, and meter characteristics are reported for each station. The data record comprises values of east-west (u) and north-south (v) current vector components at specified date and time. Current direction is defined as the direction toward which the water is flowing with positive directions east and north and negative directions west and south. Data values may be subject to averaging or filtering and are typically reported at 10-15 minute time intervals. Water temperature, pressure, and conductivity or salinity may also be reported. A text record is available for optional comments.

The F022 format contains high-resolution data collected using CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) and STD (salinity-temperature-depth) instruments. As they are lowered and raised in the oceans, these electronic devices provide nearly continuous profiles of temperature, salinity, and other parameters. Data values may be subject to averaging or filtering or obtained by interpolation and may be reported at depth intervals as fine as 1m. Cruise and instrument information, position, date, time and sampling interval are reported for each station. Environmental data at the time of the cast (meteorological and sea surface conditions) may also be reported. The data record comprises values of temperature, salinity or conductivity, density (computed sigma-t), and possibly dissolved oxygen or transmissivity at specified depth or pressure levels. Data may be reported at either equally or unequally spaced depth or pressure intervals. A text record is available for comments.

The Oceanographic Station Data (C100) format contains physical-chemical oceanographic data recorded at discrete depth levels. Most of the observations were made using multi-bottle Nansen casts or other types of water samplers. A small amount (about 5 percent) were obtained using electronic CTD conductivity-temperature-depth) or STD (salinity-temperature-depth) recorders. The CTD/STD data were reported to NODC at depth levels equivalent to Nansen cast data, however, and have been processed and stored the same as the Nansen data. Cruise information (e.g., ship, country, institution), position, date, and time, and reported for each station. The principal measured parameters are temperature and salinity, but dissolved oxygen, phosphate, total phosphorus, silicate, nitrate, nitrite, and pH may be reported. Meteorological conditions at the time of the cast (e.g., air temperature and pressure, wind, waves) may also be reported, as well as auxiliary data such as water color (Forel-Ule scale), water transparency (Secchi disk depth), and depth to bottom. Values of density (sigma-t), sound velocity, and dynamic depth anomaly are computed from measured parameters. Each station contains the measurements taken at the observed depth levels, but also includes data values interpolated to a set of standard depth levels.

The C116 format contains temperature-depth profile data obtained using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments. Cruise information, position, date and time were reported for each observation. The data record was comprised of pairs of temperature-depth values. Unlike the MBT Data File, in which temperature values were recorded at uniform 5 m intervals, the XBT data files contained temperature values at non-uniform depths. These depths were recorded at the minimum number of points ("inflection points") required to accurately define the temperature curve. Standard XBTs can obtain profiles to depths of either 450 or 760 m. With special instruments, measurements can be obtained to 1830 m. Prior to July 1994, XBT data were routinely processed to one of these standard types. XBT data are now processed and loaded directly in to the NODC Ocean Profile Data Base (OPDB). Historic data from these two data types were loaded into the OPDB.
  • Cite as: Waddell, Evans; Science Applications International Corporation - Raleigh, NC (2002). Current direction, bathythermograph (xbt), CTD, and other data from moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico during the Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography (GMPO) project, 1985-06-11 to 1986-09-03 (NCEI Accession 8900186). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/8900186. Accessed [date].
gov.noaa.nodc:8900186
Download Data
  • HTTPS (download)
    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
  • C100
    • File Specification: NODC Ocean Station Format
  • C116
    • File Specification: NODC Bathythermograph Output Format (XBT)
  • F015
    • File Specification: MULDARS Current Meter Data Format (Components) (F015)
  • F022
    • File Specification: High-Resolution CTD/STD Output Format (F022)
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 1985-06-11 to 1986-09-03
Spatial Bounding Box Coordinates
West: -97.1
East: -91.07
South: 21.65
North: 27.75
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.
  • Gulf of Mexico physical oceanography program: program year 3, western gulf / submitted by Science Applications International Corporation; Raleigh, N.C.: The Corporation, 1989
Publication Dates
  • publication: 2002-11-19
  • revision: 2023-02-14
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 publication(s) listed below are related to the data collection and are available from the NOAA Central Library:

1989 Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography Program, Program Years 3 - Western Gulf - Current Meter Observations I-IV. [Raleigh, N.C. : The Corporation], 1989.

Original Abstract: This data file consists of temperature measurements in NODC's F015
current meter format. Moorings S and T were deployed in the Gulf of
Mexico from June 1985 to October 1985 as part of the MMS Gulf of Mexico
physical oceanography program (year 3). This dataset was submitted by
Dr. Evans Waddell, Program Manager of Science Applications International
Corp. (SAIC) as part of MMS contract number 14-12-0001-29158. The data
consists of air dropped expendable current profiler measurements
recorded in NODC's F004 format. These data were collected in November
1985. These data were merged with the current meter data
(TV3483-TV3484). Other data submitted was current meter (F015), CTD, XBT
and AXBT (F022) and water chemistry (F004). Please note that the
temperature data collected by these different means were not an exact
match and a correction factor needs to be employed before analyzing
these data further.

Note: Metadata for this accession were extracted from a legacy database maintained by the U.S. National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). The design of the database did not exactly reflect the FGDC Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (CSDGM).

Principal Investigator (PI) and organization contact information accurately represents all available information from the legacy database at the time that this description was created. However, proper attribution of a PI to a specific institution or the role (submitting or collecting) taken by an institution may not be correct due to inexact mapping between fields in the legacy database and the CSDGM. Due to this uncertainty, the contact information was initially recorded in the Supplemental Information element of the CSDGM description.

To develop more accurate metadata, NCEI reviews metadata for all accessions on an ongoing basis.

Points of contact for this dataset include:
Contact info:
Agency: SCIENCE APPLICATIONS, INC. - RALEIGH NC
PI: Waddell, Dr. Evans
Address:
address: 4900 WATERS EDGE DRIVE, SUITE 255
city: RALEIGH
state: NC
postal: 27606
country: UNITED STATES
Contact info:
Agency: US DOC; NOAA; NESDIS; NATIONAL OCEANOGRAPHIC DATA CENTER
Address:

In this accession, NCEI has archived multiple versions of these data. The latest (and best) version of these data has the largest version number.
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: Waddell, Evans; Science Applications International Corporation - Raleigh, NC (2002). Current direction, bathythermograph (xbt), CTD, and other data from moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico during the Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography (GMPO) project, 1985-06-11 to 1986-09-03 (NCEI Accession 8900186). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/8900186. 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
Platform keywords NODC PLATFORM NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Platform Keywords ICES/SeaDataNet Ship Codes
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
Project keywords NODC PROJECT NAMES THESAURUS Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Project Keywords
Keywords NCEI ACCESSION NUMBER
Use Constraints
  • Cite as: Waddell, Evans; Science Applications International Corporation - Raleigh, NC (2002). Current direction, bathythermograph (xbt), CTD, and other data from moored current meter casts and other instruments in the Gulf of Mexico during the Gulf of Mexico Physical Oceanography (GMPO) project, 1985-06-11 to 1986-09-03 (NCEI Accession 8900186). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/8900186. 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
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8900186 v1.1 was published.
  • 2002-11-19T19:40:22Z - NCEI Accession 8900186 was revised and v2.2 was published.
    Rationale: Updates were received for this dataset. These updates were copied into the data/0-data/ directory of this accession. These updates may provide additional files or replace obsolete files. This version contains the most complete and up-to-date representation of this archival information package. All of the files received prior to this update are available in the preceding version of this accession.
  • 2023-02-14T00:40:39Z - NCEI Accession 8900186 was revised and v2.3 was published.
    Rationale: Additional metadata files were received or created for this dataset. These updates were copied into the about/ directory of this accession. These updates may provide additional files or replace obsolete files. This version contains the most complete and up-to-date representation of this archival information package. All of the files received prior to this update are available in the preceding version of this accession.
Output Datasets
Lineage information for: repository
Processing Steps
  • 2015-04-22T00:00:00 - NOAA created the National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) by merging NOAA's National Climatic Data Center (NCDC), National Geophysical Data Center (NGDC), and National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC), including the National Coastal Data Development Center (NCDDC), per the Consolidated and Further Continuing Appropriations Act, 2015, Public Law 113-235. NCEI launched publicly on April 22, 2015.
Acquisition Information (collection)
Instrument
  • bathythermograph - AXBT
  • bathythermograph - BT
  • bathythermograph - XBT
  • bottle
  • CTD
  • current meter
  • current meter - PCM
  • meteorological sensor
  • mooring
  • Secchi disk
  • thermistor
  • tide gauge
  • transmissometer
Platform
  • AIRCRAFT
  • Albatross II
  • ALTAIR
  • FIXED PLATFORM OF UNITED STATES
  • HELICOPTER
  • HO2
  • R/V Pelican
Last Modified: 2024-02-17T13:36:10Z
For questions about the information on this page, please email: ncei.info@noaa.gov