Skip to main content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

This site will undergo scheduled maintenance on 2026-05-20 Wednesday from 3:30 PM to 4:30 PM EDT.
During this time, the site will be unavailable. We apologize for any inconvenience.

Hourly location, current velocity, and temperature collected from Global Drifter Program drifters world-wide

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Catalog Last Checked: May 06, 2026 at 06:40 AM | Dataset Last Updated: June 27, 2025 at 12:00 AM
This dataset includes sea surface temperature and current data collected by satellite-tracked surface drifting buoys ("drifters") for the NOAA Global Drifter Program. The Drifter Data Assembly Center (DAC) at Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) has applied quality control procedures to edit these data (position and temperature) and interpolated them to 1-hour intervals using an optimum interpolation procedure. The data include positions (latitude and longitude), sea surface temperatures, and velocities (eastward, northward) with accompanying error estimates. Metadata include identification numbers, experiment number, start location and time, end location and time, drogue loss date, death code, manufacturer, and drifter type.

Resources

12 resources available

  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • Granule Search

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NOAA Global Drifter Program (GDP)

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060641

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535901.003

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-11-00100.1

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01670-2

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jc011716

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2201.08289

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.25921/7ntx-z961

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

  • NCEI Contact Information

    TEXT/HTML
    Visit Page

Find Related Datasets

Search by Tags

Click any tag below to search for similar datasets

0248584 CURRENT DIRECTION CURRENT SPEED CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U) CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V) SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE WATER TEMPERATURE buoy - drifting buoy

Complete Metadata
@type dcat:Dataset
accessLevel non-public
contactPoint 
                                            {
  "fn": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "vcard:Contact",
  "hasEmail": "mailto:ncei.info@noaa.gov"
}
describedByType application/octet-steam
description This dataset includes sea surface temperature and current data collected by satellite-tracked surface drifting buoys ("drifters") for the NOAA Global Drifter Program. The Drifter Data Assembly Center (DAC) at Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) has applied quality control procedures to edit these data (position and temperature) and interpolated them to 1-hour intervals using an optimum interpolation procedure. The data include positions (latitude and longitude), sea surface temperatures, and velocities (eastward, northward) with accompanying error estimates. Metadata include identification numbers, experiment number, start location and time, end location and time, drogue loss date, death code, manufacturer, and drifter type.
distribution 
                                            [
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Dataset Landing Page",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.25921/x46c-3620",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Navigate directly to the URL for a descriptive web page with download links.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "Granule Search",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/metadata/granule/geoportal/?from=0&size=10&esdsl=%7B%22query%22%3A%7B%22bool%22%3A%7B%22must%22%3A%5B%7B%22query_string%22%3A%7B%22analyze_wildcard%22%3Atrue%2C%22query%22%3A%22fileid%3AAOML-GDP-1hr.*%22%7D%7D%5D%7D%7D%7D#searchPanel",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Search for data granules belonging to this collection (a granule is the smallest aggregation of data that can be independently described and retrieved).",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NOAA Global Drifter Program (GDP)",
    "accessURL": "https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/gdp/",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Program website",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060641",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060641",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "journal article",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535901.003",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "chapter in book",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535901.003",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-11-00100.1",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "journal article",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-11-00100.1",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01670-2",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01670-2",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "related journal article",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jc011716",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jc011716",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "journal article",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2201.08289",
    "mediaType": "placeholder/value",
    "description": "methods and data processing",
    "downloadURL": "https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2201.08289",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "https://doi.org/10.25921/7ntx-z961",
    "accessURL": "https://doi.org/10.25921/7ntx-z961",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "related dataset",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "GCMD Keyword Forum Page",
    "accessURL": "https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD%2BKeywords",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Global Change Master Directory (GCMD). 2025. GCMD Keywords, Version 21. Greenbelt, MD: Earth Science Data and Information System, Earth Science Projects Division, Goddard Space Flight Center (GSFC), National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA). URL (GCMD Keyword Forum Page): https://forum.earthdata.nasa.gov/app.php/tag/GCMD+Keywords",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  },
  {
    "@type": "dcat:Distribution",
    "title": "NCEI Contact Information",
    "accessURL": "https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact",
    "mediaType": "text/html",
    "description": "Information for contacts at NCEI.",
    "describedByType": "application/octet-stream"
  }
]
identifier https://data.noaa.gov/waf/NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions/iso/xml/AOML-GDP-1hr.xml
issued 2022-02-20T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "0248584",
  "CURRENT DIRECTION",
  "CURRENT SPEED",
  "CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V)",
  "SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "buoy - drifting buoy",
  "thermistor",
  "thermometer",
  "current measurements",
  "current measurements - surface currents",
  "in situ",
  "physical",
  "surface measurements",
  "time series",
  "drifting buoy",
  "NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory",
  "NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory",
  "World-Wide Distribution",
  "oceanography",
  "DOC/NOAA/OAR/AOML > Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "Global Drifter Program",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CIRCULATION > OCEAN CURRENTS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "DIURNAL SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "NON-DIURNAL SEA SURFACE TEMPERATURE",
  "DRIFTING BUOYS > DRIFTING BUOYS",
  "THERMISTORS > THERMISTORS",
  "THERMOMETERS > THERMOMETERS",
  "BUOYS",
  "Global Drifter Program drifters",
  "GEOGRAPHIC REGION > GLOBAL OCEAN"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2025-06-27T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.aoml.noaa.gov/phod/gdp/",
  "https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev-marine-010816-060641",
  "https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511535901.003",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-11-00100.1",
  "https://doi.org/10.1038/s41597-022-01670-2",
  "https://doi.org/10.1002/2016jc011716",
  "https://doi.org/10.48550/arxiv.2201.08289",
  "https://doi.org/10.25921/7ntx-z961"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial 180.0,-78.3072,-180.0,90.0
temporal 1987-10-02T00:00:00+00:00/1987-10-02T00:00:00+00:00
title Hourly location, current velocity, and temperature collected from Global Drifter Program drifters world-wide

data.gov

An official website of the GSA's Technology Transformation Services

Looking for U.S. government information and services?
Visit USA.gov