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    • NODC Standard Product: Ocean current drifter data (2 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0098060)

    Metadata Updated: May 1, 2025

    These CD-ROMs hold over 4 million surface current observations, almost all obtained by the ship drift method. Date, data source, position, and current direction and speed are recorded for each observation. With the exception of about 5,100 observations taken using the Geomagnetic Electrokinetograph (GEK), these are not instrument-measured current data. Rather, they are indirect determinations of ocean surface currents based on the ship drift method. In this method, the difference between a ship's dead-reckoned position (determined from its previous position determined from a navigational fix) is ascribed solely to the effect of surface currents. These data are contained on disc 1 of this set.

    In addition to the data files, disc 2 of this set provides surface current data summaries in the NODC Surface Current (Ship Drift) Long Summary format. These data are summarized by Modified Canadian ten-degree square, one-degree square, and month for all years. A Postscript file showing the Modified Canadian ten-degree square numbers is also included on disc 2 of this set. Subsurface Float Trajectories: The Subsurface Float Data Set consists primarily of SOFAR (Sound Fixing and Ranging) and RAFOS (SOFAR spelled backwards) float trajectories. These floats are ballasted for a target depth and acoustically tracked. Some ALACE (Autonomous Lagrangian Circulation Explorer) float trajectories are included with this float data set. ALACE is a subsurface float that cycles vertically from a depth where it is neutrally buoyant to the surface where it is located by, and relays data to, satellites. The Subsurface Float data has approximately 475 float trajectories and 432 float-years of data. Float depths range from a few hundred meters to several thousand with most observations falling in the 700 m to 2000 m depth range. Most of the trajectories are located in the North Atlantic Ocean and were obtained as part of a variety of experiments during the years 1972-1992.

    Access & Use Information

    License: No license information was provided. If this work was prepared by an officer or employee of the United States government as part of that person's official duties it is considered a U.S. Government Work.

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    Dates

    Metadata Date 2025-04-24T16:17:20Z
    Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date May 1, 2025
    Reference Date(s) January 18, 2013 (publication), January 12, 2022 (revision)
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded

    Metadata Source

    Harvested from NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions

    Other Data Resources

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    Additional Metadata

    Resource Type Dataset
    Metadata Date 2025-04-24T16:17:20Z
    Metadata Created Date December 4, 2020
    Metadata Updated Date May 1, 2025
    Reference Date(s) January 18, 2013 (publication), January 12, 2022 (revision)
    Responsible Party (Point of Contact)
    Contact Email
    Guid gov.noaa.nodc:0098060
    Access Constraints Cite as: US National Oceanographic Data Center (2013). NODC Standard Product: Ocean current drifter data (2 disc set) (NCEI Accession 0098060). [indicate subset used]. NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information. Dataset. https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/archive/accession/0098060. Accessed [date]., 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.
    Bbox East Long 180
    Bbox North Lat 90
    Bbox South Lat -80
    Bbox West Long -180
    Coupled Resource
    Frequency Of Update asNeeded
    Graphic Preview Description Preview graphic
    Graphic Preview File https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/access/metadata/landing-page/bin/gfx?id=gov.noaa.nodc:0098060
    Graphic Preview Type PNG
    Harvest Object Id 0add85d9-3ed4-4b2d-87e9-b22bef70154b
    Harvest Source Id c084a438-6f6b-470d-93e0-16aeddb9f513
    Harvest Source Title NOAA/NESDIS/ncei/accessions
    Licence accessLevel: Public
    Lineage
    Metadata Language eng
    Metadata Type geospatial
    Old Spatial {"type": "Polygon", "coordinates": [[[-180.0, -80.0], [180.0, -80.0], [180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, 90.0], [-180.0, -80.0]]]}
    Progress completed
    Spatial Data Service Type
    Spatial Reference System
    Spatial Harvester True
    Temporal Extent Begin 1984-01-01
    Temporal Extent End 1993-12-01

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