Surface Current Data System (SCUDS)

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This format is used for over 4 million surface current observations obtained by the ship drift method. Date, data source, position, (not latitude-longitude, but geographic grid numbers to six-minute by six-minute squares), 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, speed, and heading) and actual position determined from a navigational fix is ascribed solely to the effect of surface currents.

Surface Current Data System (SCUDS)
PARAMETER	DESCRIPTION	STARTING COLUMN	FIELD LENGTH

FILE NUMBER	ALWAYS '7'	1	1
DATA SOURCE	TWO-DIGIT CODE - (0=U.S., 1=NETHERLANDS, 2=JAPAN 3=U.S. SUBMARINE LOGS, 4=BRITAIN, 5=FRANCE, 6= JAPANESE GEOMAGNETIC ELECTROKINETOGRAPH (GEK), 15=NETHERLANDS AND LESS THAN 1% JAPAN, WITH YEAR, DAY, AND 6-MINUTE POSITION NOT RECORDED)	2	2
DATE(GMT)	YYYMMDD - YEAR, MONTH, DAY (YEAR<100 = 19TH CENTURY; YEAR>or=100 = 20TH CENTURY; 255 = NOT RECORDED - E.G. YEAR 1925 CODED AS '125' AND YEAR 1887 CODED AS '87')	4	7
AREA	ONE-DIGIT CODE (1=NORTH ATLANTIC, 2=OTHER OCEAN AREA)	11	1
TEN-DEGREE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN TEN-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER	12	4
FIVE-DEGREE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN FIVE-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER	16	1
TWO-DEGREE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN TWO-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER	17	2
ONE-DEGREE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN ONE-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER	19	2
QUARTER OF ONE- DEGREE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN 'QUARTER DEGREE' SQUARE NUMBER (= 1,2,3, OR 4; 9=NOT RECORDED)	21	1
SIX-MINUTE SQUARE	MODIFIED CANADIAN 'ONE-TENTH DEGREE SQUARE' NUMBER (=00 THROUGH 99; 100=NOT RECORDED)	22	3
CURRENT DIRECTION	XXXXXXXX (TENS OF DEGREES; 36 COMPASS POINTS)	25	8
CURRENT SPEED	XXXXXXXX (KNOTS TO TENTHS)	33	8

Surface Current Data System (SCUDS)

PARAMETER

DESCRIPTION

STARTING COLUMN

FIELD LENGTH

FILE NUMBER

ALWAYS '7'

DATA SOURCE

TWO-DIGIT CODE - (0=U.S., 1=NETHERLANDS, 2=JAPAN 3=U.S. SUBMARINE LOGS, 4=BRITAIN, 5=FRANCE, 6= JAPANESE GEOMAGNETIC ELECTROKINETOGRAPH (GEK), 15=NETHERLANDS AND LESS THAN 1% JAPAN, WITH YEAR, DAY, AND 6-MINUTE POSITION NOT RECORDED)

DATE(GMT)

YYYMMDD - YEAR, MONTH, DAY (YEAR<100 = 19TH CENTURY; YEAR>or=100 = 20TH CENTURY; 255 = NOT RECORDED - E.G. YEAR 1925 CODED AS '125' AND YEAR 1887 CODED AS '87')

AREA

ONE-DIGIT CODE (1=NORTH ATLANTIC, 2=OTHER OCEAN AREA)

TEN-DEGREE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN TEN-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER

FIVE-DEGREE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN FIVE-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER

TWO-DEGREE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN TWO-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER

ONE-DEGREE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN ONE-DEGREE SQUARE NUMBER

QUARTER OF ONE- DEGREE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN 'QUARTER DEGREE' SQUARE NUMBER (= 1,2,3, OR 4; 9=NOT RECORDED)

SIX-MINUTE SQUARE

MODIFIED CANADIAN 'ONE-TENTH DEGREE SQUARE' NUMBER (=00 THROUGH 99; 100=NOT RECORDED)

CURRENT DIRECTION

XXXXXXXX (TENS OF DEGREES; 36 COMPASS POINTS)

CURRENT SPEED

XXXXXXXX (KNOTS TO TENTHS)

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