File: CURRENT METER DATA (COMPONENTS) (F015) Geographic Coverage: U.S. East Coast, Coastal Alaska, Puget Sound, Atlantic and Pacific Oceans Time Period: 1962 to 1992 File Organization: Cruise order File Size: 34,515 Observation-months Description: This file contains 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. File Structure: Four 60-character records: (1) Text Record, (2) Master Record, (3) Detail Record 1, and (4) Detail Record 2. File Format: Current Meter Data (Components) (F015) PARAMETER DESCRIPTION SC FL TEXT RECORD NODC FILE NUMBER ALWAYS "015" 1 3 NODC TRACK NUMBER 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET 4 6 IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC RECORD NUMBER ALWAYS '1' 10 1 METER NUMBER FIVE-CHARACTER FIELD ASSIGNED BY 11 5 THE ORIGINATOR - ALSO INCLUDED ON RECORD TYPES 2 AND 3 TEXT THIRTY-EIGHT CHARACTER FIELD FOR 16 38 COMMENTS OR PERTINENT INFORMATION BLANK 54 1 SEQUENCE NUMBER XXXXXX - USED FOR SORTING TEXT 55 6 INFORMATION MASTER RECORD NODC FILE NUMBER ALWAYS "015" 1 3 NODC TRACK NUMBER 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET 4 6 IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC RECORD NUMBER ALWAYS '2' 10 1 METER NUMBER SEE RECORD '1' 11 5 LATITUDE DDMMXX (DEGREES, MINUTES TO HUNDREDTHS) 16 6 LATITUDE HEMISPHERE 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'N' OR 'S' 22 1 LONGITUDE DDDMMXX (DEGREES, MINUTES TO HUNDREDTHS)23 7 LONGITUDE HEMISPHERE 1-CHARACTER CODE - 'E' OR 'W' 30 1 DEPTH OF BOTTOM XXXXX (WHOLE METERS) 31 5 DEPTH OF CURRENT XXXXX (METERS TO TENTHS) 36 5 METER METER USAGE SEQUENCE XXX - USED FOR INDICATING NUMBER OF 41 3 NUMBER TIMES METER HAS BEEN USED INSTITUTION TWO-CHARACTER INSTITUTION CODE - 44 2 USE NODC CODE 0218 AXIS ROTATION XXX - DEGREES CLOCKWISE FROM TRUE NORTH 46 3 OF V AXIS - VALUES SHOULD BE 0 WHEN FINAL PROCESSED TO PROVIDE TRUE DIRECTION INFORMATION LOCATION NAME SIX-CHARACTER NAME DETERMINED BY 49 6 ORIGINATOR NUMBER OF DETAIL XXXXXX - USED TO INDICATE NUMBER OF 55 6 RECORDS DETAIL RECORDS (3) TO FOLLOW THE MASTER RECORD (2) DETAIL RECORD 1 NODC FILE NUMBER ALWAYS "015" 1 3 NODC TRACK NUMBER 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET 4 6 IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC RECORD NUMBER ALWAYS '3' 10 1 METER NUMBER SEE RECORD '1' 11 5 DATE (GMT) YYMMDD 16 6 TIME (GMT) XXXXXX (HOURS, MINUTES TO HUNDREDTHS) 22 6 EAST-WEST CURRENT XXXXXX - CM/SEC TO HUNDREDTHS WITH 28 6 COMPONENT (U) POSITIVE DIRECTIONS (EAST AND NORTH) INDICATED WITHOUT PLUS SIGN - NEGATIVE DIRECTIONS (WEST AND SOUTH) PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN - DIRECTION TOWARD NORTH-SOUTH CURRENT XXXXXX - CM/SEC TO HUNDREDTHS WITH 34 6 COMPONENT (V) POSITIVE DIRECTIONS (EAST AND NORTH) INDICATED WITHOUT PLUS SIGN - NEGATIVE DIRECTIONS (WEST AND SOUTH) PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN - DIRECTION TOWARD TEMPERATURE XXXXX WITH NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES 40 5 PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN (DEG C TO THOUSANDTHS) PRESSURE XXXXX (DECIBARS TO TENTHS) 45 5 CONDUCTIVITY XXXX - MMHOS/CM TO HUNDREDTHS 50 4 BLANK 54 1 SEQUENCE NUMBER XXXXXX - USED FOR SORTING DATA RECORDS 55 6 DETAIL RECORD 2 NODC FILE NUMBER ALWAYS "015" 1 3 NODC TRACK NUMBER 6-CHARACTER UNIQUE CRUISE OR DATA SET 4 6 IDENTIFIER ASSIGNED BY NODC RECORD NUMBER ALWAYS '4' 10 1 METER NUMBER SEE RECORD '1' 11 5 DATE (GMT) YYMMDD 16 6 TIME (GMT) XXXXXX (HOURS, MINUTES TO HUNDREDTHS) 22 6 EAST-WEST CURRENT XXXXXX - CM/SEC TO HUNDREDTHS - WITH 28 6 COMPONENT (U) POSITIVE DIRECTIONS (EAST AND NORTH) INDICATED WITHOUT PLUS SIGN - NEGATIVE DIRECTIONS (WEST AND SOUTH) PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN - DIRECTION TOWARD NORTH-SOUTH CURRENT XXXXXX - CM/SEC TO HUNDREDTHS - WITH 34 6 COMPONENT (V) POSITIVE DIRECTIONS (EAST AND NORTH) INDICATED WITHOUT PLUS SIGN - NEGATIVE DIRECTIONS (WEST AND SOUTH) PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN - DIRECTION TOWARD TEMPERATURE XXXXX WITH NEGATIVE TEMPERATURES 40 5 PRECEDED BY MINUS SIGN (DEG C TO THOUSANDTHS) PRESSURE XXXXX (DECIBARS TO TENTHS) 45 5 SALINITY XXXXX (PARTS PER THOUSAND OR PRACTICAL 50 5 SALINITY UNITS - TO THOUSANDTHS) SEQUENCE NUMBER XXXXXX - USED FOR SORTING DATA RECORDS 55 6 NODC Codes Used With This Format: CODE NUMBER CODE NAME ----------- --------- 0218 DATA SOURCE ---- -------------------- 02 -- WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INST 03 -- OREGON STATE UNIVERSITY 09 -- UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON(SEATTLE) 12 -- COLUMBIA UNIV. LAMONT-DOHERTY GEOL OBSERVATORY (PALISADES N.Y.) 3F -- PMEL-UNIVERSITY OF WASHINGTON(SEATTLE) BC -- BROWN & CALDWELL (COSTA MESA, CA.) CI -- UNIV. OF ALASKA DS -- DOBROCKY SEATECH (ANCHORAGE, ALASKA) I7 -- UNIVERSITY OF ALASKA-IMS (FAIRBANKS) TB -- NATIONAL OCEAN SURVEY, PMC (SEATTLE)