PacX Dataset Abstract



This dataset was generated by a group of 4 Wave Gliders, referred to as Papa Mau, 
Benjamin, Piccard Maru, and Fontaine Maru.  The vehicles were launched from San 
Francisco in November of 2011.  All 4 traveled together to Hawaii, at which point, 
they were recovered, serviced, and returned to the water to continue the mission.  
After servicing in Hawaii, Papa Mau and Benjamin were destined for Australia, while 
Piccard Maru and Fontaine Maru were destined for Japan.  Each vehicle had an 
identical sensor suite consisting of a SeaBird Electronics GPCTD with dissolved 
oxygen, an Airmar PB200 weather station, a Turner Designs C3 fluorometer, and a 
Datawell MOSE-G wave sensor.  The two Wave Gliders destined for Japan experienced 
technical difficulties. Fontaine Maru was rescued by the R/V Kilo Moana about a 
quarter of the way to Japan, while Piccard Maru continues to drift in the North 
Pacific, periodically continuing to communicate.  Papa Mau and Benjamin both reached 
their destination of Australia.  While Papa Mau traveled the leg from Hawaii to 
Australia uninterrupted, Benjamin was serviced in Samoa.  The datafiles described 
below are of identical format for all 4 vehicles.



The datafile representing the SeaBird Electronics gpctd/do sensor, has the following 
columns, separated by commas.....

1) UTC date/time stamp in the form YYYY/MM/DD HH:MM:SS

2) Latitude in decimal degrees

3) Longitude in decimal degrees

4) Pressure in decibars

5) Temperature in degrees C

6) Salinity in PSU

7) Conductivity in siemens/meter

8) Dissolved oxygen frequency

9) Dissolved oxygen in milliliters/liter





The datafile representing the Airmar PB200 has the following columns 
seperated by commas.....

1) UTC date/time stamp in the form YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

* Note this time stamp is slightly different than the rest

2) Latitude in decimal degrees

3) Longitude in decimal degrees

4) Wind speed in knots

5) Wind gust in knots

6) Wind direction in degrees true

7) Air temperature in degrees C

8) Barometric pressure in millibars





The datafile representing the Turner Designs C3 fluorometer has the following 
columns separated by commas

1) UTC date/time stamp in the form YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

2) Latitude in decimal degrees

3) Longitude in decimal degrees

4) Ch1 crude oil relative response

5) Ch2 chlorophyll-a relative response

6) Ch3 turbidity relative response 





The datafile representing the Datawell MOSE-G wave sensor has the following 
columns separated by commas

1) UTC date/time stamp in the form YYYY-MM-DD HH:MM:SS

2) Latitude in decimal degrees

3) Longitude in decimal degrees

4) Wave height in meters 

5) Wave direction in degrees true

6) Ch3 turbidity relative response 

7) Average wave period in seconds

8) Dominant wave period in seconds