Abstract:

This dataset contains ocean currents data from Shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (SADCP) collected during the R/V Point Sur cruise PS18_28 in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2018-06-21 to 2018-06-28. The experimental site is on the continental slope of the northern Gulf of Mexico, next to the Deepwater Horizon Spill site. The raw ADCP data were collected and processed using the University of Hawaii data acquisition system (UHDAS) during the cruise. The post-cruise data processing were conducted by the University of Hawaii using the CODAS (Common Ocean Data Access System) processing. This dataset contains both raw and processed data. There were two vessel-mounted ADCPs on Point Sur operating at 75 kHz and 300 kHz respectively. Both were manufactured by RD Instruments.

Suggested Citation:

Kurt Polzin, Zhankun Wang and Steven F. DiMarco. 2020. Ocean currents measured by Shipboard Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers (SADCP) during the R/V Point Sur cruise PS18_28 in the northern Gulf of Mexico from 2018-06-21 to 2018-06-28. Distributed by: Gulf of Mexico Research Initiative Information and Data Cooperative (GRIIDC), Harte Research Institute, Texas A&M University–Corpus Christi. doi:10.7266/FXZ7KG60

Purpose:

Data were collected in support of studies of the GoMix project with the goal of understanding the mechanisms, spatial inhomogeneity, and temporal intermittency of boundary mixing near the Deepwater Horizon site and across the northern Gulf of Mexico.

Data Parameters and Units:

wh300_short.nc and os75nb_short.nc: Trajectory ID [integer], Time (decimal day, since 2018-01-01 00:00:00], Longitude [degrees east], Latitude [degrees north], Depth [m], U (zonal velocity, [m/s]), V (meridional velocity, [m/s]), Amp (received signal strength), Pg (% good pings), Pflag (editing flags), Heading (of ship,[degrees]), Tr_temp (Transducer temperature, [degrees Celsius]), Num_pings (number of pings averaged per ensemble), Uship (Zonal velocity of ship [m/s]), Vship (meridional velocity of ship [m/s]). The short format files are ready-to-use data. wh300_long.nc and os75nb_long.nc: These files are essentially the entire CODAS database. They contain all the data found in the wh300_short.nc and os75nb_short.nc plus additional information needed to fully process the measurements. Descriptions are documented in the file.

Methods:

Shipboard ADCP Post-cruise data processing: CODAS+UHDAS

Instruments:

R. D. Instruments 75 kHz Vessel Mounted. R. D. Instruments 300 kHz Vessel Mounted.

Individual Files: