| Abstract: |
In 1972 the University of Washington maintained 2 current meter moorings, Inshore, (IN), and Offshore (OF) during January, July, and August 1972. In addition, a joint project with the Pacific Oceanographic Laboratory (currently known as the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, PMEL) of the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) was completed in September 1972 and provided a two-month record of temperature and currents over the Washington continental shelf and slope at three moorings (S6, S8, S11). During this period similar observations were made by the Coastal Upwelling Experiment (CUE) over the Oregon shelf. These two data sets, one off Washington, the other off Oregon, resulted in a better understanding of continental shelf processes. Current meters used were Aanderaa model RCM-4 (27), Braincon type 381 (20) and 3 vector averaging current meters (VACM). The Aanderaa (AA) and Braincon (BR) instruments belonged to the University of Washington, while the VACM instruments belonged to NOAA. The AA and BR current meters measured speed and direction, which was rotated to true North, then resolved into u and v components. The AA meters had temperature sensors. AA meters sampled at 10 minute intervals, BRs sampled at 10 or 20 minute intervals, and the VACM meters sampled at 3.75 minute intervals. Data has been edited for spurious values. Speed and direction data from the AA and BR meters were independently filtered with a 5 point (used when interval is 20 minutes) or 9 point (used when interval is 10 minutes) binomial filter spanning approximately 1.5 hours then resolved into u and v components. A more complete description of the AA and BR data can be found in: Smith, Hickey, Beck, 1976, Observations from moored current meters on the Washington Continental Shelf from February 1971 to February 1974, University of Washington, Department of Oceanography, Special Report 65. Data file format is plain text. |