Does NDBC measure ocean current velocities?
NDBC measures ocean current velocities at a number of stations, using several acoustic Doppler systems. At some stations, current speed and direction from a single depth near the surface are collected, quality-controlled, and displayed. One-, 3-, and 5-day stick plots of the data are available as are the digital data. At other stations, NDBC collects data as a depth profile – some as deep as 300 meters (984 feet). Up to 20 distinct depths may be sampled. In deeper water, the currents may be sampled at 8 or 16 meter intervals. In shallow water, depth intervals of 1-, 2-, or 4-meters are used. In order to insure that quality data are collected, NDBC samples at 1 to 3 second intervals over a period of 5 to 6 minutes and averages the data into a single representative speed and direction. The profiles of data are available as 1-, 3-, and 5-day stick plots and as digital data. NDBC also collects, quality controls, and displays current profile data from several equatorial sites in the central
