Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS array at 26°N from 2004 to 2023

The RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS dataset comprises measurements of current velocity, temperature, salinity and pressure. Oceanic volume and heat transports are calculated from these variables, in both depth and density space, resulting in continuous measurements of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC). Data collection is obtained from a mooring array across 26.5N in the Atlantic Ocean and cable measurements across the Florida Straits. The measurement array extends from the Bahamas to the African coast. The data have been measured continuously between April 2004 and February 2023. The data are collected periodically (currently every 30 months) from various UK and USA research cruises. Measurements between the Bahamas and Africa were made using a variety of MicroCat CTD sensors, various current meters and ADCP. An undersea cable makes current velocity measurements across the Florida Straits. The RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS programme aims to deliver a multi-decadal time series of observations of AMOC. The observations will be used with data from other sources to determine and interpret recent changes in the AMOC, to assess the risk of rapid climate change due to changes in the MOC, and to investigate the potential for predicting the MOC and its impacts on climate. The RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS programme is a joint effort between NERC in the UK (the UK Principal Investigator (PI) is Ben Moat), and the National Science Foundation (NSF) with support from NOAA (PIs Ryan Smith and Denis Volkov) and RSMAS (PIs Prof. Bill Johns and Prof. Shane Elipot) in the USA. The Atlantic MOC transport (and its components), calculated from the above data, and gridded files of temperature and salinity are held by BODC in NetCDF format.

Alternate title: British Oceanographic Data Centre record 1048RAPIDMOCHA_AMOC

Date (Publication): 2017-10-03

Date (Creation): 2025-04-24

Date (Revision): 2025-04-25

Identifier: http://www.bodc.ac.uk/ / EDMED6178

Owner

National Oceanography Centre (Southampton) - Unknown ( Unknown )

University of Southampton , Waterfront Campus , European Way , Southampton , Hampshire , SO14 3ZH , United Kingdom

http://noc.ac.uk

Originator

National Oceanography Centre (Southampton) - Unknown ( Unknown )

University of Southampton , Waterfront Campus , European Way , Southampton , Hampshire , SO14 3ZH , United Kingdom

http://noc.ac.uk

Custodian

British Oceanographic Data Centre - Director

Joseph Proudman Building , 6 Brownlow Street , Liverpool , Merseyside , L3 5DA , United Kingdom

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

Distributor

British Oceanographic Data Centre - Director

Joseph Proudman Building , 6 Brownlow Street , Liverpool , Merseyside , L3 5DA , United Kingdom

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

Maintenance and update frequency: asNeeded As needed

GEMET - INSPIRE themes, version 1.0

MEDIN metadata record availability

SeaDataNet Parameter Discovery Vocabulary

SeaVoX Vertical Co-ordinate Coverages

unknown

Access constraints: otherRestrictions Other restrictions

Other constraints: No limitations apply

Other constraints: Data are freely available

Use constraints: otherRestrictions Other restrictions

Other constraints: No conditions apply

Spatial representation type: Text, table

Metadata language: EnglishEnglish

Topic category

Elevation
Location
Oceans

Geographic identifier

North Atlantic Ocean

Date (Revision): 2024-12-11

Geographic identifier

Atlantic Ocean

Date (Revision): 2024-12-11

Geographic identifier

Northeast Atlantic Ocean (40W)

Date (Revision): 2024-12-11

Geographic identifier

Northwest Atlantic Ocean (40W)

Date (Revision): 2024-12-11

Begin date: 2004-04-01

End date: 2025-06-06 After

Supplemental Information: Publication year: 2015-01-01

Publication title: Measuring the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation at 26°N

Publication authors: McCarthy, G.D.; Smeed, D.A.; Johns, W.E.; Frajka-Williams, E.; Moat, B.I.; Rayner, D.; Baringer, M.O.; Meinen, C.S.; Collins, J.; Bryden, H.L.

Publication editors: Progress in Oceanography

Unique resource identifier: urn:ogc:def:crs:EPSG::4326

Codespace: OGP

Distribution format

Network Common Data Form ()
Text or Plaintext ()

OnLine resource: BODC Published Data Library
Access the BODC PDL catalogue. This provides access to snapshots of specially chosen datasets that are archived using rigorous version management, enabling dataset citation through the assignment of a Digital Object Identifier (DOI).

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/1a774e53-7383-2e9a-e053-6c86abc0d8c7
Smeed D.; McCarthy G.; Rayner D.; Moat B.I.; Johns W.E.; Baringer M.O.; Meinen C.S. (2015). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2014. British Oceanographic Data Centre - Natural Environment Research Council, UK. doi:10/6qb.

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/35784047-9b82-2160-e053-6c86abc0c91b
Smeed D.; McCarthy G.; Rayner D.; Moat B.I.; Johns W.E.; Baringer M.O.; Meinen C.S. (2016). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2015. British Oceanographic Data Centre - Natural Environment Research Council, UK. doi:10/bkzc.

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/5acfd143-1104-7b58-e053-6c86abc0d94b
Smeed D.; McCarthy G.; Rayner D.; Moat B.I.; Johns W.E.; Baringer M.O.; Meinen C.S. (2017). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2017. British Oceanographic Data Centre - Natural Environment Research Council, UK. doi:10/cfcm.

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/8cd7e7bb-9a20-05d8-e053-6c86abc012c2
Smeed D., Moat B.I., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Baringer M.O., Volkov D.L., Frajka-Williams E. (2019). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2018. British Oceanographic Data Centre, National Oceanography Centre, NERC, UK. doi: 10/c72s

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/aa57e879-4cca-28b6-e053-6c86abc02de5
Moat B.I., Frajka-Williams E., Smeed D., Rayner D., Sanchez-Franks A., Johns W.E., Baringer M.O., Volkov D.L., Collins J. (2020). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2018 (v2018.2). British Oceanographic Data Centre, National Oceanography Centre, NERC, UK. doi: 10/d3z4

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/cc1e34b3-3385-662b-e053-6c86abc03444
Frajka-Williams E., Moat B.I., Smeed D., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Baringer M.O., Volkov D.L., Collins J. (2021). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2020 (v2020.1). NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC. doi: 10/gwqg

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/e91b10af-6f0a-7fa7-e053-6c86abc05a09
Moat B.I., Frajka-Williams E., Smeed D., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Baringer M.O., Volkov D.L., Collins J. (2022). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2020 (v2020.2). NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC doi: 10.5285/e91b10af-6f0a-7fa7-e053-6c86abc05a09

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/04c79ece-3186-349a-e063-6c86abc0158c
Moat B.I., Smeed D., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Smith R.H., Volkov D.L., Baringer M.O., Collins J. (2023). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2022 (v2022.1). NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC doi: 10.5285/04c79ece-3186-349a-e063-6c86abc0158c

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/223b34a3-2dc5-c945-e063-7086abc0f274
Moat B.I., Smeed D., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Smith R.H., Volkov D.L., Elipot S., Petit T., Kajtar J.B., Baringer M.O., Collins J. (2024). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2023 (v2023.1). NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC doi: 10.5285/223b34a3-2dc5-c945-e063-7086abc0f274

OnLine resource: Published dataset - doi:10.5285/33826d6e-801c-b0a7-e063-7086abc0b9db
Moat B.I., Smeed D., Rayner D., Johns W.E., Smith R.H., Volkov D.L., Elipot S., Petit T., Kajtar J.B., Baringer M.O., Collins J. (2025). Atlantic meridional overturning circulation observed by the RAPID-MOCHA-WBTS (RAPID-Meridional Overturning Circulation and Heatflux Array-Western Boundary Time Series) array at 26N from 2004 to 2023 (v2023.1a). NERC EDS British Oceanographic Data Centre NOC doi: 10.5285/33826d6e-801c-b0a7-e063-7086abc0b9db

Hierarchy level: dataset Dataset

Conformance result

Date (Publication): 2010-12-08

Explanation: BODC protocols are based on the Open Archival Information System (OAIS) model enabling BODC to iterate towards compliance with the on-going evolution and development of community requirements including FAIR (Findable,Accessible,Interoperable,Reusable), TRUST (Transparency, Responsibility, User community, Sustainability, Technology) and CARE (Collective Benefit, Authority to Control, Responsibility, Ethics). Data managers quality assure submissions and assemble the metadata necessary for curation. Submissions (as received) are placed in a long-term accession and stored in triplicate across multiple sites. Appropriate data are transferred into a standard internal format with source variable names mapped to controlled vocabularies, documentation assembled, and metadata loaded into BODC databases. Access to these data is through direct request, the BODC website and through partner repositories such as SeaDataNet. Access control is attained by assigning a data policy to each set of data and this policy is used to administer access when data are requested. Discovery metadata is aligned with EU INSPIRE (through MEDIN) and SeaDataNet community standards. Data are converted to open community formats including Ocean Data View ASCII and SeaDataNet NetCDF, with data described using terms from the NERC vocabulary server. BODC submission agreements are documented on the BODC website and customer service is assured with a dedicated requests team that serve data following local regulations including General Data Protection Regulation (GDPR) 2018 and Environmental Information Regulations (EIR) 2004.

Pass: Yes

Statement: This dataset was created by the organisations with the "originator" role in this metadata record following their in-house data processing and quality control procedures. The data were then provided to the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) for ingestion into one of the schemas of the National Oceanographic Database (NODB). During ingestion BODC undertake quality control, documentation and metadata enhancement procedures appropriate to the type of data. For an overview please see http://www.bodc.ac.uk/about/information_technology/data_processing_steps/. BODC supply full information about data collection, data processing and data quality with all data requests to enable users to assess data suitability themselves.Instrument(s) used to collect data: current profilers; submarine cables; CTD; current meters.

File identifier: a118be306d285b489ea7a03311213925 XML

Metadata language: EnglishEnglish

Hierarchy level: dataset Dataset

Date stamp: 2025-06-06T08:28:02

Metadata standard name: MEDIN

Metadata standard version: 3.1.1

Point of contact

British Oceanographic Data Centre - Polly Hadžiabdić ( Head of the BODC Requests Team )

Joseph Proudman Building , 6 Brownlow Street , Liverpool , Merseyside , L3 5DA , United Kingdom

https://www.bodc.ac.uk/

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