UK National Databank of Moored Current Meter Data (1967-)

The data set comprises more than 7000 time series of ocean currents from moored instruments. The records contain horizontal current speed and direction and often concurrent temperature data. They may also contain vertical velocities, pressure and conductivity data. The majority of data originate from the continental shelf seas around the British Isles (for example, the North Sea, Irish Sea, Celtic Sea) and the North Atlantic. Measurements are also available for the South Atlantic, Indian, Arctic and Southern Oceans and the Mediterranean Sea. Data collection commenced in 1967 and is currently ongoing. Sampling intervals normally vary between 5 and 60 minutes. Current meter deployments are typically 2-8 weeks duration in shelf areas but up to 6-12 months in the open ocean. About 25 per cent of the data come from water depths of greater than 200m. The data are processed and stored by the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) and a computerised inventory is available online. Data are quality controlled prior to loading to the databank. Data cycles are visually inspected by means of a sophisticated screening software package. Data from current meters on the same mooring or adjacent moorings can be overplotted and the data can also be displayed as time series or scatter plots. Series header information accompanying the data is checked and documentation compiled detailing data collection and processing methods.