N: 42 S: 23 E: -37 W: -71
Description
The SPURS (Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study) project is an oceanographic process study and associated field program that aim to elucidate key mechanisms responsible for near-surface salinity variations in the oceans. The project involves two field campaigns and a series of cruises in regions of the Atlantic and Pacific Oceans exhibiting salinity extremes. SPURS employs a suite of state-of-the-art in-situ sampling technologies that, combined with remotely sensed salinity fields from the Aquarius/SAC-D and SMOS satellites, provide a detailed characterization of salinity structure over a continuum of spatio-temporal scales. The SPURS-1 campaign involved a series of 5 cruises during 2012 - 2013 seeking to characterize the salinity structure and balance in a high salinity, high evaporation, and low rainfall region of the subtropical North Atlantic. It aims to resolve processes responsible for maintaining the subtropical surface salinity maximum in this region and within a 900 x 800-mile square study area centered at 25N, 38W. A Waveglider is an autonomous platform propelled by the conversion of ocean wave energy into forward thrust and employing solar panels to power instrumentation. During SPURS-1, three wavegliders (ASL2, ASL3 and ASL4) were deployed from the Knorr in September 2012, redeployed in April 2013 (ASL22, ASL32 and ASL42) with final recovery in September. Waveglider trajectories followed a square loop or butterfly pattern around the central SPURS mooring. Sensors included a CTD at the near-surface and another at 6 m depth, a surface current meter, air temperature, atmospheric pressure and wind speed sensors providing continuous along-track observations. NetCDF waveglider data files here contain hour averaged, georeferenced trajectory data for those parameters and depths.
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Variables
Variables are a set of physical properties whose values determine the characteristics or behavior of something. For example, temperature and pressure are variables of the atmosphere. Parameters and variables can be used interchangeably. Variable level attributes provide individual information for each variable.
The Name in this table is the variable name. Fill value indicates missing or undefined data points in a variable. Valid range is the range of values the variable can store. Scale factor is used to increase or decrease the size of an object and can be used to correct for distortion. For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.
| Name Sort descending | Description | Units | Data Type | Fill Value | Valid Range | Scale Factor |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| air_pres | Mean air pressure in averaging window | mbar | float | 1.0E+30 | 1001.557 to 1039.643 | 1 |
| air_pres_ndata | Number of valid measurements for air pressure in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| air_pres_std | Standard deviation of air pressure in averaging window | mbar | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| air_temp | Mean air temperature in averaging window | degrees_C | float | 1.0E+30 | 15.186 to 39.28 | 1 |
| air_temp_ndata | Number of valid measurements for air temperature in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| air_temp_std | Standard deviation of air temperature in averaging window | degrees_C | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| cur_dir | Mean surface current direction in averaging window | degrees(true) | float | 1.0E+30 | 10.312 to 354.202 | 1 |
| cur_dir_ndata | Number of valid measurements for surface current direction in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| cur_dir_std | Standard deviation of surface current direction in averaging window | degrees(true) | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| cur_spd | Mean surface current speed in averaging window | cm/s | float | 1.0E+30 | 0 to 6.979 | 1 |
| cur_spd_ndata | Number of valid measurements for surface current speed in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| cur_spd_std | Standard deviation of surface current speed in averaging window | cm/s | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| lat | Mean latitude in averaging window | degrees_north | float | N/A | 24 to 42 | 1 |
| lat_ndata | Number of valid measurements for latitude in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| lat_std | Standard deviation of latitude in averaging window | degrees_north | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| lon | Mean longitude in averaging window | degrees_east | float | N/A | -71 to -37 | 1 |
| lon_ndata | Number of valid measurements for longitude in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| lon_std | Standard deviation of longitude in averaging window | degrees_east | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| sal1 | Mean salinity from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | psu | float | 1.0E+30 | 35.193 to 37.808 | 1 |
| sal1_ndata | Number of valid measurements for salinity from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| sal1_std | Standard deviation of salinity from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | psu | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| sal2 | Mean salinity from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | psu | float | 1.0E+30 | 37.16 to 37.774 | 1 |
| sal2_ndata | Number of valid measurements for salinity from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| sal2_std | Standard deviation of salinity from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | psu | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| temp1 | Mean temperature from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | degrees_C | float | 1.0E+30 | 23.258 to 29.59 | 1 |
| temp1_ndata | Number of valid measurements for temperature from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| temp1_std | Standard deviation of temperature from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | degrees_C | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| temp2 | Mean temperature from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | degrees_C | float | 1.0E+30 | 23.269 to 27.949 | 1 |
| temp2_ndata | Number of valid measurements for temperature from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| temp2_std | Standard deviation of temperature from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | degrees_C | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| time | Center of averaging window in GMT epoch format | seconds since 1970-01-01 00:00:00 0:00 | double | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| wind_dir | Mean wind direction in averaging window | degrees(true) | float | 1.0E+30 | 4.386 to 352.7 | 1 |
| wind_dir_ndata | Number of valid measurements for wind direction in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| wind_dir_std | Standard deviation of wind direction in averaging window | degrees(true) | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| wind_spd | Mean wind speed in averaging window | kts(true) | float | 1.0E+30 | 0.529 to 27.98 | 1 |
| wind_spd_ndata | Number of valid measurements for wind speed in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| wind_spd_std | Standard deviation of wind speed in averaging window | kts(true) | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| z1 | Mean depth from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | m | float | N/A | 0.02 to 0.338 | 1 |
| z1_ndata | Number of valid measurements for depth from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| z1_std | Standard deviation of depth from sensor 1 (upper) in averaging window | m | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| z2 | Mean depth from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | m | float | N/A | 6.158 to 6.823 | 1 |
| z2_ndata | Number of valid measurements for depth from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | N/A | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |
| z2_std | Standard deviation of depth from sensor 2 (lower) in averaging window | m | float | N/A | N/A | 1 |