Name (click for metadata and to rate record) Description Agency Subagency Category Last updated date
Global Drifter Program The Global Drifter Program consists of the two components: The Drifter Data Assembly Center and the Operations Center. The primary goal of the DAC is to assemble and provide uniform quality control of sea surface temperature (SST) and surface velocity measurements. These measurements are obtained as part of an international program designed to make these data available in an effort to improve climate prediction. Climate prediction models require accurate estimates of SST to initialize their ocean component. Drifting buoys provide essential ground truth SST data for this purpose. The models also require validation by comparison with independent data sets. Surface velocity measurements are used for this validation.<br /> The AOML Drifter Operations Center manages the deployment of drifting buoys around the world. Using research ships, Volunteer Observation Ships (VOS) and aircraft, Lagrangian drifters are placed in areas of interest. Once verified operational, they are reported to AOML's Drifter Data Assembly Center. Incoming data from the drifters are then placed on the Global Telecommunications System (GTS) for distribution to meteorological services everywhere. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
Argo Profiling CTD Floats Argo is a global array of 3,200 free-drifting profiling floats that measures the temperature and salinity of the upper 2000 m of the ocean. This allows, for the first time, continuous monitoring of the temperature, salinity, and velocity of the upper ocean, with all data being relayed and made publicly available within hours after collection.<br /> DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
National Data Buoy Center National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) is a part of the National Weather Service (NWS). NDBC designs, develops, operates, and maintains a network of data collecting buoys and coastal stations. NDBC's virtual tour will give you an overview of what NDBC does, the facilities, the atmospheric and oceanographic variables measured, and the use of these data. NWS forecasters need frequent, high-quality marine observations to examine conditions for forecast preparation and to verify their forecasts after they are produced. Other users rely on the observations and forecasts for commercial and recreational activities. NDBC provides regular observations from a network of about 110 buoys and 60 Coastal Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) stations, and 55 Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) stations, to help meet these needs. All stations measure wind speed, direction, and gust; barometric pressure; and air temperature. In addition, all buoy stations, and some C-MAN stations, measure sea surface temperature and wave height and period. Conductivity and water current are measured at selected stations. NDBC also operates an array of 39 DART (Tsunami) stations. In addition NDBC provides information from Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) partner stations, oil and gas platforms in the Gulf of Mexico, and National Ocean Service (NOS) stations. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
InPort InPort is the centralized repository of documentation (metadata) for NMFS data and the tools to access the data, as required by the Data and Information Policy Directive and the Data Documentation Procedural Directive. As NMFS's official metadata catalog, InPort is the single most important component in NMFS Enterprise Data Management (EDM) architecture which enables our customers to find, access and understand our vast array of data and information. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit NOAA's Weather and Climate Toolkit is an application that provides simple visualization and data export of weather and climatological data archived at NCDC. The Toolkit also provides access to weather/climate web services provided from NCDC and other organizations.<br /> <br /> The Viewer provides tools for displaying custom data overlays, Web Map Services (WMS), animations and basic filters. The export of images and movies is provided in multiple formats. The Data Exporter allows for data export in both vector point/line/polygon and raster grid formats. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
Global Earth Observation Integrated Data Environment's Unified Access Framework for Environmental Data NOAA's Global Earth Observation - Integrated Data Environment (GEO-IDE) is framework for engaging NOAA's environmental data management communities through sharing expertise, experience, and information. UAF is a NOAA-wide effort to make environmental datasets easy to find and use. It is an important contribution to realizing the vision of NOAA's Global Earth Observation - Integrated Data Environment (GEO-IDE) Initiative. <br /> DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
Environmental Reasearch Division's Data Access Program (ERDDAP) ERDDAP (the Environmental Research Division's Data Access Program) is a data server that gives you a simple, consistent way to download subsets of scientific datasets in common file formats and make graphs and maps. This particular ERDDAP installation has oceanographic data (for example, data from satellites and buoys). <br /> <br /> CoastWatch has expanded from POES/AVHRR SST data for the East Coast to providing a variety of environmental data (i.e. SST, ocean color, winds, etc.) from several different satellite platforms covering all U.S. coastal waters, including Hawaii and Alaska. Today, sea surface temperature maps support meteorological weather predictions and also support commercial and recreational activities (e.g., fishing). Biologists utilize ocean color radiometry data and derived chlorophyll-a and total suspended matter/turbidity products to identify runoff plumes and blooms and also predict HABs; and sailors and commercial shipping pilots use ocean surface vector winds for safe navigation. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-07 09:02:27
Manufacturing Biweekly Update Shows market indicators for the following U.S. manufacturing trends for current period and year-to-date: wage rates, profits, employment, production, capacity utilization, productivity, exports, goods shipments. Includes supporting documentation, tables, and charts.<br /> <br /> DOC ITA Manufactures 2011-10-07 09:02:28
PORTS PORTS is a decision support tool that improves the safety and efficiency of maritime commerce and coastal resource management through the integration of real-time environmental observations, forecasts and other geospatial information. PORTS''''''''''''® measures and disseminates observations and predictions of water levels, currents, salinity, and meteorological parameters (e.g., winds, atmospheric pressure, air and water temperatures) that mariners need to navigate safely. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-14 12:01:24
The National Water Level Observation Network The fundamental observational component of the National Water Level Program (NWLP) is the National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON). The NWLON is a network of 200+ long-term, continuously operating water-level stations throughout the USA, including its island possessions and territories and the Great Lakes. The NWLON has expanded over time in response to increasing national and local needs. NWLON stations are the foundation for reference stations for NOAA's tide prediction products, and serve as controls in determining tidal datums for all short-term water-level stations. NWLON has taken advantage of technological advancements in sensors, data collection and data communications which have enabled routine real-time automated and event-driven data acquisition using the GOES satellite. NWLON data-collection platforms are capable of measuring other oceanographic parameters in addition to water levels, including meteorological parameters. Because of these advancements, the application of NWLON data and products has broadened. For instance, the NWLON is a key part of the NOAA Tsunami Warning System and the NOAA Storm Surge Warning System. NWLON stations support Physical Oceanographic Real-Time Systems (PORTS) in major ports and harbors. NWLON stations have standard configurations of water level sensors (including backup sensors), backup and primary data-collection platforms, solar panel power, GOES satellite radios, and telephone modems. Sensors are calibrated and vertically referenced to nearby networks of benchmarks. The data continuity, the vertical stability and careful referencing of NWLON stations have enabled the data to be used to estimate relative sea-level trends for the Nation. DOC NOAA Geography and Environment 2011-10-14 12:01:24