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Ocean currents from lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP) of the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) starting 2015 assembled at the University of Hawaii and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

Published by NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information | National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce | Metadata Last Checked: February 28, 2026 | Last Modified: 2022-05-06T00:00:00.000+00:00
This collection holds the Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profile (LADCP) estimates of ocean currents collected for the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP). GO-SHIP brings together scientists with interests in physical oceanography, the carbon cycle, marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems, and other users and collectors of ocean interior data, and coordinates a network of globally sustained hydrographic sections as part of the global ocean/climate observing system including physical oceanography, the carbon cycle, marine biogeochemistry and ecosystems. To understand the ocean currents through the water column, LADCPs are employed. LADCPs estimate deep ocean absolute currents and shear. LADCP specialists of the University of Hawaii (UH) and the Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory (LDEO) serve as the conduit to integrate LADCP data from international sources into a common database in support of GO-SHIP. LADCP data in this collection begin in 2015 with 1-2 cruises per year, which revisit World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) transect lines across the major ocean basins. Files within each granule of the collection consist of either ASCII text or NetCDF formats for the science-ready data, though there are some proprietary formats for the raw data directories, which are included to give advanced users the opportunity to reprocess the set. ADCPs use the Doppler shift of an outgoing frequency along a beam to return measured velocity along that beam. ADCPs typically have 4 beams, allowing measurement of velocity in 3 dimensions, in bins of varying distances from the transducer head. In this application, the ADCP is mounted on a Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) rosette frame and lowered along with the rest of the package, hence called Lowered ADCP ("LADCP"). The goal is to determine water velocities to the full depth of the ocean for each LADCP deployment. Ocean velocities are very small (few cm/s), especially in the deep water. The package is typically lowered or raised at 1m/s for much of the water column, creating a challenging data processing situation. Lowered ADCP data requires ancillary information to calculate ocean velocities and turbulence parameters. Ancillary measurements included in the submission package include Conductivity, Temperature, Depth, at 24Hz, with 1Hz position, and shipboard ADCP data. For the NCEI archive of GO-SHIP LADCP, three levels are defined: 1) Level-0, raw LADCP and ancillary data streams of the down- and up-cast, 2) Level-1, processed LADCP and ancillary data streams for the down-, up-, and averaged cast, and 3) Level-2 science-ready subset of select parameters. Presently only Levels 0 and 1 will be archived since work continues for defining error associated with Level 3. There is one processed file per station cast. The ancillary streams of Level-1 are the basic oceanographic variables of interest, and may also include a variety of additional fields associated with the processing.

Resources

13 resources available

  • NCEI Dataset Landing Page

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • Granule Search

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • Technical Report

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • Technical Report

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-16-0258.1

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(2002)019%3C0205:tfrola%3E2.0.co;2

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1109/curm.1990.110905

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(1993)010%3C0764:dvpwsc%3E2.0.co;2

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/2010jtecho708.1

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(2002)019%3C0794:dvpula%3E2.0.co;2

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • https://doi.org/10.25921/g961-ya97

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • GCMD Keyword Forum Page

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

  • NCEI Contact Information

    PLACEHOLDER/VALUE
    Download

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0221195 0221750 0221918 0222105 0222211 0222214 0222328 0252908 0253255 CONDUCTIVITY CURRENT METER - EAST-WEST COMPONENT (U) CURRENT METER - NORTH-SOUTH COMPONENT (V) CURRENT METER - SPEED CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U) CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V) CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN COMPONENT (W) HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE OXYGEN SALINITY WATER TEMPERATURE ADCP CTD pressure sensor chemical derived products in situ physical profile NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown R/V Roger Revelle R/V THOMAS G. THOMPSON RV Nathaniel B. Palmer Florida State University Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory Texas A&M University The University of Hawai'i System U.S. National Science Foundation University of Hawai'i at Mānoa University of Washington University of Washington, Applied Physics Laboratory Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution The University of Hawai'i System University of Hawai'i at Mānoa The Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) Caribbean Sea Equatorial Pacific Ocean Indian Ocean North Atlantic Ocean North Pacific Ocean Northeast Pacific Ocean (limit-180) South Pacific Ocean Southeast Pacific Ocean (limit-140 W) Southern Ocean oceanography COLUMBIA/LDEO > Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University DOC/NOAA/OAR/AOML > Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce DOC/NOAA/OAR/PMEL > Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce UWA/APL > Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington WHOI > WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION nbp1706 nbp1707 nbp1802 rb1503 rb1606 rb1803 rr1603 rr1604 tn366 320620170703 320620170820 320620180309 325020190403 33RO20150410 33RO20161119 33RO20180423 33RR20160208 33RR20160321 CLIVAR > Climate Variability EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CIRCULATION > OCEAN CURRENTS EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN PRESSURE > WATER PRESSURE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > CONDUCTIVITY EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN (W) CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U) CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V) (Measured) CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN COMPONENT (W) (Measured) HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE (Measured) • CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U) ADCP > Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler CTD > Conductivity, Temperature, Depth LADCP > Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler PRESSURE SENSORS > PRESSURE SENSORS Ships NATHANIEL B. PALMER (call sign: WPB3210, ICES code: 3206, 1992-) ROGER REVELLE (call sign: KAOU, ICES code: 33RR, 1996-) Ronald H. Brown (call sign: WTEC, ICES code: 33RO, 1997-) THOMAS G. THOMPSON (call sign: KTDQ, ICES code: 3250, 1991-) R/V Thomas G. Thompson OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN Atlantic Ocean I06N I07N I08S I09N P06 P16N P18 S04P 2NGXD6 2UYUF5 3RJMHG 9J7NY4 9W4H6Y ACHKNW CGG59U H0LTDR U03R03

Complete Metadata
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identifier gov.noaa.nodc:GOSHIP-LADCP
issued 2020-10-27T00:00:00.000+00:00
keyword 
                                            [
  "0221195",
  "0221750",
  "0221918",
  "0222105",
  "0222211",
  "0222214",
  "0222328",
  "0252908",
  "0253255",
  "CONDUCTIVITY",
  "CURRENT METER - EAST-WEST COMPONENT (U)",
  "CURRENT METER - NORTH-SOUTH COMPONENT (V)",
  "CURRENT METER - SPEED",
  "CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN COMPONENT (W)",
  "HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE",
  "OXYGEN",
  "SALINITY",
  "WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "ADCP",
  "CTD",
  "pressure sensor",
  "chemical",
  "derived products",
  "in situ",
  "physical",
  "profile",
  "NOAA Ship Ronald H. Brown",
  "R/V Roger Revelle",
  "R/V THOMAS G. THOMPSON",
  "RV Nathaniel B. Palmer",
  "Florida State University",
  "Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory",
  "NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory",
  "NOAA Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory",
  "Texas A&M University",
  "The University of Hawai'i System",
  "U.S. National Science Foundation",
  "University of Hawai'i at Mānoa",
  "University of Washington",
  "University of Washington, Applied Physics Laboratory",
  "Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution",
  "The University of Hawai'i System",
  "University of Hawai'i at Mānoa",
  "The Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP)",
  "Caribbean Sea",
  "Equatorial Pacific Ocean",
  "Indian Ocean",
  "North Atlantic Ocean",
  "North Pacific Ocean",
  "Northeast Pacific Ocean (limit-180)",
  "South Pacific Ocean",
  "Southeast Pacific Ocean (limit-140 W)",
  "Southern Ocean",
  "oceanography",
  "COLUMBIA/LDEO > Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University",
  "DOC/NOAA/OAR/AOML > Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "DOC/NOAA/OAR/PMEL > Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory, OAR, NOAA, U.S. Department of Commerce",
  "UWA/APL > Applied Physics Laboratory, University of Washington",
  "WHOI > WOODS HOLE OCEANOGRAPHIC INSTITUTION",
  "nbp1706",
  "nbp1707",
  "nbp1802",
  "rb1503",
  "rb1606",
  "rb1803",
  "rr1603",
  "rr1604",
  "tn366",
  "320620170703",
  "320620170820",
  "320620180309",
  "325020190403",
  "33RO20150410",
  "33RO20161119",
  "33RO20180423",
  "33RR20160208",
  "33RR20160321",
  "CLIVAR > Climate Variability",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CHEMISTRY > OXYGEN",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN CIRCULATION > OCEAN CURRENTS",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN PRESSURE > WATER PRESSURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN TEMPERATURE > WATER TEMPERATURE",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > CONDUCTIVITY",
  "EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SALINITY/DENSITY > SALINITY",
  "CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN (W)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - NORTH/SOUTH COMPONENT (V) (Measured)",
  "CURRENT SPEED - UP/DOWN COMPONENT (W) (Measured)",
  "HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE (Measured)",
  "• CURRENT SPEED - EAST/WEST COMPONENT (U)",
  "ADCP > Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler",
  "CTD > Conductivity, Temperature, Depth",
  "LADCP > Lowered Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler",
  "PRESSURE SENSORS > PRESSURE SENSORS",
  "Ships",
  "NATHANIEL B. PALMER (call sign: WPB3210, ICES code: 3206, 1992-)",
  "ROGER REVELLE (call sign: KAOU, ICES code: 33RR, 1996-)",
  "Ronald H. Brown (call sign: WTEC, ICES code: 33RO, 1997-)",
  "THOMAS G. THOMPSON (call sign: KTDQ, ICES code: 3250, 1991-)",
  "R/V Thomas G. Thompson",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > ATLANTIC OCEAN > NORTH ATLANTIC OCEAN > CARIBBEAN SEA",
  "OCEAN > INDIAN OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > PACIFIC OCEAN > SOUTH PACIFIC OCEAN",
  "OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN",
  "Atlantic Ocean",
  "I06N",
  "I07N",
  "I08S",
  "I09N",
  "P06",
  "P16N",
  "P18",
  "S04P",
  "2NGXD6",
  "2UYUF5",
  "3RJMHG",
  "9J7NY4",
  "9W4H6Y",
  "ACHKNW",
  "CGG59U",
  "H0LTDR",
  "U03R03"
]
landingPage https://www.ncei.noaa.gov/contact
language 
                                            []
license https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/
modified 2022-05-06T00:00:00.000+00:00
publisher 
                                            {
  "name": "NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information",
  "@type": "org:Organization"
}
references 
                                            [
  "https://www.go-ship.org/Manual/Thurnherr_LADCP.pdf",
  "ftp://ftp.ldeo.columbia.edu/pub/ant/LADCP/UserManuals/LADCP_w.pdf",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/jtech-d-16-0258.1",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(2002)019%3C0205:tfrola%3E2.0.co;2",
  "https://doi.org/10.1109/curm.1990.110905",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(1993)010%3C0764:dvpwsc%3E2.0.co;2",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/2010jtecho708.1",
  "https://doi.org/10.1175/1520-0426(2002)019%3C0794:dvpula%3E2.0.co;2",
  "https://doi.org/10.25921/g961-ya97"
]
rights otherRestrictions
spatial -68.25,-75.3,16.56,56.791
temporal 2015-04-10T00:00:00+00:00/2019-05-14T00:00:00+00:00
title Ocean currents from lowered acoustic Doppler current profilers (LADCP) of the Global Ocean Ship-based Hydrographic Investigations Program (GO-SHIP) starting 2015 assembled at the University of Hawaii and Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory, Columbia University

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