NOAA Tidal Currents for Coastal, Estuaries and Great Lakes (non-tidal) regions

Since the late-1800s, NOAA’s Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) and its predecessors have been collecting, analyzing and distributing observations and predictions of tidal currents in coastal areas (including some rivers, bays and estuaries), and observations in limited locations for river flow on the Great Lakes. Knowledge of the timing and strength of currents is extremely important for safe navigation in coastal waters. Tidal currents are often the strongest current experienced by vessels operating nearshore and for considerable distances inside bays and river estuaries. CO-OPS maintains both short-term (one-time or multi-year tidal current surveys) and ongoing (continuous real-time) measurements to ensure safe, efficient and environmentally sound maritime commerce, and to support environmental needs such as HazMat response. Data from short-term (non real-time) tidal current surveys are updated about every 25 years, in support of NOAA’s National Current Observation Program (NCOP). There are over 60 real-time tidal current stations in place as part of our Physical Oceanographic Real-Time System, or PORTS (Copyright) Program. Standardized procedures exist for analyzing ocean current data to separate the tidal and non-tidal parameters. Tidal parameters are used to generate predictions. At locations where currents are dominated by non-tidal factors, real-time measurements offer more accurate information. Standard tidal data are reported in 6-minute intervals; other data have varying intervals. Data are quality controlled. Note: tidal current predictions are calculated on the fly and are not stored, nor considered as data.

The mission of NOAA’s National Ocean Service’s (NOS) Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) is to provide the national infrastructure, and the scientific and technical expertise to monitor, assess, and distribute tide, water level, tidal current, meteorological and other coastal oceanographic products and services necessary to support NOAA's mission.

Raw data have not been subjected to the National Ocean Service's (NOS) quality control or quality assurance procedures and do not meet the criteria and standards of official NOS data. Users are cautioned to always review these data closely to ensure that they are appropriate for their intended use. Historical and/or verified data have been subjected to the NOS quality control or quality assurance procedures, and meet criteria and standards.

Presently used current meter instruments are Acoustic Doppler Current Profilers, or ADCPs.

Latest detailed information on sensors and accuracy can be found at: https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/publications/CO-OPS_Measurement_Spec.pdf

Raw data have not been subjected to the National Ocean Service's quality control or quality assurance procedures and do not meet the criteria and standards of official National Ocean Service data. They are released for limited public use as preliminary data to be used only with appropriate caution.

None

Preliminary (raw) data have not been subjected to the National Ocean Service's quality control or quality assurance procedures and do not meet the criteria and standards of official National Ocean Service data. They are released for limited public use as preliminary data to be used only with appropriate caution. Historical current data are only good for observations and may not reflect present day conditions. These data are only representative of the geographic location of the observation.

Raw data have not been subjected to the National Ocean Service's quality control or quality assurance procedures and do not meet the criteria and standards of official National Ocean Service data. They are released for limited public use as preliminary data to be used only with appropriate caution.

Raw data have not been subjected to the National Ocean Service's quality control or quality assurance procedures and do not meet the criteria and standards of official National Ocean Service data. They are released for limited public use as preliminary data to be used only with appropriate caution.

Data are recorded and transmitted; then go through a quality control procedure and are loaded into a database.