Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA)
Data Set (DS) | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS)GUID: gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:75048 | Updated: March 4, 2026 | Published / External
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Summary
Short Citation
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services, 2026: Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA), https://www.fisheries.noaa.gov/inport/item/75048.
Full Citation Examples
NOAA's Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) couples long-term water level observations with hydrodynamic modeling to create historical information between tide stations to bridge gaps in service and serve the Nation's coastal communities effectively and accurately. CORA water levels are simulated with ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) for ocean circulation modeling and coupled with a phase-averaging model called Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) to produce surface gravity wave spectra and account for time-averaged wave contributions. Coastal water level observations from NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) are low-pass filtered and assimilated into the model to account for long-term sea level variability and to reduce model errors, and validate results. The domain of this reanalysis spans the Gulf, Atlantic (East), and Caribbean coastlines (or CORA-GEC).
The reanalysis (1979-2022) was performed through the partnership of NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) and University of North Carolina's (UNC) Institute of Marine Sciences and Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI). Validation of CORA-GEC water levels compared to tide gauge observations was conducted in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center (UHSLC). This modeled dataset, also provides hourly water levels for unstructured grid nodes along state shorelines and in 500m structured grids. Secondary derived datasets including daily maximums (daily maxes), monthly statistics, and peak over thresholds are included for the structured 500m grids. Tidal datums, extreme water levels and sub-seasonal to annual high tide flooding predictions and outlooks are also among the derived products to be added. Moreover, the domain of the analysis will be expanded to the Pacific and the dataset to be included when it becomes available.
To bridge gaps in reliable long-term water level and wave information vital to crucial decision making for coastal communities and emergency planners and responders across the United States and its territories. CORA is intended to enable the computation of tidal datums and predictions; reinforce decision support applications for determining coastal flooding spatial extent, frequency and severity; regional frequency analysis for extremes and evaluate changing flood risks near and away from existing water level gauges.
Data Access & Downloads
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Web Service (Other)
GitHub repository for accessing and visualizing data
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NC - NetCDF
NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) Program Amazon Web Services (AWS) Server Direct Link. 'V1.1' is the latest version of the dataset and is available in NetCDF format.
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NC - NetCDF
NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) Program Description page.
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Web Service (Other)
This is the landing page for CORA with additional resources.
There are no constraints.
There are no constraints.
Controlled Theme Keywords
DEGRADATION, EARTH SCIENCE, INUNDATION, INUNDATION AMOUNT, MEAN SEA LEVEL, SEA LEVEL ANOMALY, SEA LEVEL RISE, SEA SURFACE HEIGHT, SEA SURFACE HEIGHT ANOMALY (SSHA), STORM SURGE, STORM SURGE, TIDAL HEIGHT, TIDAL RANGE, WAVE DIRECTION, WAVE EROSION, WAVE FREQUENCY, WAVE HEIGHT, WAVE PERIOD, WAVE RUNUP, WAVE SPECTRA, WAVE SPEED/DIRECTION
URLs
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NOAA Tides and Currents Home page
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This is the landing page for CORA with additional resources.
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CORA's technical report on the Gulf, Atlantic and Caribbean region.
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ADCIRC Parameter Definitions
Child Items
No Child Items for this record.
Contact Information
Point of Contact
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS)
ROR: 05vcng590
Tides and Currents
Metadata Contact
Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS)
ROR: 05vcng590
Tides and Currents
Extents
-98° W,
-53.8° E,
45.8° N,
5.8° S
1978 - 2022
Item Identification
| Title: | Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) |
|---|---|
| Short Name: | CORA |
| Status: | On Going |
| Creation Date: | 2024 |
| Abstract: |
NOAA's Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) couples long-term water level observations with hydrodynamic modeling to create historical information between tide stations to bridge gaps in service and serve the Nation's coastal communities effectively and accurately. CORA water levels are simulated with ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) for ocean circulation modeling and coupled with a phase-averaging model called Simulating WAves Nearshore (SWAN) to produce surface gravity wave spectra and account for time-averaged wave contributions. Coastal water level observations from NOAA's Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) National Water Level Observation Network (NWLON) are low-pass filtered and assimilated into the model to account for long-term sea level variability and to reduce model errors, and validate results. The domain of this reanalysis spans the Gulf, Atlantic (East), and Caribbean coastlines (or CORA-GEC). The reanalysis (1979-2022) was performed through the partnership of NOAA National Ocean Service (NOS) and University of North Carolina's (UNC) Institute of Marine Sciences and Renaissance Computing Institute (RENCI). Validation of CORA-GEC water levels compared to tide gauge observations was conducted in collaboration with the University of Hawaii Sea Level Center (UHSLC). This modeled dataset, also provides hourly water levels for unstructured grid nodes along state shorelines and in 500m structured grids. Secondary derived datasets including daily maximums (daily maxes), monthly statistics, and peak over thresholds are included for the structured 500m grids. Tidal datums, extreme water levels and sub-seasonal to annual high tide flooding predictions and outlooks are also among the derived products to be added. Moreover, the domain of the analysis will be expanded to the Pacific and the dataset to be included when it becomes available. |
| Purpose: |
To bridge gaps in reliable long-term water level and wave information vital to crucial decision making for coastal communities and emergency planners and responders across the United States and its territories. CORA is intended to enable the computation of tidal datums and predictions; reinforce decision support applications for determining coastal flooding spatial extent, frequency and severity; regional frequency analysis for extremes and evaluate changing flood risks near and away from existing water level gauges. |
| Supplemental Information: |
https://www.frontiersin.org/journals/marine-science/articles/10.3389/fmars.2024.1381228/full https://doi.org/10.25923/5ypp-4e84 |
Keywords
Theme Keywords
| Thesaurus | Keyword |
|---|---|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > SEA LEVEL RISE
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > CLIMATE INDICATORS > ATMOSPHERIC/OCEAN INDICATORS > SEA LEVEL RISE > INUNDATION
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > STORM SURGE
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE DIRECTION
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE FREQUENCY
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE HEIGHT
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE PERIOD
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE RUNUP
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE SPECTRA
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > OCEAN WAVES > WAVE SPEED/DIRECTION
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY > SEA LEVEL > MEAN SEA LEVEL
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY > SEA LEVEL > SEA LEVEL ANOMALY
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY > SEA SURFACE HEIGHT
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > SEA SURFACE TOPOGRAPHY > SEA SURFACE HEIGHT > SEA SURFACE HEIGHT ANOMALY (SSHA)
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > TIDES > STORM SURGE
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > TIDES > TIDAL HEIGHT
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > OCEANS > TIDES > TIDAL RANGE
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL PROCESSES > WAVE EROSION
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| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > SOLID EARTH > GEOMORPHIC LANDFORMS/PROCESSES > COASTAL PROCESSES > WAVE EROSION > DEGRADATION
|
| Global Change Master Directory (GCMD) Science Keywords |
EARTH SCIENCE > TERRESTRIAL HYDROSPHERE > SURFACE WATER > SURFACE WATER PROCESSES/MEASUREMENTS > INUNDATION > INUNDATION AMOUNT
|
Physical Location
| Organization: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services |
|---|---|
| City: | Silver Spring |
| State/Province: | MD |
Data Set Information
| Data Set Scope Code: | Data Set |
|---|---|
| Maintenance Frequency: | Annually |
| Data Presentation Form: | Model (digital) |
| Data Set Credit: | NOAA's Coastal Ocean Reanalysis (CORA) Dataset: 1979-2022 was accessed on DATE from https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nos-cora |
Support Roles
Data Steward
| Date Effective From: | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| Address: | |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
| URL: | Tides and Currents |
| Contact Instructions: |
Stakeholder Services Branch tide.predictions@noaa.gov 301-713-2815 |
Distributor
| Date Effective From: | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| Address: | |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
| URL: | Tides and Currents |
| Contact Instructions: |
Stakeholder Services Branch tide.predictions@noaa.gov 301-713-2815 |
Metadata Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| Address: | |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
| URL: | Tides and Currents |
| Contact Instructions: |
Stakeholder Services Branch tide.predictions@noaa.gov 301-713-2815 |
Point of Contact
| Date Effective From: | 2025 |
|---|---|
| Date Effective To: | |
| Contact (Organization): | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| Address: | |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
| URL: | Tides and Currents |
| Contact Instructions: |
Stakeholder Services Branch tide.predictions@noaa.gov 301-713-2815 |
Extents
Extent Group 1
Extent Group 1 / Geographic Area 1
| W° Bound: | -98 | |
|---|---|---|
| E° Bound: | -53.8 | |
| N° Bound: | 45.8 | |
| S° Bound: | 5.8 |
Extent Group 1 / Time Frame 1
| Time Frame Type: | Range |
|---|---|
| Start: | 1978 |
| End: | 2022 |
Spatial Information
Reference Systems
Reference System 1
Coordinate Reference System |
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Reference System 2
Coordinate Reference System |
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Reference System 3
Coordinate Reference System |
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Reference System 4
Coordinate Reference System |
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Access Information
| Data License: | CC0-1.0 |
|---|---|
| Data License URL: | https://creativecommons.org/publicdomain/zero/1.0/ |
| Data License Statement: | These data were produced by NOAA and are not subject to copyright protection in the United States. NOAA waives any potential copyright and related rights in these data worldwide through the Creative Commons Zero 1.0 Universal Public Domain Dedication (CC0-1.0). |
| Security Class: | Unclassified |
| Data Access Constraints: |
There are no constraints. |
| Data Use Constraints: |
There are no constraints. |
Distribution Information
Distribution 1
| Download URL: | https://github.com/NOAA-CO-OPS/CORA-Coastal-Ocean-ReAnalysis-CORA |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) (2025 - Present) |
| Description: |
GitHub repository for accessing and visualizing data |
| Distribution Format: | Web Service (Other) |
Distribution 2
| Download URL: | https://noaa-nos-cora-pds.s3.amazonaws.com/index.html |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) (2025 - Present) |
| Description: |
NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) Program Amazon Web Services (AWS) Server Direct Link. 'V1.1' is the latest version of the dataset and is available in NetCDF format. |
| Distribution Format: | NC - NetCDF |
Distribution 3
| Download URL: | https://registry.opendata.aws/noaa-nos-cora/ |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) (2025 - Present) |
| Description: |
NOAA Open Data Dissemination (NODD) Program Description page. |
| Distribution Format: | NC - NetCDF |
Distribution 4
| Download URL: | https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cora.html |
|---|---|
| Distributor: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) (2025 - Present) |
| Description: |
This is the landing page for CORA with additional resources. |
| Distribution Format: | Web Service (Other) |
URLs
URL 1
| URL: | https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov |
|---|---|
| Name: | Tides and Currents Website |
| URL Type: |
Online Resource
|
| Description: |
NOAA Tides and Currents Home page |
URL 2
| URL: | https://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/cora.html |
|---|---|
| Name: | CORA landing page |
| URL Type: |
Online Resource
|
| Description: |
This is the landing page for CORA with additional resources. |
URL 3
| URL: | https://repository.library.noaa.gov/view/noaa/66833 |
|---|---|
| Name: | NOAA's Coastal Ocean Reanalysis: Gulf of Mexico, Atlantic, and Caribbean |
| URL Type: |
Online Resource
|
| Description: |
CORA's technical report on the Gulf, Atlantic and Caribbean region. |
URL 4
| URL: | https://adcirc.org/home/documentation/users-manual-v50/parameter-definitions/ |
|---|---|
| URL Type: |
Online Resource
|
| Description: |
ADCIRC Parameter Definitions |
Data Quality
| Quantitation Limits: |
CORA performance was consistently weakest at water level stations located up coastal rivers, most likely due to inadequate resolution of these water bodies in the ADCIRC grid, a lack of riverine inflow, and fewer stations for assimilation. |
|---|---|
| Bias: |
The meteorological forcing for this coastal water level reanalysis is from ECMWF's ERA5. At a spatial resolution of 0.25 degree, its representation of tropical cyclones tends to be less intense than observed, particularly for peak winds associated with stronger and/or more concentrated storms. |
| Precision: |
Model performance is quite good overall with errors for hourly data and extremes typically within 10 cm, though accuracy can depend heavily on the location, time period, and use case of interest. |
Lineage
| Lineage Statement: |
Each year of the reanalysis is run independently to simplify overall simulation, staging, processing, and management of resources on HPC clusters. This also allows for concurrent simulation of multiple years. |
|---|
Process Steps
Process Step 1
| Description: |
Compute year-long prior/initial prediction of historical water levels is computed with the ADCIRC model using only tides and meteorological forcing |
|---|---|
| Process Contact: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
Process Step 2
| Description: |
Perform initial/ prior skill assessment by comparing Prior water levels to NWLON observations and establish prior error timeseries and statistics. |
|---|---|
| Process Contact: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
Process Step 3
| Description: |
Map errors onto ADCIRC grid by generating Dynamic Water Level Correction (DWLC) terms. |
|---|---|
| Process Contact: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
Process Step 4
| Description: |
Compute posterior prediction through ADCIRC forcing of astronomical tides, ERAS meteorology and error surfaces (DWLC). |
|---|---|
| Process Contact: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
Process Step 5
| Description: |
Perform final/ posterior skill assessment by comparing posterior water levels to NOWLON observations and establishing posterior error timeseries and statistics. |
|---|---|
| Process Contact: | Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) |
| ROR: | https://ror.org/05vcng590 |
Acquisition Information
Instruments
| Instrument Unavailable Reason: | Not Applicable |
|---|
Platforms
| Platform Unavailable Reason: | Not Applicable |
|---|
Catalog Details
| Catalog Item ID: | 75048 |
|---|---|
| GUID: | gov.noaa.nmfs.inport:75048 |
| Metadata Record Created By: | Tigist Jima |
| Metadata Record Created: | 2025-03-05 13:41+0000 |
| Metadata Record Last Modified By: | SysAdmin InPortAdmin |
| Metadata Record Last Modified: | 2026-03-04 19:17+0000 |
| Metadata Record Published: | 2025-03-25 |
| Owner Org: | CO-OPS |
| Metadata Publication Status: | Published Externally |
| Do Not Publish?: | N |
| Metadata Last Review Date: | 2025-03-25 |
| Metadata Review Frequency: | 1 Year |
| Metadata Next Review Date: | 2026-03-25 |