National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce

Sampling Rates

Sampling Rates

Data from OCS moorings are obtained from three different data collection systems; the older ATLAS data logger, the newer Flex system, and the MApCO2 system. The table below describes the sampling scheme for each measurement type. Please refer to the deployment info page for each mooring to determine which instruments, sensors, and data systems were deployed on a specific mooring.

Observation times in data files are assigned to the center of the averaging interval, unless otherwise noted. For example, daily averages are computed starting at 0000 GMT and are assigned an observation time stamp of 1200 GMT.

Measurement Data System Sample Rate Sample Period Sample Time Stored Data Interval Real-time Transmitted Data
Wind -u, v components, scalar speed, direction ATLAS 2-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Daily mean and 2-min mean on the hour
FLEX 2-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Hourly mean and standard deviation
Wind Gusts (following WMO definition) FLEX 2-hz 3 sec running mean over 2 min period 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Max 3 sec mean measured during the past hour

Air Temperature

Relative Humidity

 ATLAS 2-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Daily mean and 2-min mean on the hour
FLEX 1-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Hourly mean and standard deviation
Barometric Pressure FLEX 1-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0009-0011,... 10 min Hourly mean and standard deviation
Shortwave radiation ATLAS 1-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0001-0003,... 2 min Daily mean and standard deviation
FLEX 1-hz 1 min 2359-0000, 0000-0001,... 1 min Hourly mean and standard deviation
Longwave radiation (thermopile, case and dome temperatures) ATLAS 1-hz 2 min 2359-0001, 0001-0003,... 2 min Daily mean
FLEX 1-hz 1 min 2359-0000, 0000-0001,.... 1 min Hourly mean and standard deviation
Rain (1 min volumes, processed to rates with highest resolution of 10 min)

ATLAS

 1-hz 1 min 0000-0001, 0001-0002,... 1 min Daily mean, standard deviation, and percent time raining
FLEX 1-hz 1 min 0000-0001, 0001-0002,... 1 min Hourly mean and percent time raining
Temperature & Conductivity (sea surface and subsurface) ATLAS 1 per 10 min instantaneous 0000, 0010,... 10 min Daily mean
FLEX 1 per 10 min instantaneous 0000, 0010,... 10 min Hourly reading
Currents ATLAS 1 per 10 min 2 min 0000, 0010,... 10 min Daily mean
FLEX 1-hz 2 min 2359-0001,0009-0011,... 10 min Hourly reading. Note: Before June 2013, interval was 20 min
Air and sea surface water pCO2, O2, pH, turbidity, gas tension MAPCO2 2-hz 30 sec 0000, 0300,... 3 hours 8 data points/day