Surface ocean radial velocities obtained by HF-radar from stations located along coastal waters of Hawaii, North Slope Alaska, Gulf of Alaska, Puerto Rico/Virgin Islands, eastern U.S./Gulf of America, western U.S., and the Great Lakes

This dataset contains surface ocean radial velocities data obtained by HF-radar from stations located along coastal waters of the United States. Radial velocity files contain metadata in a key-value format, while the measured velocities and associated ancillary data are reported in a tab-delimited format.

The National Data Buoy Center (NDBC) â in collaboration with the Scripps Institution of Oceanography through June 2025 and thereafter with NOAAâs National Environmental Satellite, Data, and Information Service (NESDIS) â assembles the data from the Integrated Ocean Observing System (IOOS) Surface Currents Programâs High-Frequency (HF) Radar National Network and submits the data on a monthly basis to NOAAâs National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Remote sensing of ocean surface velocity from shore-based HF-radar sensors bridges an operational observational gap between point samples obtained from in-situ sampling and synoptic scale relatively low resolution data obtained from satellites by providing continuous mesoscale coverage at relatively high resolution near the coast. HF-radar systems measure the speed of ocean surface currents in directions radial to the antenna in near real time. Radial velocities alone are a measurement of surface ocean velocity projected along the direction radial to the antenna, which only show those currentsâ movement towards or away from the HF-radar sensorâs antenna. Radial measurements of ocean velocity may be used directly in some applications such as model assimilation but are commonly used in combination with overlapping sites to estimate the total vector ocean velocity.

Systems operate continuously in all weather conditions and are installed near the coastline. Range resolution of measured currents is determined by the radar transmit bandwidth used. Bandwidth is controlled by radio frequency licenses and translates to range resolutions of 0.5 to 6 kilometers. Maximum ranges of current measurements also depend on radar transmit frequency and vary from about 40 km offshore to about 200 km offshore. Velocities are measured in the upper 0.3 - 2.5 meters of the ocean depending on the operating frequency and vertical velocity shear profile.

Tags: aci1 - anacapa island, agl1 - pt. arguello, ak, al, amag - amagansett, anahuac, anch - anchor point, angl - angel island, anwr - aransas national wildlife refuge, arg1 - pt. arguello, assa - assateague, b.c., basc - barrow, bc, belm - belmar, bhar - bay harbor, bigc - big creek, bisl - block island, blck - block island, bml1 - bodega marine laboratory, bmlr - bodega marine laboratory long range, bolinas, boni - bonilla island, border park, bp01 - san diego, brad - bradley beach, brag - fort bragg, brig - brigantine, brky - berkeley marine center, brmr - brigantine, brnt - brant beach, brvw - bridgeview park, brzy - breezy point, bsq - san quintin baja california, bswp - bayshore waterfront park. nj, ca, california, canada, cape - cape shore lab, cape charles, cat - st. catherine's, cbbt - chesapeake bay bridge tunnel, cbl1 - cape blanco, ccb1 - north beach, ccb2 - university beach, cddo - cabo rojo, cdn - crandon, cedr - cedar island, clhb - clarke's harbour, clmh - clam harbour, club - cape may point, cmpt - cape may point, cns - canaveral national seashore, comm - commonweal center, con - conalep, cona - conalep, cook inlet, cop1 - coal oil pt., core - core banks, coronado islands, corpus christi bay, cphn - cape henry, cplf - chevron pipeline facility, cpvn - camp varnum, cris - crissy field, cstm - cape st. mary, csw - fort caswell, ct, current radial u-component, current radial v-component, dclr - diablo canyon long range, dcsr - diablo canyon standard range, de, duck - duck, ere - erendira, erra - low beach, espt - eastern point retreat house, estr - point estero, expl - the exploratorium museum, fajardo, faro - cabo rojo lighthouse at cabo rojo, fbk1 - fallback22, fds - ft. de soto, fl, flnd - first landing state park, focf - fourth cliff recreation area, fort - fort funston, frdo - reserva natural cabezas de san juan, ftmk - fort michilimackinac, fura - anasco, ga, gcap - great captain island, gcve - gerstle cove, gcyn - granite canyon, gese - geoje seoimal lighthouse, geya - geoje yangjiam, gmnb - grand manan, gptp - gulfport, grhd - great bay head, grni - green's island, gtn - georgetown, haty - cape hatteras, haul - haulover inlet, hbsp - henderson beach state park, hbsr - horseneck beach state reserve, hecate strait, hemp - hempstead, hi, hill - hillsboro, hlgt - holgate, hlpn - cape henlopen, homr - sandy hook, hook - sandy hook, hosr - sandy hook, htr - hightower beach, icyc - icy cape, jeff - ft jefferson, jek - jekyll island, jenn - jennettes pier, joub - joubin island, kak - kaka'ako, kal - kalaeloa, kap - kapolei, kbch - kalifornsky beach, kenai, king - briscoe king pavilion, kkh - keaukaha, kna - kaena, know - knowles bay, kok - koko head, ksc - kennedy space center, la, lend - land's end, lewe - lewes, lisl - little island park, loo1 - loomis lake, look - point lookout, lopt - lockport, love - loveladies, lpwr - long point wildlife refuge, luis - point san luis, ma, mabo - punta tuna lighthouse, maine, man1 - manhattan beach, mara - marathon, mata - matagorda island, maunabo, mbac - monterey bay academy, mbnp - matagorda bay nature park, mbp - myrtle beach state park, mcpk - mccollum park beach city, md, me, metl - metal magic, mets - mvco meteorological mast, mexico, mgs1 - mandalay generating station, mi, misq - misquamicut, mlml - moss landing marine laboratories, mlng - moss landing, mntk - montauk, mola - moses lake floodgate, mont - montara sanitary district, montara, mrch - moriches, ms, mvco - martha's vineyard, nant - nantucket island, nantucket, nanw - nanwalek, napl - naples, naus - nauset, nb, nc, new york, nic1 - nicholas canyon, nj, nkl - north key largo, npgs - naval postgraduate school, ns, nwtp - nantucket, ny, obsp - orange beach state park, oceanography, ocra - ocracoke island, okko - steve okkonen's house, oldb - old bridge waterfront park, or, ospy - osprey drilling platform, pacific grove, pafs - point arena field station, palm - palmer station, pbon - point bonita, pbrw - point barrow, pcyc - pass christian yacht club, pesc - pescadero, pilr - pillar point air force station, pins - padre island, pla8 - placement 8, plpi - pleasure pier blvd, pmgc - port mansfield gerg codar, point loma, popb - popham beach state park, port - port monmouth, port arthur, ppin - point pinos, ppk - pepe'ekeo, ppns - point pinos, prey - point reyes, pri - pritchard's island, prince rupert, psg1 - point st. george, pslr - point sur long range, psur - point sur, pt. sal, ptc1 - point conception, ptly - point lay, ptm1 - point mugu, ptwn - provincetown, puerto rico, puga - busan gadeokdo lighthouse, puta - busan taejongdae park, pyfc - ponce yacht and fishing club at ponce, qta - quinta, ragg - ragged point, rath - strathmere, rdsr - reddington, rfg1 - refugio state beach, ri, rlvr - rollover pass, roll - rollover, rtc1 - romberg tiburon center, salt point state park, samoa, san diego, san juan bay, sand - sandspit, sarb - sargent beach, sau - sauzal, saus - sausalito-marin city sanitary district, sbay - club de pesca rec isla de cabras, sbsr - salisbury beach state reservation, sc, scci - catalina island, scdb - dan blocker, scdh - dockweiler headquarters, sci1 - santa cruz island, scnb - newport beach, scov - sandy cove, scpf - point fermin, scripps long-range, scripps pier, scrz - santa cruz, sctb - torrance beach, sdbp - san diego, sdci - san diego, sdcp - camp pendleton, sddp - dana point, sdpd - susan dionne pad, sdpl - san diego, sdsc - san clemente is, sdse - san elijo state beach, sdsl - san diego, sdsm - san mateo point, sdsn - san clemente island north, sdut - upper trestles, sdww - point loma waste water treatment plant, sea1 - seaside, seab - sea bright, sgrv - singing river, shel - shelter cove, shsh - shishmaref, sild - staten island, simp - cape simpson, sisl - silver slipper casino, slid - slide ranch, sltr - slaughter beach, smoa - humboldt bay, smpt - smith point, smr1 - summerland, sni1 - san nicolas island, sonoma county, south korea, sprk - seaside park, squb - squibnocket farms, ssd1 - summerland sanitary district, ssde - surfside, stf - dania beach, stli - stehli beach, stv1 - fort stevens, stv2 - fort stevens, suns - sunset beach resort, swpp - southwest pass, texas city, thom - st. thomas, tlsp - two lights state park, tres - treasure island, trin - trinidad, trl1 - null, trs - treasure shores, tsawwassen, tx, tx (pla8), tx (plpi), tx (smpt), uabc - universidad autonoma de baja califonia, usa, usvi, va, vancouver, vatk - point atkinson, vcol - westshore coal terminal, vdig - digby island, vdig - idigby island, ven - venice, veni - venice, vgpt - georgina point, view - ocean view beach, vil - villarino, vion - iona wastewater treatment plant, vir - virginia key, vjor - jordan river, vrid - ridley island, vroc - race rocks, vspt - iona jetty, wa, wain - wainwright, wauw - wauwermans islands, wcdn - crandon, west - key west, west vancouver, wild - wildwood, win1 - winchester bay, wld2 - waldport, wnkl - north key largo, wodi - wood island, wood - north wildwood, wsh1 - washburne, wsp1 - westport state park, yhl1 - yaquina head long, yhs1 - yaquina head south, yhs2 - yaquina head south
Organization: National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce