|National Data Buoy Center|
The National Data Buoy Center maintains a current database of meteorological and hydrological data, historical data, and written information generated by the National Weather Service or received from other official sources. This site makes available in real time a selection of current official weather observations, forecasts and warnings from the Coastal-Marine Automated Network (C-MAN) stations and moored buoys. C-MAN stations have been installed on lighthouses, at capes and beaches, on near shore islands, and on offshore platforms. C-MAN station data typically include barometric pressure, wind direction, speed and gust, and air temperature; however, some C-MAN stations are designed to also measure sea water temperature, water level, waves, relative humidity, precipitation, and visibility. The National Data Buoy Center's moored buoys measure and transmit barometric pressure; wind direction, speed, and gust; air and sea temperature; and wave energy spectra from which significant wave height, dominant wave period, and average wave period are derived. Even the direction of wave propagation is measured on many moored buoys. The site also includes lessons about weather and oceanographic phenomena such as sea breezes, the causes of ocean surface waves, tides, and hurricanes. Explanations include data from buoys or C-MAN stations and graphics.
Intended for grade levels:
Type of resource:
No specific technical requirements, just a browser required
Cost / Copyright:
The information on government servers are in the public domain, unless specifically annotated otherwise, and may be used freely by the public. Before using information obtained from this server, special attention should be given to the date & time of the data and products being displayed. This information shall not be modified in content and then presented as official government material. As required by 17 U.S.C. 403, third parties producing copyrighted works consisting predominantly of the material appearing in NWS Web pages must provide notice with such work(s) identifying the NWS material incorporated and stating that such material is not subject to copyright protection.
DLESE Catalog ID: DLESE-000-000-000-441
Resource contact / Creator / Publisher:
Contact: Ms Cheryl Demers
National Data Buoy Center