- What
does NODC do?
See Overview and Mission Statement
- How do I find data that I submitted to NODC?
Information of this type can only be found in NODC's Ocean Archive System (OAS), which searches original datasets as they were submitted to us. See these instructions.
-
How
deep is the ocean? Where can I get bathymetry data and bathymetric
maps?
The depth
of the ocean is remarkably variable, from the surf zones at the world's
beaches to the deep ocean trenches. The deepest point in the ocean
is generally believed to be in the Marianas Trench in the Western
Pacific Ocean at approximately 36,160 feet [11,021 m], according to
the Rand McNally Atlas of the Oceans (1977). A bathymetric
map depicts the topography of the ocean floor. Bathymetric maps -
as well as the digital bathymetry data from which they are produced
- are distributed by the NOAA National Geophysical Data Center's
Marine Geology and Geophysics Division.
- Are
NODC Products and Data Free?
NODC
makes every effort to place most datasets online where they can be
obtained for free. However, NODC must recover the costs for producing
CD-ROM & DVD products and some publications.
Also, having a customer service representative do a customized retrieval
for you will also have some fee involved. See the NODC Ordering
and Payment Procedures. CD-ROMs & DVDs and Publications can also be ordered
from the Online Store
at a discount.
The NODC website is provided as a public service by the U.S. Department of Commerce, National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Environmental Satellite, Data and Information Service. Information presented on these web pages is considered public information and may be distributed or copied. Use of appropriate byline/photo/image
credit is requested.
- What
are tides? Where can I get tide predictions and other tide-related
measurements?
Tides
are rhythmic variations in vertical water level and in horizontal
water motions (tidal currents) caused by the gravitational pull of
the moon and sun acting on the mass of water in the ocean basins.
To obtain tide predictions and other information about tides, contact
the NOAA/National Ocean Service
Ocean and Lake Levels Division.
- How
do I prepare for a career in oceanography? I think I would like
to work with marine mammals. Are there special requirements for
this type of work? Also, how do I get a job with NOAA?
Oceanographers
study the ocean, but just as there are many specialties in medicine
or music, so are there many types of oceanographers. Some study the
physical conditions of the oceans by looking at temperature, salinity,
density, and currents. Others examine the types of animal life or
the interaction between animals and the nutrients found in the ocean.
Marine geologists and geophysicists study the earth under or around
the ocean. A number of Web sites are good sources of information about
careers in marine sciences. These include the American Society of Limnology and Oceanography*; the online pamphlet "To Boldly Go: A Practical
Career Guide for Scientists"* of the American Geophysical
Union; and the US Navy
Office of Naval Research* careers page.
One
of the most frequently-asked questions about jobs in marine sciences
relates to being a 'marine mammal trainer'. Generally speaking,
the prerequisites for this type of job are at least a B.A. or B.S.
(4-year college degree) in biology or other science and experience
working with animals (including assisting veterinarians, working
in stables with horses, etc.). Because there are few jobs of this
type, there is much competition for them. The NOAA/National Marine
Mammal Laboratory maintains Marine
Mammal Resource Links, which includes career-related sites,
along with many other types of marine mammal information.
Another
site with extensive information on Careers in Oceanography, Marine
Science & Marine Biology is available at the Scripps Institution of Oceanography Library*.
Job
openings in NOAA are advertised and filled through regular Federal
Employment procedures. Index
of Job Opportunities Within NOAA.
- Where
can I get information about a specific type of fish, marine mammal,
or other sea life?
An excellent
resource for information about fish and other sea creatures is provided
by the NOAA/National Marine Fisheries Fish
FAQ* page. The NOAA/National
Marine Mammals Laboratory provides an outstanding list
of links to other resources about marine mammals.
-
Where
can I find nautical charts for the United States coastline? Are
they available online or in digital form? What about charts for the rest of the world?
Nautical
charts are used by mariners and boaters to safely navigate on the
ocean. Accurate nautical charts provide up-to-date information about
navigation aids, hazards to navigation, and other information important
to safe navigation. The NOAA/National
Ocean Service is responsible for publishing and maintaining nautical
charts and the Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) is responsible for aeronautical charts
for the United States and its territories. The National Aeronautical Charting Office is also responsible for the public distribution of National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration/National Ocean Service (NOAA/NOS) U.S. nautical charts and National Geospatial-Intelligence Agency (NGA), formerly the National Imagery and Mapping Agency (NIMA) worldwide aeronautical and nautical charts and publications.
- Where
can I get information about the position of the Gulf Stream?
The Gulf
Stream is an intense ocean current in the western North Atlantic Ocean
that is part of the circulation of water in this ocean basin. It flows
generally northward along the east coast of the United States from
Florida to North Carolina and then veers out into the North Atlantic
near Cape Hatteras, NC. The Gulf Stream forms a boundary between the
warm waters of the Sargasso Sea and the colder, denser waters of the
continental shelf. The Gulf Stream current develops meanders, loops,
and bends as it veers away from the coast, so its exact position is
variable.
Satellite
images of the east coast of the US provide visual information about
the position of the Gulf Stream. Knowledge of the position of the
Gulf Stream is important to fishermen, weather forecasters, Coast
Guard search and rescue operations and many others. Some sources
of Gulf Stream analyses and position information are provided by
the NOAA CoastWatch
program.
- Where
can I get information about sea surface temperature and other surface
features analyses?
Sea surface
feature analysis plots for some types of data are provided by the
Live Access
to Climate Data server at the
NOAA/Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory. As with analysis
of information about the Gulf Stream, there are many sources of surface
features analysis and data, including the
NOAA/CoastWatch program, private vendors, and other sites on the
WWW. Check out the NODC Satellite
data webpage for more resources.
- Where
are the best places to go diving and what types of conditions will
I find there?
The Professional
Association of Diving Instructors* (PADI) and the National
Association for Underwater Instructors* (NAUI) webpages answer
general questions about diving and snorkeling, as well as maintaining
up-to-date links to numerous diving related websites. Water conditions
at popular and unususal dive locations can be quite variable, so it
is important to get the most recent local conditions. You might want
to check out the NOAA Diving Program.
Historical summaries of weather and climate data for many sites around
the world are provided by the
NOAA/National Climatic Data Center.
- Where
can I get the weather forecast and water temperatures for planning
my beach vacation?
The Internet
has an abundance of sources of meteorological information and data.
NOAA Forecast information is available from the NOAA/National
Weather Service (NWS). To get a sense
of past weather conditions, you may want to check with the NOAA/National
Climatic Data Center, which is the archive for historical weather
measurements. Many cities, states, and local governments now have
websites that usually include a link to a source of local weather
conditions and forecasts.
Although
ocean conditions vary from year to year, water temperatures are
less variable than air temperatures. Therefore, climatological average
water temperatures are useful in planning beach activities such
as fishing and swimming. Monthly (or two-week) average water temperatures
for dozens of locations around the U.S. coast are available from
the NODC Coastal Water Temperature Guide.
- What
is El Niño?
El
Niño is a disruption of the ocean-atmosphere system in the
tropical Pacific having important consequences for weather around
the globe.
See the NOAA El Niño
webpage.
- Where
else can I find ocean-related Internet sites?
The NOAA
Central Library (which is administered by NODC) provides links
to ocean science resources and contains many useful publications related
to NOAA ocean and atmospherice sciences. The NODC also maintains a
page containing other oceanography-related
sites. You should also use Internet search engines to find more
ocean-related information.
- Confused
about ocean-related acronyms?
Here
is a list of ocean-related satellite
and marine science acronyms.
- How
can I convert my values into different units?
For example, Fahrenheit to Celsius or
kilometers/hour to miles/hours...and many more including area,
length, mass, pressure, speed, temperature, and volume. Please see
the NODC Unit Conversion Guide.
- Does NODC collect oceanographic observations?
The NODC manages the world's largest collection of publicly available oceanographic data. The NODC does not conduct any data collection programs of its own; it serves solely as a repository, dissemination, and analysis facility for data collected by others. Data submission guidelines
- Why does NODC have two ocean profile databases?
Having two related profile databases may seem unnecessary and redundant but both of these databases serve critical and complementary roles. The first is the Global Temperature-Salinity Profile Program (GTSPP) which contains temperature and salinity data, and the second is the World Ocean Database (WOD) which contains data from over 20 variables. Click details to see how else they differ. Details...
