Wave buoy time series measurements collected at Madeira Beach, Florida

Frequently anticipated questions:

• What does this data set describe?
  1. How might this data set be cited?
  2. What geographic area does the data set cover?
  3. What does it look like?
  4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?
  5. What is the general form of this data set?
  6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
  7. How does the data set describe geographic features?
• Who produced the data set?
  1. Who are the originators of the data set?
  2. Who also contributed to the data set?
  3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
• Why was the data set created?
• How was the data set created?
  1. From what previous works were the data drawn?
  2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?
  3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
• How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?
  1. How well have the observations been checked?
  2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
  3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
  4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
  5. How consistent are the relationships among the data, including topology?
• How can someone get a copy of the data set?
  1. Are there legal restrictions on access or use of the data?
  2. Who distributes the data?
  3. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set?
  4. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
  5. How can I download or order the data?
• Who wrote the metadata?

What does this data set describe?

1. How might this data set be cited?
   Vargas-Babilonia, Priscila, Torres-Garcia, Legna M., Thompson, David M., Buckley, Mark L., Palmsten, Margaret L., Brown, Jennifer A., Reynolds, Billy J., and Galbraith, Benjamin A., 20250308, Wave buoy time series measurements collected at Madeira Beach, Florida:.

   This is part of the following larger work.
   Vargas-Babilonia, Priscila, Torres-Garcia, Legna M., Thompson, David M., Buckley, Mark L., Palmsten, Margaret L., Brown, Jenna A., Reynolds, Billy J., and Galbraith, Benjamin A., 20250306, Oceanographic Time Series Measurements Collected at Madeira Beach, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey data release doi:10.5066/P9HZKIWB, U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/P9HZKIWB

2. What geographic area does the data set cover?

   West_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.09532
   East_Bounding_Coordinate: -83.09532
   North_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.71652
   South_Bounding_Coordinate: 27.71652
   

3. What does it look like?
4. Does the data set describe conditions during a particular time period?

   Beginning_Date: 06-Aug-2021

   Ending_Date: 06-Oct-2023

   Currentness_Reference:

   ground condition

5. What is the general form of this data set?

   Geospatial_Data_Presentation_Form: raster digital data
   

6. How does the data set represent geographic features?
   1. How are geographic features stored in the data set?
      This is a Raster data set.
   2. What coordinate system is used to represent geographic features?
      Horizontal positions are specified in geographic coordinates, that is, latitude and longitude. Latitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Longitudes are given to the nearest 0.00001. Latitude and longitude values are specified in Decimal degrees. The horizontal datum used is D_WGS_1984.
      The ellipsoid used is WGS_1984.
      The semi-major axis of the ellipsoid used is 6378137.000000.
      The flattening of the ellipsoid used is 1/298.257224.
      

      Vertical_Coordinate_System_Definition:

      Altitude_System_Definition:

      Altitude_Datum_Name: North American Vertical Datum 1988
      Altitude_Resolution: 0.1
      Altitude_Distance_Units: meters
      Altitude_Encoding_Method:

      Explicit elevation coordinate included with horizontal coordinates

      Depth_System_Definition:

      Depth_Datum_Name: Mean sea level
      Depth_Resolution: 0.1
      Depth_Distance_Units: meters
      Depth_Encoding_Method: Explicit depth coordinate included with horizontal coordinates
      

7. How does the data set describe geographic features?

   Entity_and_Attribute_Overview:

   The Climate and Forecast (CF)-compliant metadata (version CF-1.8) in the header of the netCDF files provide information about the conventions used for attributes in the dataset. Times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). These datasets include measurements during hurricanes Ian (September 2022), Nicole (November 2022), and Idalia (August 2023). NetCDF filenames include site ID (MB1), deployment date (YYYYMMDD), an abbreviation of the instrument type ("S" for Spotter), and an abbreviation of the data type ("sm-rbrdt", "sm-rbrd" or "sm-soft2d" for Smart Mooring data, "baro" for barometer data, and "disp" for displacement data). Files are available for download individually on the data release webpage, or all files compressed into a single zip file, MadeiraBeach_Spotter.zip.

   Entity_and_Attribute_Detail_Citation:

   The entity and attribute information were generated by the individual and/or agency identified as the originator of the dataset. Please review the rest of the metadata record for additional details and information.

Who produced the data set?

1. Who are the originators of the data set? (may include formal authors, digital compilers, and editors)
   • Priscila Vargas-Babilonia
   • Legna M. Torres-Garcia
   • David M. Thompson
   • Mark L. Buckley
   • Margaret L. Palmsten
   • Jennifer A. Brown
   • Billy J. Reynolds
   • Benjamin A. Galbraith
2. Who also contributed to the data set?
3. To whom should users address questions about the data?
   U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

   Attn: USGS SPCMSC Data Management

   600 4th St S

   St Petersburg, FL
   

   727-502-8000 (voice)

   gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov

Why was the data set created?

How was the data set created?

1. From what previous works were the data drawn?

   Sofar scripts (source 1 of 1)

   Johnson, T., Smith, P.B., and Pittman, R., 2018, Spotter SD Card Data Parser: GitHub, Online.

   Online Links:

   • https://github.com/sofarocean/spotter-sd-parser

   Type_of_Source_Media: Python script
   Source_Contribution:

   An open-source tool for concatenating and parsing SD card data from Sofar Ocean© Spotter wave buoys.

2. How were the data generated, processed, and modified?

   Date: 2023 (process 1 of 2)

   Sofar Ocean© Spotter wave buoys with Smart Moorings were deployed at Madeira Beach, Florida during six separate time periods: 2021/08/06–2021/10/27, 2021/10/27–2022/05/02, 2022/06/06–2022/09/23, 2022/09/23–2023/01/12, 2023/01/12–2023/05/04, and 2023/05/04–2023/10/06. USGS divers arrived via boat at site MB1, located 30.9 kilometers offshore at 18.3-m depth, and attached the buoy to a 178-pound (lb) steel base. Three, 45-lb weights were added to the base during the deployment on May 4, 2023. After several months of data collection, divers went back to the site to recover and swap out the buoy for a new one. The Spotters were connected to a Smart Mooring with underwater sensors that measure pressure and water temperature. The configuration of the Smart Mooring typically consists of an RBRcoda3 pressure and temperature sensor bottom node near the seabed (rbrd or rbrdt) and a Sofar Ocean© temperature sensor midwater node (soft2d). Site coordinates were measured by a handheld Garmin© GPSmap 62s. The height from the seabed to the bottom node pressure sensor was measured by divers with a ruler at the site during each deployment and recovery. The Spotter buoy measured wave parameters and displacement, and some deployments contained a barometer on the surface. Data collected by the Spotter + Smart Mooring were stored in a secure digital (SD) card.

   Date: 2024 (process 2 of 2)

   Upon recovery, data were downloaded from the SD card, parsed, and the spectra was created in Python with Sofar scripts sd_file_parser.py (Johnson and others, 2018) and example_2d_wavespectra_generation.py (example script provided by Sofar Ocean©, please email support@sofarocean.com for more information). MATLAB R2021a was used to create the network common data form (netCDF, .nc) files with the data trimmed for the period in which the instrument was in the water. Attributes conforming to CF (Climate and Forecast) Metadata Convention (version 1.8) were added to each file. Details of which portions of data were flagged and replaced with the fill value are available in the netCDF global attributes or in the data quality section of the metadata. Times are in Coordinated Universal Time (UTC). These datasets include measurements during hurricanes Ian (September 2022), Nicole (November 2022), and Idalia (August 2023). NetCDF filenames include site ID (MB1), deployment date (YYYYMMDD), an abbreviation of the instrument type ("S" for Spotter), and an abbreviation of the data type ("sm-rbrdt", "sm-rbrd" or "sm-soft2d" for Smart Mooring data, "baro" for barometer data, and "disp" for displacement data). Person who carried out this activity:
   

   Priscila Vargas-Babilonia

   U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

   Physical Scientist

   600 4th Street South

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   USA

   727-502-8104 (voice)

   pvargas-babilonia@usgs.gov

   Data sources used in this process:

   • Sofar scripts

   Data sources produced in this process:

   • *.nc

3. What similar or related data should the user be aware of?
   Brown, J.A., Birchler, J.J., Thompson, D.M., Long, J.W., and Seymour, A.C., 20180314, Beach Profile Data Collected From Madeira Beach, Florida: U.S. Geological Survey data release doi:10.5066/F7T43S94, U.S. Geological Survey - St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center, St. Petersburg, Florida.

   Online Links:

   • https://doi.org/10.5066/F7T43S94

How reliable are the data; what problems remain in the data set?

1. How well have the observations been checked?
   The Spotter wave buoy has a wave displacement accuracy of ±2 centimeters (cm), barometer accuracy of ±0.5 millibar (mbar) at 25° Celsius (C), and frequency resolution of 0.0098 hertz (Hz). The Smart Mooring bottom node (rbrd or rbrdt) has an RBRcoda³ with temperature initial accuracy of ±0.002°C, temperature resolution of <0.00005°C, pressure initial accuracy of ±0.05% full scale, and pressure resolution of <0.001% full scale. The Smart Mooring midwater node (soft2d) has a temperature sensor with sea surface temperature accuracy of ±0.1°C and sea surface temperature resolution of ±0.02°C.
2. How accurate are the geographic locations?
   Site location was obtained from a handheld global positioning system (GPS) Garmin© GPSmap 62s with a nominal accuracy of 3-5 meters 95% of the time (Wide Area Augmentation System [WAAS] accuracy in North America). Locations were collected in the World Geodetic System of 1984 (WGS84) coordinate system.
3. How accurate are the heights or depths?
   Orthometric elevations were projected to the North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD88) and were estimated using NOAA's VDatum tool with estimates of local mean sea level from the corrected pressure data from the deployment. For these data, the uncertainties for vertical position are considered ~ 0.10 m.
4. Where are the gaps in the data? What is missing?
   Dataset is considered complete for the information presented, as described in the abstract. Users are advised to read the rest of the metadata record carefully for additional details. Gaps between deployments were caused by factors such as instrument failure, premature battery depletion, or delays in the scheduled deployment. Data quality assurance and control were performed by thoroughly reviewing all variables. Several deployments experienced a manufacturing defect in the Smart Mooring, resulting in instrument failure in the temperature and pressure sensors. This failure manifested in the data as sudden, extreme spikes, which marked the onset of erratic behavior in the time series. The affected segments, corresponding to the period of instrument failure, were removed and replaced with fill values. Beyond addressing the Smart Mooring sensor issues, the remaining data consists of raw measurements, which were processed using the parsing script available on the SofarOcean© website (https://www.sofarocean.com/support). Detailed information on specific deployment configurations, including which data segments were flagged and replaced, can be found in the dataset’s attributes.
5. How consistent are the relationships among the observations, including topology?
   No calibration was needed prior to deployment and the datasets were checked after recovery to assess any drift or fouling that may have occurred during the deployment.

How can someone get a copy of the data set?

1. Who distributes the data set? (Distributor 1 of 1)
   
   U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

   Attn: USGS SPCMSC Data Management

   600 4th St S

   St. Petersburg, FL
   

   727-502-8000 (voice)

   gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov
2. What's the catalog number I need to order this data set? MB120210806S.nc, MB120210806Sdisp.nc, MB120210806Ssm-rbrd.nc, MB120211027S.nc, MB120211027Sdisp.nc, MB120211027Ssm-rbrdt.nc, MB120220606S.nc, MB120220606Sdisp.nc, MB120220606Ssm-rbrdt.nc, MB120220923S.nc, MB120220923Sbaro.nc, MB120220923Sdisp.nc, MB120220923Ssm-rbrdt.nc, MB120220923Ssm-soft2.nc, MB120230112S.nc, MB120230112Sbaro.nc, MB120230112Sdisp.nc, MB120230112Ssm-rbrdt.nc, MB120230504S.nc, MB120230504Sbaro.nc, MB120230504Sdisp.nc
3. What legal disclaimers am I supposed to read?
   Unless otherwise stated, all data, metadata and related materials are considered to satisfy the quality standards relative to the purpose for which the data were collected. Although these data and associated metadata have been reviewed for accuracy and completeness and approved for release by the U.S. Geological Survey (USGS), no warranty expressed or implied is made regarding the display or utility of the data on any other system or for general or scientific purposes, nor shall the act of distribution constitute any such warranty. Any use of trade, firm, or product names is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government.
4. How can I download or order the data?
   • Availability in digital form:

     Data format:	Time series data in netCDF format following Climate and Forecast (CF) Metadata Conventions version 1.8. in format NetCDF (version netCDF-4, CF-1.8) Size: 5096
     Network links:	https://doi.org/10.5066/P9HZKIWB

   • Cost to order the data: None

5. What hardware or software do I need in order to use the data set?
   These data can be viewed with any software capable of reading netCDF files.

Who wrote the metadata?

Dates:

Last modified: 08-Mar-2025

Metadata author:

U.S. Geological Survey, St. Petersburg Coastal and Marine Science Center

Attn: USGS SPCMSC Data Management

600 4th St S

St. Petersburg, FL

727-502-8000 (voice)

gs-g-spcmsc_data_inquiries@usgs.gov

Metadata standard:

Content Standard for Digital Geospatial Metadata (FGDC-STD-001-1998)