Forecast Information and Data Products for Tuna Fishers
FAQ About Data
To the right we have four different data and forecast plots: Chlorophyll satellite data and Sea Surface Temperature (SST) satellite data (each with Surface Current arrows); Temperature and Surface Current Forecasts; and Wind and Wave Forecasts. Please email Sarah Mikulak if you have any questions about how to use these maps.
1) How do I access the data and forecasts on this page?
In the column to the right, you can click on any of the cyan-colored links to bring up a map of the data or forecast you are looking for. We provide the satellite data as 1-day, 3-day, and 8-day composite maps, and the forecast information for the current day, 24 hours in the future, and 48 hours in the future.
2) For Advanced Users: How do I find these data and forecasts using the NANOOS Visualization System (NVS)?
All of the data and forecasts you see here are available in NVS. Since the plots here are formatted specifically for this page, the data and forecasts may look a bit different in NVS than they do here.
1)
Below the "NANOOS Visualization System (NVS)" title to the right, click on the "Product Page" link.
2)
The introduction page to NVS will open. Select the "Click Here to View All Assets" button. This will open our Google Maps based interface.
3)
Click on "Overlays" in the left menu bar. This will open a new column with all the map overlays we have available. Observation data are listed at the top and forecast models are listed at the bottom.
*Note: the names for the data and forecasts in NVS are based on the instrument that measures it or the name of the forecast model.
Chlorophyll satellite data are under MODIS in NVS
Temperature satellite data are under AVHRR in NVS
Surface Current data are under HF Radar in NVS
Temperature forecasts are under OSU ROMS in NVS
Wave and Wind forecasts are under WAVEWATCH III in NVS
4)
To display to the type of data you want to see on the map, click on the double box icon that is located to the right of data variable name. The double box icon will turn green , indicating the map overlay has been turned on.
5)
When the data appears on the map, a legend will also appear in the lower right hand corner.
A.
For chlorophyll and temperature satellite data, the 1 Day composite loads automatically. To change the composite interval, use the pull down menu next to "Composite" to see the 3 Day, 8 Day, 14 Day, or 1 Month composites.
B.
For the temperature, wind, and wave forecasts, use the pull down menu next to "Forecast Time" to select another forecast time.
C.
For all overlays, the button controls can be used to step through time.
6)
Once you have the data composite or forecast map you want displayed, you can scale the map as desired with the zoom in/out slider bar in the top left of the map image.
*Note: The lat/long coordinates of your cursor location are displayed in the box in the upper right corner of the map.
3) For Advanced Users: Video tutorial about how to use NVS (video created by the crew at Amigo Charters in Depoe Bay, OR)
Many thanks to Dan Jennings from Amigo Charters in Depoe Bay, OR for creating and sharing this video with us!
4) Can I get Latitude/Longitude coordinates from these maps?
Yes! On the static maps, we provide a lat/long grid as a reference tool and you can click on the plot to get a lat/long coordinate. When you click on the plot, a yellow plus will show up where you clicked and the coordinate will show up in the grey bar above the plot.
For advanced users viewing these data in our NANOOS Visualization System (NVS), the lat/long of the cursor location is in the upper right corner of the NVS map.
5) What are the white spaces in the chlorophyll and temperature data maps?
Chlorophyll and temperature data are collected by satellites that cannot "see" through clouds, so where there is white on the map is where clouds were when the satellite passed overhead. We provide two other composite plots that pull together 3 or 8 days worth of data to fill in those white spaces as much as possible.
If you are looking at the satellite data in our NANOOS Visualization System (NVS), cloud cover is transparent so that the blue-gray color of the Google Map ocean shows through.
Surface Current data are collected by land-based High-Frequency Radar antennas that work regardless of cloud-cover.
6) What is a Composite map?
Composite maps are they way we provide the satellite data of chlorophyll and temperature. Because one overhead pass of a satellite may not provide enough data because of cloud cover, or in the case of temperature there are multiple images taken in one day, we compile all of the data available for three different time periods into maps. The three time periods we provide is 1, 3, and 8 days, and each of these maps shows a composite of the data from the past 1, 3, or 8 days, respectively.
7) Where are the data and forecasts from?
The chlorophyll satellite data are collected by the NASA MODIS (Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer) Aqua satellite that passes overhead every 1-2 days.
The temperature satellite data are collected by the two NOAA polar-orbiting satellites using the Advanced Very High Resolution Radiometer (AVHRR) sensor. Working as a pair, one of these satellites passes overhead every 6 hours.
The surface current data are collected using High-Frequency (HF) Radar antennas operated and maintained by the Ocean Currents Mapping Lab at Oregon State University.
The temperature and surface current forecasts are provided by the Oregon Coastal Simulator Group at Oregon State University.
The chlorophyll and temperature satellite data are updated every day; however, there is a 1-2 day lag between when the satellite takes the measurements and when those data are released to the public, so our images will be from a day or two ago.
The temperature nowcast and forecasts are updated daily at about 12:15pm. More information about this forecast model can be found on the Oregon Coastal Ocean Simulator page.
The wind and wave forecasts are updated every 6 hours (4am, 10am, 4pm, and 10pm PST). The forecasts provided are for 7 days in 6 hour increments.
9) What is the spatial resolution of the satellite data and forecast plots?
In order to make these data and forecasts available in maps, the data and model output is mapped on a grid system, similar to a chess board or pixels on a computer screen, which is laid down on top of the ocean. Within each square, the measurements or model output is averaged, producing one value for each square. The size of the squares in the grid determines how coarse or fine the details on the map are; the smaller the grid resolution, the finer the details. Below are the size of these squares for the data and forecasts plotted here:
Allows users to explore, visualize and download data for a wide variety of assets such as buoys, shore stations, and gliders, and forecast information derived from several models including NOAA's WaveWatch III and North American Mesoscale models.
that is located to the right of data variable name. The double box icon will turn green 
, indicating the map overlay has been turned on.
