A COMPONENT OF NOAA’S GLOBAL DRIFTER PROGRAM
Global Drifter Program Real-Time Array Status Map
Global Drifter Program
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What’s new
A More Bio-Friendly Drifter
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Global Drifter Program Deploys Wave Drifters Under Hurricane Teddy
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Drifters Deployed in Anticipation of Hurricane Isaias (August 2020)
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Continuity of Operations During the COVID-19 Pandemic
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LDL Invites Applications for a Postdoctoral Scholar to Work on the Global Drifter Program
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Measuring Greenland’s Helheim Fjord Circulation Using the Custom ADOS Drifter
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Improved West Coast Weather Reports Supported by SVP Drifters with Sea Level Pressure Sensors
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LDL Introduces the Directional Wave Spectra Drifter
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Drifting Buoys Help Scientists Study Waves in the Gulf Stream
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What are drifters and drogues?
DRIFTERS are oceanographic instruments that are composed of a surface float tethered to a drogue. They provide essential information on the upper ocean such as temperature, salinity, current direction, and speed.
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A DROGUE is an essential component of a water-following device. It consists of a carefully designed sea anchor that ensures the drifters follow the water with high accuracy. Surface waves that frequently exceed amplitudes of several meters and the wind blowing at the surface of the ocean do not affect it.
SEE ALSO: Niiler, P. P., A. Sybrandy, K. Bi, P. M. Poulain, and D. Bitterman. 1995. Measurements of the water-following capability of holey-sock and TRISTAR drifters. Deep Sea Research Part I 42:1,951–1,964, https://doi.org/10.1016/0967-0637(95)00076-3.
Technology Development and Custom-Made Drifters
The Lagrangian Drifter Laboratory innovates drifter and sensor designs as demanded by science applications and evolving requirements.
Drifter Types
Nine standard drifter types are available immediately for deployment.
Drifter-Based Science Products
Drifter arrays complement the ocean observing and modeling components of science programs. The LDL provides analytical products that support programs’ research objectives.
Subscription Service
To meet scientific and operational needs, custom sensor/drifter packages that fit within the Global Drifter Array can be deployed on a subscription basis to collect additional ocean variables.