Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Database

Acceptance and utilization of LTER data requires that:

(1) The Principal Investigator be sent a notice stating reasons for acquiring any data and a description of the publication intentions.
(2) The Principal Investigator of the data set be sent a copy of the report or manuscript prior to submission and be adequately cited in any resultant publications.
(3) A copy of any resultant publications should be sent to:

Principal Investigator
Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543

Dataset URLs:METADATA: HTML, Rich Text, XML(EML compliant)
DATA: Comma Delimited, Excel file with Metadata and data
Dataset ID:MON-PT-SeaLevel-Monthly-MSL.01
Dataset Title:Monthly mean sea level data (1912-2011) relative to NAVD88 for Portland, Maine, NOAA/NOS
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Anne
Last Name:Giblin
Address line 1:Ecosystems Center
Address line 2:MBL
Address line 3:7 MBLSt
City:Woods Hole
State:MA
Zip Code:02543
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:Samuel Kelsey, Hap Garritt
Keywords:PIE LTER, disturbance, Plum Island Ecosystems, Portland, Maine, water level, sea level
Abstract:Monthly sea level data for NOAA/NOS station 8418150 ,Portland, Maine. NOAA/NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS)
Contact: Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Information Manager
The Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Lab
7 MBL St
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Phone (508) 289 7485
Email: pie_im@mbl.edu
Online URL: http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/
DATA FILE INFORMATION:
Data File URL http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/PHY/data/MON-PT-SeaLevel-Monthly-MSL.csv
Data File Name MON-PT-SeaLevel-Monthly-MSL
Beginning Date 1/1/1912
End Date 12/31/2011
Number of Data Records 1199
Other Files to Reference
Availability Status Type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description Annual updates
Log of Changes: Version 01: January 26, 2012, updated data and metadata, 1912 - 2011, relative to NAVD88 datum. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 1/18/12 4:51 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: MON-PT-Sealevel Site 2
Geographic Description NOAA/NOS Portland, ME sealevel Station 8418150  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate    
East Bounding Coordinate    
North Bounding Coordinate    
South Bounding Coordinate    
OR if single point location    
Latitude 43.656667  
Longitude -70.246667  
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols
Organisms studied
 
Methods:NOTES AND COMMENTS: Mean Sea Level (MSL) is a tidal datum determined over a 19-year National Tidal Datum Epoch. It pertains to local mean sea level and should not be confused with the fixed datums of North American Vertical Datum of 1988 (NAVD 88). The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Ocean Service (NOS) is updating the nation's tidal datums to a new National Tidal Datum Epoch (NTDE) to reflect changes in mean sea level along the nation's coast.

The new NTDE will provide up-to-date tidal datum information available for applications that are essential to support NOAA's strategic programs, as well as other Federal, State and private sector coastal zone activities. As a result of the update, more accurate tidal information will be made available for widespread application to hydrographic surveys and mapping programs, navigational safety (Physical Oceanographic Real Time Systems, PORTSŪ), wetland restoration, marine boundaries, coastal engineering, storm warnings and hazard mitigation, emergency management, and hydrodynamic modeling.

The (NTDE) is a specific 19-year period over which tide observations are taken to determine Mean Sea Level and other tidal datums such as Mean Lower Low Water and Mean High Water. This latest update will define the 19-year period as 1983-2001. A tidal datum is a vertical reference based on a specific stage of tide which serves as a baseline elevation to which sounding depths or topographic heights are referenced. The 19-year period includes an 18.6 year astronomical cycle that accounts for all significant variations in the moon and sun that cause slowly varying changes in the range of tide. The NTDE has been adopted so that tidal datum determinations throughout the United States will be based on one specific common reference period.

Relative mean sea level, which is a term used to denote the average height of the ocean relative to land, can vary by location and over time and is not the same at all locations. It is the policy of NOS to consider a revised NTDE every 20-25 years in order to take into account relative sea level changes caused by global sea level change and the effects of long term local land movement due to subsidence or glacial rebound. Previous tidal Epochs were determined for periods 1924-42, 1941-59, and 1960-78. Water level measurements taken by NOS over long periods of time are used to smooth out shorter term (daily, monthly, annual) variations which help reveal long term trends (see http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/sltrends/sltrends.shtml). The NOS Center for Operational Oceanographic Products and Services (CO-OPS) has the responsibility for operating and maintaining the National Water Level Observation Network, comprised of 175 long term stations in the coastal ocean and Great Lakes. The tide stations are used as the primary reference for determination of tidal datums and bench mark elevations (permanent monuments with elevations referenced to tidal datums) for station locations listed on the CO-OPS web site. A significant number of these tidal bench mark information "sheets" will be made available on the 1983-2001 NTDE after April 21, 2003. The remaining stations, that meet NOS publication standards, will be continuously updated until the process is completed at the end of FY 2003.

For further information please contact Steve Gill at 301-713-2981 Extension 139, or Stephen.Gill@noaa.gov
Portland Station Datum, PID OCO005

Data Retrieval site: http://tidesandcurrents.noaa.gov/data_menu.shtml?stn=8418150%20Portland,%20ME&type=Historic+Tide+Data

Jan 26 2012 23:40 GMT ELEVATIONS ON STATION DATUM
National Ocean Service (NOAA)
Station: 8418150 T.M.: 0 W
Name: Portland, ME Units: Feet
Status: Accepted (Apr 17 2003) Epoch: 1983-2001
Datum: STND

Datum Value Description
--------- -------- ----------------------------------------
MHHW 18.46 Mean Higher-High Water
MHW 18.02 Mean High Water
NAVD88 13.81 North American Vertical Datum of 1988
DTL 13.51 Mean Diurnal Tide Level
MSL 13.49 Mean Sea Level
MTL 13.46 Mean Tide Level
MLW 8.90 Mean Low Water
MLLW 8.55 Mean Lower-Low Water
STND 0.00 Station Datum

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
Station unique seven character identifier for the station   nominal         blank cell
Year year of the data yyyy   datetime     yyyy   blank cell
Month numerical month mm   datetime     mm   blank cell
Highest Highest Tide of the month (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MHHW Mean Higher-High Water (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MHW Mean High water (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MSL Mean Sea Level (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MTL Mean of MHW and MLW (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MLW Mean Low Water (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
MLLW Mean Lower-Low Water (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell
Lowest Lowest Tide of the Month (relative to NAVD88) meter interval   real     blank cell