Weather Data for Marine and Ocean

Geographic coverage	Global
Spatial resolution	To avoid reaching the query limit provided by the Meteomatics Weather API, the spatial resolution (in decimal degrees) for retrieving the time series of a weather parameter will be set based on the AOI size. The minimum resolution is 90 m (0.001 decimal degrees): 0.001 decimal degrees (AOI < 100 km2) 0.01 decimal degrees (AOI 100 - 10000 km2) 0.1 decimal degrees (AOI 10000 - 100000 km2) 1 decimal degree (AOI > 100000 km2)
Dataset type	Optical and radar
Satellite sensors	The dataset is a satellite composite that merges images acquired by the following geostationary sensors: GOES 16 GOES 17 Himawari 8 Meteosat 8 Meteosat 11 Meteosat MSG For more information, see Satellite Imagery.
Revisit frequency	sub-hourly
Data availability	Historical data: starting with 1979 Forecast data: up until 2100
Global weather forecasting model	mix
File format	NetCDF
Bit depth per pixel	64-bit (float)
Coordinate system	EPSG:4326
Request type	Route queries or data requests for a polygon
Integration options	ArcGIS, C++, Excel , Google Maps, Power BI and many more
Limitations	The AOI must be minimum 0.01 km2

Further information

In addition to the standard weather parameters available in the API, Meteomatics has created a number of derived parameters for marine use cases.

1) Significant wave height (API query: significant_wave_height:m)

The significant wave height is traditionally defined as the mean wave height (trough to crest) of the highest third of the waves. Nowadays, it is usually defined as four times the standard deviation of the surface elevation or equivalently as four times the square root of the zeroth-order moment (area) of the full wave spectrum.

2) Peak wave period (API query: peak_wave_period:s)

The peak wave period is defined as the wave period associated with the most energetic waves in the total wave spectrum at a specific point. Wave regimes that are dominated by wind waves tend to have smaller peak wave periods, and regimes that are dominated by swell tend to have larger peak wave periods.

3) Mean direction total swell (API query: mean_direction_total_swell:d)

Spectral mean direction in degrees over all frequencies and directions of the total swell spectrum. The total swell spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are not under the influence of the local wind.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

4) Mean wave direction (API query: mean_wave_direction:d)

Spectral mean direction in degrees over all frequencies and directions of the two-dimensional wave spectrum.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

5) Wave height (API query: max_individual_wave_height:m)

From a theory of wave height distribution that includes non-linear effects, the estimation value of the largest single wave height in a record of 20 minutes is derived.

6) Mean wind waves direction (API query: mean_direction_wind_waves:d)

Spectral mean direction over all frequencies and direction of the wind waves spectrum.
The wind waves spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are still under the influence of the local wind.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

7) Mean period total swell (API query: mean_period_total_swell:s)

Spectral mean wave period obtained using the reciprocal frequency moment of the total swell spectrum. The total swell spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are not under the influence of the local wind.

8) Mean wave period (API query: mean_period_wind_waves:s)

Spectral mean wave period obtained using the reciprocal integral moment of the wind waves spectrum. The wind waves spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are under the influence of the local wind. The integration is performed to infinitely high frequencies.

9) Mean wave direction – 1st, 2nd & 3rd swell (API query: mean_wave_direction_first_swell:d, mean_wave_direction_second_swell:d, mean_wave_direction_third_swell:d)

Spectral mean wave direction computed using the first (second/third)-most energetic partition of the swell spectrum. The swell spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are not under the influence of the local wind.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

10) Mean wave period (API query: mean_wave_period:s)

Spectral mean wave period obtained using the reciprocal frequency moment of the full wave spectrum. The integration is performed over all theoretical frequencies up to infinity. Again, the frequency wave spectrum is obtained by integrating the two-dimensional wave spectrum over all directions.

11) Frequency moment of the total swell (API query: mean_wave_period_first_moment:s / mean_wave_period_second_moment:s)

Spectral mean wave period obtained using the first (second) frequency moment of the total swell spectrum. The integration is performed over all theoretical frequencies up to infinity. The frequency wave spectrum is obtained by integrating the two-dimensional wave spectrum over all directions.

12) Integral moment of the total swell frequency spectrum (API query: mean_wave_period_first_swell:s / mean_wave_period_second_swell:s / mean_wave_period_third_swell:s)

Spectral mean wave period obtained using the first (second/third) integral moment of the total swell frequency spectrum. The integration is performed over all theoretical frequencies up to infinity. The total swell frequency spectrum is obtained by integrating the two-dimensional wave spectrum over all directions for all wave components that are no longer under the influence of the local wind (full spectrum without wind sea).

13) Significant height of total swell not influenced by local wind (API query: significant_height_total_swell:m)

Four times the square root of the integral over all directions and all frequencies of the total swell spectrum. The total swell spectrum is obtained by only considering the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are not under the influence of the local wind.

14) Significant height of waves under influence of the local wind (API query: significant_height_wind_waves:m)

Four times the square root of the integral over all directions and all frequencies of the wind sea wave spectrum. The wind waves spectrum is obtained by considering only the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are under the influence of the local wind (wind sea).

15) Significant wave height for the first (second/third) most energetic partition of the swell (API query: significant_wave_height_first_swell:m / significant_wave_height_second_swell:m / significant_wave_height_third_swell:m)

Significant wave height for the first (second/third) most energetic partition of the swell spectrum (as determined by ECMWF), where the significant wave height is defined as four times the square root of the integral over all directions and all frequencies of the first partition of the swell spectrum.
The swell spectrum is obtained by only considering the components of the two-dimensional wave spectrum that are not under the influence of the local wind.

16) Stokes Drift

For a pure wave motion in fluid dynamics, the Stokes drift velocity is the average velocity of a specific fluid parcel as it travels with the fluid flow. For instance, a particle floating at the free surface of water waves experiences a net Stokes drift velocity in the direction of wave propagation. Along with effects such as Ekman drift and geostrophic currents, the Stokes drift is one of the most relevant processes in the transport of marine debris.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

16.1) Speed and direction (API query: stokes_drift_speed:<speed_unit> / stokes_drift_dir:d)

16.2) Stokes drift and speed (API query: stokes_drift_speed_u:<speed_unit> / stokes_drift_speed_v:<speed_unit>

Components (u is positive for a west to east flow, v is positive for a south to north flow).

Available speed units: ms, kmh, kn

17) Ocean current

These parameters describe the velocity of the ocean currents.
Please note that we are using the meteorological convention to define directions.

17.1) Ocean current speed and direction (API query: ocean_current_speed:<speed_unit> / ocean_current_direction:)

Ocean current speed and direction (surface level).

17.2) Ocean current U & V (API query: ocean_current_u:<speed_unit>
ocean_current_v:<speed_unit>)

Components (surface level, u is positive for a west to east flow, v is positive for a south to north flow).

17.3) Ocean current speed and direction – submarine levels (API query: ocean_current_speed_:<speed_unit> / ocean_current_direction_:d)

17.4) Ocean current speed and direction – at various levels (API query: ocean_current_u_:<speed_unit> / ocean_current_v_:<speed_unit>)

Components (submarine levels, u is positive for a west to east flow, v is positive for a south to north flow).

Available levels:
2m, 4m, 6m, 8m, 10m, 12m, 15m, 20m, 50m, 100m 1000m (below mean sea level)

Available speed units:
ms, kmh, kn

18) Water temperature (API query: water_temperature:C)

Surface temperature of the water.

19) Water salinity (API query: salinity:psu)

The amount of salt within the water (surface).

Ocean depth (API query: ocean_depth:)
The depth of the ocean for each point on earth.

Available units:
m, km, ft