High Frequency Radar (HFR) surface current data for the Mid-Atlantic Regional Association Coastal Ocean Observing System (MARACOOS) region, optimized for visualization in Google Earth.
Choose the appropriate frequency based on your region of interest and desired spatial coverage:
Available Data Types For Each Frequency: Click Vectors To See Speeds!
- Latest Currents: Most recent hourly snapshot of surface currents (0 - 1 m/s)
- 24-Hour Average: Time-averaged currents over the last 24 hours (smooths out tidal and short-term variability) (0 - 0.3 m/s)
- Time Series (24hrs): Hourly data for the last 24 hours with time slider control (0 - 1 m/s) (use View → Show Time in Google Earth)
⚠️ Important Note About Data Visualization
Vector counts displayed in these KML products are downsampled from their original resolution for visual clarity and performance in Google Earth. The coarsen factor listed for each frequency indicates how much the data has been reduced (e.g., coarsen factor 2 means every 2nd point is shown).
Any current vectors appearing over land areas are visual artifacts resulting from this coarsening method and do not represent actual data measured over land.
LIVE
Auto-Updating (Recommended)
STATIC
Snapshot (One-Time)
LIVE
Auto-Updating (Recommended)
STATIC
Snapshot (One-Time)
LIVE
Auto-Updating (Recommended)
STATIC
Snapshot (One-Time)
How to Use in Google Earth
Method 1: Download and Open (Simple)
- Click on a KML file link above to download it
- Open the downloaded file with Google Earth
- For LIVE auto-updating files, Google Earth will refresh the data every hour
- For STATIC snapshot files, the data will not update (good for archiving specific moments)
Method 2: Add as Network Link (Recommended for Auto-Updating)
- Open Google Earth
- Go to Add → Network Link
- Right-click a LIVE KML link above and copy the link address
- Paste the URL into the "Link" field
- Give it a name and click OK
- The data will appear and automatically update every hour
Using Time Series Files
After opening a Time Series KML in Google Earth:
- Go to View → Show Time (or press Ctrl+Alt+T)
- Use the time slider at the top to cycle through the last 24 hours of data
- Click the play button to animate the currents over time
