High-Resolution CTD Profiles from Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean Cruise

1993 data from the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean includes high-resolution conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profiles collected during the ALPHA HELIX cruise HX-175. Dr. Chirk Chu of the University of Alaska's Institute of Marine Science submitted the data, which spans from October 16 to November 3, 1993. The dataset provides nearly continuous profiles of temperature, salinity, density, and other parameters at fine depth intervals.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and salinity to study water mass structure and stratification in the Bering Sea.
• Calculating density (sigma-t) from the provided temperature and salinity data to investigate ocean stability and mixing processes.
• Correlating CTD cast data with reported meteorological and sea surface conditions for air-sea interaction studies.
• Using the precise position, date, and time data for each station to map the spatial and temporal distribution of oceanographic properties.

Strengths

• Data provides nearly continuous high-resolution profiles, with values potentially reported at 1-meter depth intervals.
• Includes computed parameters like density (sigma-t) alongside measured temperature and salinity.
• Cruise information, position, date, time, and environmental conditions are reported for each cast, providing context.

Limitations

• Dataset is temporally limited to a single 19-day cruise in late 1993.
• Geographic coverage is restricted to specific transects in the Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean.
• The original data format (F022-CTD-Hi Resolution) may require specialized tools or libraries for parsing.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), submitted by Dr. Chirk Chu, University of Alaska.

Collection Method

Collected via ship-based high-resolution Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) instruments lowered and raised in the ocean.

Time Range

1993-10-16 to 1993-11-03

Freshness

null

Geography

Bering Sea and North Pacific Ocean.