Gulf of Mexico CTD/STD Profiles from 1973 Gilliss and Iselin Cruises

Cloud amount/frequency, NITRATE and other data from R/V J.M. Gilliss and R/V C. Iselin in the Gulf of Mexico was collected between February 2, 1973 and March 11, 1974 for the Continental Shelf Dynamics project. The National Oceanographic Data Center processed the salinity-temperature-depth data to its high-resolution F022 format, which can report measurements at intervals as fine as one meter. This dataset provides nearly continuous profiles of ocean parameters like temperature, salinity, density, and possibly dissolved oxygen.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and salinity for water mass identification.
• Studying continental shelf dynamics and mixing processes using density (sigma-t) data.
• Investigating historical sea surface conditions and cloud cover for meteorological context.
• Calibrating or validating modern oceanographic models with high-resolution historical measurements.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized high-resolution format (NODC F022) capable of 1-meter depth intervals.
• Provides multi-parameter profiles including temperature, salinity, density, and potentially dissolved oxygen.
• Covers a defined temporal range across two research cruises in a specific geographic region (Gulf of Mexico).

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown from available sources.
• Sources conflict on the end date of data collection (March 11, 1973 vs. March 10, 1974).
• The presence of specific parameters like nitrate or transmissivity is noted but not guaranteed for all records.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using CTD/STD instruments from R/V J.M. Gilliss and R/V C. Iselin cruises I7304 and S7303.

Time Range

1973-02-02 to 1974-03-10

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:50:53.677476

Geography

Gulf of Mexico