NOAA Ship Oceanographer: High-Resolution CTD/STD Profiles from the North Pacific

NOAA Ship Oceanographer collected high-resolution conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) and salinity-temperature-depth (STD) data in the North Pacific Ocean during a 1972 cruise. The data, processed to the NODC F022 standard format, likely contains near-continuous vertical profiles of temperature, salinity, density, and possibly dissolved oxygen or transmissivity. Each station record includes position, date, time, and may include meteorological and sea surface conditions.

Use Cases

• [Analyzing vertical ocean structure] based on [high-resolution temperature and salinity profiles at depth intervals as fine as 1m].
• [Studying historical oceanographic conditions] based on [time-station data from a specific 1972 cruise with precise geospatial coordinates].
• [Calibrating ocean models] based on [standardized (F022 format) measurements of conductivity, temperature, and computed density (sigma-t)].
• [Investigating parameter correlations] based on [possible concurrent measurements of dissolved oxygen or transmissivity].

Strengths

• Data is processed to a recognized archival standard (NODC High-Resolution CTD/STD F022 format), suggesting consistent quality control.
• Provides high-resolution vertical profiles, with data potentially reported at depth intervals as fine as 1 meter.
• Covers a specific, well-documented temporal range from July 24 to September 27, 1972, during a NOAA research cruise.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov appears twice, NASA Earthdata) indicates recognized importance and archival stability.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing or conflicting: row count, file size, specific column names, and license are not provided by any source.
• The most recent update date (2026-03-05) is likely a metadata refresh, while the underlying data is from 1972, indicating it is not contemporary.
• The description suggests data values 'may be subject to averaging, filtering, or interpolation,' which could affect fine-scale analysis.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, collected via NOAA Ship Oceanographer.

Collection Method

Collected using CTD and STD instruments lowered and raised in the ocean, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1972-07-24 to 1972-09-27

Freshness

2026-03-05 (metadata update on Data.gov); underlying data from 1972.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean