High-Resolution CTD/STD Profiles from South Atlantic Ocean Cruise

Oceanographic profiles from a 1984 research cruise by the USNS Thomas Washington in the South Atlantic Ocean. The dataset contains high-resolution conductivity-temperature-depth and salinity-temperature-depth measurements processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center. Data collection occurred over a three-week period from October 28 to November 16, 1984.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and salinity to study water mass structure.
• Calculating density (sigma-t) from measured parameters to investigate ocean stratification and currents.
• Correlating station data (position, date, time) with environmental conditions for regional oceanographic studies.
• Using high-resolution depth/pressure interval data to examine fine-scale oceanographic features.

Strengths

• Data is in a standardized NODC High-Resolution CTD/STD (F022) format, ensuring consistent processing.
• Profiles offer high-resolution measurements, with data potentially reported at depth intervals as fine as 1 meter.
• Includes contextual metadata for each station: cruise information, position, date, time, and sampling interval.

Limitations

• Exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown from available sources.
• Data values may be subject to averaging, filtering, or interpolation, as noted in the format description.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist: one platform shows 2026-04-01, while another shows the original collection end date of 1984-11-16.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using CTD and STD instruments lowered and raised from the USNS Thomas Washington, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1984-10-28 to 1984-11-16

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:10:32.726155

Geography

South Atlantic Ocean