High-Resolution Ocean CTD Profiles from 1983 Alaska Expeditions

Alaskan coastal and open ocean data from four research cruises in 1983, covering the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Aialik Bay, Resurrection Bay, and the Pacific Ocean. The dataset contains 189 station profiles collected by scientists from the Institute of Marine Science aboard the R/V ALPHA HELIX and R/V OSHORO MARU. Data is processed into the NODC standard High-Resolution CTD/STD (F022) format, providing detailed vertical measurements.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical stratification of temperature and salinity to study water mass distribution in the Gulf of Alaska.
• Calculating density (sigma-t) profiles to model ocean circulation and mixing processes in the Bering Sea.
• Correlating dissolved oxygen or transmissivity measurements with biological productivity across different stations.
• Examining high-resolution depth/pressure interval data to identify fine-scale oceanographic features like thermoclines.
• Using station metadata (position, date, time, cruise info) to reconstruct the spatial and temporal sampling context for the 1983 expeditions.

Strengths

• Contains high-resolution vertical profiles with depth intervals as fine as 1 meter.
• Integrates data from 189 distinct sampling stations across four major cruise campaigns.
• Processed to a consistent, documented standard (NODC F022 format) ensuring structured data records.
• Covers a wide geographic range including the Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Gulf of Alaska, and Pacific coastal areas.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, column names, and file sizes are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one platform lists 2026-04-01 (likely a metadata refresh), while another lists 1983-10-29 (the data collection end date).
• The license, author details, and exact column set are unknown.

Provenance

Source

Institute of Marine Science scientists (Drs. Henrichs, Royer, McRoy, Ray Hadley) via NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Collected using CTD (Conductivity-Temperature-Depth) and STD (Salinity-Temperature-Depth) instruments lowered from research vessels R/V ALPHA HELIX and R/V OSHORO MARU.

Time Range

1983-06-30 to 1983-10-29

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:07:34.481834

Geography

Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Gulf of Alaska, Aialik Bay, Resurrection Bay, Pacific Ocean.