Gulf of Mexico CTD and XBT Hydrographic Data from 1993 TIGER Cruise

Gulf of Mexico hydrographic data were collected during the Texas Institutions Gulf Ecosystem Research (TIGER) program cruise 93G03 aboard the R/V Gyre. The dataset contains Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) and Bathythermograph (XBT) measurements from 12 stations and 33 drops over an 11-day period in March 1993. Data was submitted by Dr. Edward Webb of Texas A&M University and processed into standard NODC file formats (F022 and C116).

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of seawater conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) to understand water column structure.
• Using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) data for rapid assessment of temperature versus depth.
• Mapping hydrographic conditions across 12 specific station locations in the Gulf of Mexico.
• Studying short-term oceanographic variability during the March 1993 cruise period.
• Providing a historical reference dataset for comparisons with modern Gulf of Mexico surveys.

Strengths

• Data collection followed a structured survey design with 12 stations and 33 instrument drops, providing systematic spatial coverage.
• Measurements are from a defined 11-day time window (March 9-19, 1993), offering a temporally focused snapshot.
• Data has been processed into recognized standard formats (NODC F022 and C116), indicating a level of quality control.
• Cross-platform presence on NASA EarthData and Data.gov signals institutional vetting and archival importance.

Limitations

• Core dataset attributes like row count, file size, and specific column names are unknown across all sources.
• License information and detailed authorship beyond the submitter are not provided.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, reporting dates of 1993-03-19 and 2026-04-01.

Provenance

Source

Dr. Edward Webb, Texas A&M University, submitted via diskette to NOAA NCEI.

Collection Method

Collected using CTD and XBT instruments during research cruise 93G03 (R/V Gyre) as part of the TIGER program.

Time Range

1993-03-09 to 1993-03-19

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:11:43.890134

Geography

Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea (specific cruise track unknown).