IMOS XBT Real-Time Data: Ocean Temperature Profiles Around Australia

Waters around Australia and across to New Zealand are covered by this real-time ocean temperature dataset. Data is acquired by technicians on ships of opportunity using the Quoll system, undergoes scientific quality control at CSIRO, and is distributed globally via the GTSPP. The dataset is managed by the Australian Ocean Data Network and was last updated in July 2026.

Use Cases

• Monitoring real-time ocean temperature changes based on the high-density sampling along transit lines.
• Identifying oceanic features like eddies and fronts based on the scientific QC process described.
• Assimilating observational data into global ocean models based on the data's insertion onto the Global Telecommunication System (GTS).
• Studying heat content and thermal structure in Australian and New Zealand waters based on the described geographic scope.

Strengths

• Data undergoes a full scientific QC process that identifies both bad data and oceanic features.
• Real-time data messages are created on ships and transmitted via Iridium SBD, suggesting timely availability.
• The dataset is part of a global data acquisition system, distributed to the GTSPP center in Washington DC.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic bias inherent to the specific ship transit lines used for sampling.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network (AODN) / Integrated Marine Observing System (IMOS)

Collection Method

Acquired by technicians on ships of opportunity using the Quoll system developed by Turo Technology, with data stored in netCDF files.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-13 20:31:51.920200; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Waters around Australia and across to New Zealand.