NOAA Okeanos Explorer Sonar Mapping Expedition Data from Hawaii

Oceanographic data from a 2016 NOAA shakedown cruise focused on testing and calibrating the Okeanos Explorer's scientific sonar systems. The expedition conducted continuous 24-hour multibeam, split-beam, and ADCP sonar mapping operations, supplemented by periodic sub-bottom profiling and CTD/XBT casts. Data collection occurred in the North Pacific Ocean near Honolulu over a one-week period.

Use Cases

• Calibrating multibeam and split-beam sonar systems for future mapping missions.
• Analyzing sub-bottom profile data for geological test purposes.
• Studying sound velocity profiles derived from XBT and CTD casts.
• Characterizing baseline oceanographic conditions in the North Pacific.
• Testing 24-hour operational protocols for exploratory ocean mapping.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NOAA shakedown cruise for system calibration.
• Operations included continuous 24-hour sonar mapping over the expedition duration.
• Multiple sonar systems (multibeam, split-beam, ADCP) were deployed and tested.
• Data is hosted on multiple authoritative platforms (Data.gov and NASA Earthdata).

Limitations

• Specific column names, row counts, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date (2016 vs. 2026), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• The available file format (HTML) suggests the dataset may be primarily descriptive metadata rather than raw data files.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected during the EX1609 expedition on NOAA Ship Okeanos Explorer using multibeam, split-beam, ADCP, sub-bottom profiler, XBT, and CTD systems.

Time Range

2016-12-10 to 2016-12-16

Freshness

2026-04-01 14:55:45.127326

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Honolulu, Hawaii