Mediterranean Sea Physical and Chemical Data from Aircraft Surveys

NOAA_NCEI Accession 9600058 contains physical and chemical oceanographic data collected via aircraft-deployed AXBT probes and bottle casts. The dataset covers observations in the Mediterranean Sea from September 30, 1985 to July 31, 1992. Data collection was conducted by the US Navy Naval Oceanographic Office with support from the Physical Oceanography of the Eastern Mediterranean (POEM) project.

Use Cases

• Analyze temperature and salinity profiles from AXBT data to model water column stratification.
• Correlate chemical measurements from bottle casts, such as nutrient concentrations, with physical parameters.
• Study temporal trends in Mediterranean Sea properties over the 7-year observation period.
• Validate regional ocean models using in-situ aircraft-collected data points.

Strengths

• Data collection spans over 7 years from 1985 to 1992.
• Includes measurements from two distinct sampling methods: AXBT probes and bottle casts.
• Coverage is focused on the Mediterranean Sea, a region of significant climatic interest.

Limitations

• Specific column names, row count, and data volume are unknown.
• The dataset is temporally stale, with the last update occurring over 30 years ago.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the Mediterranean Sea, not global.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information).

Collection Method

Data collected using AXBT (Airborne Expendable Bathythermograph) probes and bottle casts deployed from aircraft.

Time Range

1985-09-30 to 1992-07-31.

Geography

Mediterranean Sea.