Japanese Hydrographic Office: CTD and Current Meter Data from the NE Pacific

From 16 January 1993 to 01 December 1995, this dataset contains physical oceanographic measurements from the NE Pacific and other locations. Data were collected via CTD casts, XBT casts, and current meters from the SHOYO and other platforms by Japanese agencies. The digitization of this historic data was supported by the Global Ocean Data Archaeology and Rescue (GODAR) project.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) for water mass characterization.
• Studying ocean current patterns and variability using data from moored current meters.
• Investigating upper ocean thermal structure from expendable bathythermograph (XBT) casts.
• Validating and reconstructing historical ocean states for climate models.

Strengths

• Data covers a multi-year time series from 1993 to 1995.
• Includes measurements from multiple instrument types (CTD, XBT, current meters).
• Digitization was funded by the international GODAR project, enhancing data preservation.

Limitations

• Column names and specific data structure are unknown, limiting immediate usability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (1995 vs. 2026) create uncertainty about metadata freshness.
• Spatial coverage beyond 'NE Pacific (limit-180) and other locations' is vague.

Provenance

Source

Japanese Hydrographic Office; Maritime Safety Agency, Hydrographic Division (MSA).

Collection Method

Collected from CTD casts, XBT casts, current meters, and other instruments on research vessels.

Time Range

1993-01-16 to 1995-12-01

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:15:18.592790

Geography

NE Pacific (limit-180) and other locations.