TAO Array CTD Profiles from Equatorial Pacific Cruises

NOAA's National Data Buoy Center collected this dataset of Conductivity, Temperature, Depth (CTD) profiles during service cruises for the Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) array of moorings. The data, delivered in netCDF files, provides physical oceanographic measurements from the equatorial Pacific Ocean. Collection began on 2007-04-07 and continues to the present.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of sea water temperature and salinity in the equatorial Pacific.
• Studying ocean heat content and water mass structure for climate research.
• Validating satellite-derived sea surface salinity measurements with in-situ data.
• Investigating short-term and seasonal variability in the tropical ocean.
• Supporting the maintenance and calibration of the TAO/TRITON buoy array.

Strengths

• Data collection is part of the long-term, internationally recognized Tropical Atmosphere Ocean (TAO) Program.
• Measurements are taken using specific, named instruments (e.g., Sea-Bird SBE 3T thermistor, SBE 4C conductivity cell).
• Data undergoes quality control and processing by the National Data Buoy Center before delivery.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and a complete column list are not provided by any source.
• The exact license governing data use is unspecified across all platforms.
• One platform lists a last updated date of 2026-04-01, which is a future date and creates a conflict.

Provenance

Source

National Data Buoy Center (NDBC), part of NOAA.

Collection Method

At-sea collection using CTD instruments during dedicated service cruises to the TAO mooring array.

Time Range

2007-04-07 to present

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:30:33.969817

Geography

Equatorial Pacific Ocean, specifically the region of the TAO array of deep ocean moored buoys.