SPURS-1: Underway CTD Salinity and Temperature Profiles from North Atlantic Cruises

771 UCTD casts from the 2012-2013 SPURS-1 oceanographic campaign provide high-resolution vertical profiles of conductivity, temperature, and salinity in the subtropical North Atlantic. Data from the R/V Knorr and R/V Endeavor cruises are binned at 1-meter depth intervals within a 900 x 800-mile study area centered at 25°N, 38°W. This in-situ data supports the analysis of processes maintaining the region's high surface salinity maximum.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite sea surface salinity measurements from Aquarius and SMOS using in-situ profile data.
• Analyzing the vertical structure of the salinity maximum in the subtropical North Atlantic Ocean.
• Studying ocean mixing and freshwater flux processes at high spatial and temporal resolution from underway sampling.
• Investigating the salinity balance in a high-evaporation, low-rainfall region to understand climate-related ocean changes.

Strengths

• Contains a specific, high volume of observations with 771 individual UCTD casts.
• Data is vertically resolved, with profiles binned at a consistent 1-meter depth interval.
• Integrates in-situ measurements with satellite remote sensing for a multi-scale characterization.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not specified in the provided metadata.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2013-04-06 vs. 2026-04-09) create uncertainty about metadata freshness.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' without explicit terms.

Provenance

Source

National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA)

Collection Method

Collected via Oceanscience Underway-CTD (UCTD) instrument deployed from research vessels R/V Knorr and R/V Endeavor.

Time Range

2012-09-06 to 2013-04-15

Freshness

2026-04-09 20:26:50.889323

Geography

Subtropical North Atlantic, within a 900 x 800-mile area centered at 25°N, 38°W.