Arctic Ocean Temperature and Salinity Profiles from 1986 Cruise

University of Washington researchers collected 15 days of Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) profile data during a U.S. Coast Guard icebreaker cruise in the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas. This dataset captures oceanic conditions from a specific Arctic expedition in October 1986. The data is managed by NOAA and is accessible through multiple government data platforms.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature structure in Arctic waters during autumn.
• Mapping salinity gradients between the Beaufort and Chukchi Seas.
• Establishing baseline hydrographic conditions for climate change comparisons.
• Validating regional oceanographic models with in-situ profile data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a recognized research institution, the University of Washington.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot from a 15-day research cruise in October 1986.
• Its cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata) indicates curation and importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing: row count, file size, specific column names, and license are unknown.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date: one lists 2026-04-01 (likely an error), another lists 1986-10 17.
• The dataset is a historical snapshot from a single expedition, limiting temporal scope.

Provenance

Source

University of Washington, submitted to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Collected via CTD casts from the USCGC POLAR STAR icebreaker.

Time Range

1986-10-03 to 1986-10-17

Freshness

1986-10-17 00:00:00

Geography

Beaufort and Chukchi Seas, Arctic Ocean.