Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph casts by the RV GERDA in the NW Atlantic, 1960-02-02 to 1960-12-15 (NCEI Accession 6000105)

Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean temperature-depth profiles collected from the R/V GERDA using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments. The dataset covers a single year from February to December 1960 and was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center into its standard C128 format. Data is provided by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to ~285m) using temperature-depth value pairs.
• Studying seasonal temperature changes in 1960 using date, time, and positional data for each cast.
• Mapping historical oceanographic conditions in specific regions using reported cruise and position information.
• Calibrating or validating ocean model outputs for the upper ocean layer with uniform 5-meter interval profiles.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a recognized standard format (NODC C128), ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides precise temporal coverage from 1960-02-02 to 1960-12-15 for a full annual cycle.
• Includes core metadata for each observation: cruise information, date, position, and time.

Limitations

• Key technical details are unknown, including row count, file size, and specific column names.
• Instrument limitation: MBT maximum depth is ~285 meters, restricting analysis to the ocean's upper layers only.
• Conflicting freshness: 'last updated' dates differ significantly between platforms (2026 vs. 1960).

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles obtained using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments from R/V GERDA, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1960-02-02 to 1960-12-15

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:25:19.910790

Geography

Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean