Mechanical Bathythermograph Profiles from USCGS Explorer, 1960

Temperature-depth profiles were collected using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) aboard the USCGS Explorer in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset contains pairs of temperature and depth values recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters. Data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into its standard C128 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth columns.
• Studying spatial temperature variations in the North Atlantic using reported position and cruise information.
• Examining short-term oceanographic conditions during the specific cruise from date and time columns.
• Calibrating or validating models of near-surface ocean temperature gradients.

Strengths

• Data follows a standardized NODC format (C128) ensuring consistent structure.
• Profiles provide high vertical resolution with measurements at uniform 5-meter depth intervals.
• Contains precise cruise metadata including date, position, and time for each observation.

Limitations

• Limited vertical coverage useful only for upper ocean studies, with a maximum depth of ~285m.
• Conflicting metadata: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another lists the data date from 1960.
• Key technical details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument casts from the USCGS Explorer vessel.

Time Range

1960-08-19 to 1960-08 27

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:40:44.405921

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, specifically the NW Atlantic region.