IDOE/ISOS/FDRAKE: Ocean Temperature Profiles from the Drake Passage

Scripps Institute of Oceanography collected temperature-depth profiles using expendable bathythermographs (XBTs) from the R/V Melville in the Drake Passage during January and February 1977. Data were processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center into the Universal Bathythermograph Output (UBT) format, which records temperature at inflection points to define the profile curve. This dataset supports the First Dynamic Response and Kinematics Experiment (FDRAKE) as part of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical thermal structure in the Drake Passage based on paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying ocean dynamics and water mass properties from a key Southern Ocean region.
• Validating or calibrating oceanographic models using historical in-situ profile data.
• Investigating temperature variability over a ~4-week period in early 1977.

Strengths

• Data collection is attributed to a reputable institution, the Scripps Institute of Oceanography.
• Profiles capture measurements to significant depths, with special instruments reaching 1830 meters.
• Data is formatted to a recognized standard (NODC UBT format) with publicly available documentation.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing, including row count, file size, specific column names, and license information.
• There is a conflict in reported freshness: one source lists a last update in 2026, while another uses the original collection end date of 1977.
• The dataset's scale is unclear, and the specific number of XBT casts or profiles is not provided.

Provenance

Source

Scripps Institute of Oceanography (SIO), processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Temperature profiles collected from expendable bathythermograph (XBT) casts from the R/V Melville.

Time Range

1977-01-14 to 1977-02-10

Freshness

1977-02-10 00:00:00

Geography

Drake Passage