Hydrographic CTD Profiles from Oregon-Washington Coastal Canyons, 1978-1979

Two research cruises collected hydrographic cast data off the coasts of northern Oregon and southern Washington, focusing on the Quinault and Astoria submarine canyons. The dataset contains CTD measurements of temperature, salinity, pressure, and transmissivity. These observations were part of a Department of Energy program studying pollutant transport and sediment dispersal.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical profiles of temperature and salinity to understand water column stratification.
• Investigating the effect of submarine canyons on mid-depth shelf circulation patterns.
• Modeling sediment dispersal and pollutant transport in the coastal zone using transmissivity data.
• Calibrating regional oceanographic models with in-situ pressure and CTD observations.

Strengths

• Data originates from two dedicated research cruises (R/V Wecoma and R/V Thompson), ensuring focused collection.
• Includes four key oceanographic parameters (temperature, salinity, pressure, transmissivity) for comprehensive profile analysis.
• The study has a clear, published scientific objective focused on canyon-influenced circulation.

Limitations

• Exact row counts, file sizes, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (1979-05-02 vs. 2026-04-01), casting doubt on metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

NOAA NCEI

Collection Method

CTD casts conducted from research vessels R/V Wecoma and R/V Thompson.

Time Range

1978 to 1979

Freshness

1979-05-02

Geography

Coastal zone of northern Oregon and southern Washington, USA, near Quinault and Astoria Canyons.