Gulf of Mexico Aircraft AXBT Temperature Profiles from LATEX Study

Temperature-depth profiles were collected from aircraft in the Gulf of Mexico during the LATEX part C eddy circulation study. The dataset contains 67 aerial expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) drops, processed to the NODC standard C118 format. This work was part of a $16.2 million federal initiative led by SAIC and the University of Colorado to study Loop Current eddies and shelf interactions.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature structure in the Gulf of Mexico using paired temperature-depth values.
• Tracking the location and movement of Loop Current eddies and slope eddies from air-deployed instruments.
• Assessing the impact of large-scale circulation features on continental shelf processes.
• Calibrating or validating regional ocean circulation models with historical in-situ profile data.

Strengths

• Data originates from a major, well-documented federal initiative described as the largest physical oceanography program in the Gulf at the time.
• Contains 67 distinct AXBT drops, providing a specific sample size for analysis.
• Covers a focused temporal window from August 7 to October 11, 1992, during the LATEX C field campaign.
• Processed to a recognized standard format (NODC C118) ensuring structured temperature-depth pairs.

Limitations

• Exact row count, file size, and complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: one platform lists 2026-04-01 (likely a metadata update), while another lists 1992-10-11 (the data collection end date).
• The dataset's license and specific author details are not stated.

Provenance

Source

Dr. Thomas Berger, Science Applications, Inc. (SAIC); data processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Air-deployed expendable bathythermograph (AXBT) instruments dropped from aircraft.

Time Range

1992-08-07 to 1992-10-11

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:00:07.360903

Geography

Gulf of Mexico