Historical North Pacific Ocean Temperature Profiles from ARGUS

Bathythermograph data from the ARGUS cruise provides 285-meter-deep temperature-depth profiles of the upper ocean layers. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processed this data into the NODC C128 standard format. Observations were recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals between August 1944 and July 1945.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal temperature changes in the North Pacific from 1944 to 1945.
• Validating ocean model simulations for the mid-1940s using historical in-situ measurements.
• Researching cruise-based oceanographic data collection methods from the World War II era.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128) ensuring structural consistency.
• Profiles provide specific depth resolution with measurements recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals.
• The dataset has a clear temporal scope covering nearly a full year from 1944-08-23 to 1945-07 08.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, license, and author are unavailable from all sources.
• The maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters limits analysis to the ocean's upper layers only.
• Platforms disagree on the 'last updated' date (2026-04-01 vs. 1945-07-08), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1944-08-23 to 1945-07-08

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:01:38.022777

Geography

North Pacific Ocean