BALD EAGLE XBT Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1968

Temperature-depth profile data collected using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments from the vessel BALD EAGLE in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset contains pairs of temperature-depth values recorded at non-uniform inflection points to define the temperature curve, processed to the NODC C116 standard format. It represents a specific cruise from August 8 to August 15, 1968, and is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical ocean temperature structure from inflection point data (temperature-depth pairs).
• Studying historical marine conditions for a specific cruise (date, time, position).
• Calibrating or validating ocean model outputs against observed profile data.
• Researching expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instrument data collection methods.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a recognized standard format (NODC C116/C118).
• Provides specific cruise information including vessel, position, date, and time for each observation.
• Captures temperature profiles at key inflection points rather than uniform intervals, optimizing data definition.

Limitations

• Key technical details are missing: exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown.
• Platforms disagree on the last updated date: one source reports 2026-04-01, another reports the original data date of 1968-08-15.
• The dataset covers a very limited temporal range of only one week in 1968.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments from the vessel BALD EAGLE and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1968-08-08 to 1968-08-15

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:22:40.882530

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean