Ocean Temperature Profiles from XBT Surveys in the North Pacific

106 days of ocean temperature-depth profiles were collected using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments aboard the CARLANTIC from October 1986 to January 1987. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processed the data into the NODC standard C116 format, recording inflection points to define temperature curves. This dataset covers three distinct regions: the Bering Sea, Japan Sea, and North Pacific Ocean.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature structure and thermocline depth in the Bering Sea, Japan Sea, and North Pacific Ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal oceanographic changes from fall to winter across a 106-day cruise period using date, time, and position data.
• Comparing historical XBT inflection-point sampling methods against modern uniform-interval profile databases.
• Mapping regional thermal gradients and frontal zones using geospatial position data associated with each profile.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a recognized standard (NODC C116 format) ensuring structured interoperability.
• Profiles capture inflection points, providing an efficient representation of the temperature curve.
• Clear temporal coverage of 106 days from 1986-10-13 to 1987-01-26 across three major ocean regions.

Limitations

• The exact row count, file size, and complete column schema are not provided by any source.
• Data collection ended in 1987, representing a historical snapshot with no recent updates.
• Platform metadata conflicts: NASA Earthdata lists a last updated date of 1987-01-26, while Data.gov lists 2026-03-06, suggesting a discrepancy between data collection and metadata revision.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles gathered using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments from the CARLANTIC cruise, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1986-10 13 to 1987-01-26

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:03:52.880252

Geography

Bering Sea, Japan Sea, North Pacific Ocean