South Pacific Ocean Temperature Profiles from CHATYR-DAG Cruise

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) data contains bathythermograph (MBT) temperature-depth profiles from the South Pacific Ocean. The dataset covers a one-month period from September 26 to October 23, 1971, recorded during the CHATYR-DAG cruise. Data is processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format, with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals up to approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to ~285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying temporal changes in sea surface temperature and subsurface layers during the late September to October 1971 period.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with observed temperature profiles for spatial analysis.
• Using the standardized C128 format data for comparative studies with other NODC bathythermograph records.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a specific cruise from 1971-09-26 to 1971-10-23.
• Temperature data is recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov signals its curation and importance as a historical record.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, column names, file size, and license are unavailable from all sources.
• The MBT instrument limits observations to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters, restricting analysis to the upper ocean.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date: Data.gov lists 2026-03-06, while NASA Earthdata lists the original collection end date of 1971-10 23.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC to the C128 format.

Time Range

1971-09-26 to 1971-10-23

Freshness

2026-03 06 00:25:57.573483

Geography

South Pacific Ocean, CHATYR-DAG cruise