XBT Temperature Profiles from CHAUVENET in the Philippine and South China Seas

A dataset containing 27 days of ocean temperature-depth profiles collected via expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments during the CHAUVENET cruise from July 8 to August 3, 1976. The data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C116 format, which records temperature at non-uniform inflection points to define the thermal curve. It provides a snapshot of subsurface ocean conditions in the Philippine Sea and South China Sea.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical thermal structure of the ocean from the surface to depths of 450, 760, or 1830 meters.
• Studying short-term oceanographic conditions during a specific summer cruise in 1976.
• Calibrating or validating ocean models with historical in-situ temperature profile data.
• Researching data formats and processing methods for historical NODC bathythermograph records.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a documented NODC standard format (C116) for quality and consistency.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a 27-day research cruise in 1976.
• Records temperature at inflection points, optimizing data density to accurately define the temperature curve.
• Cross-platform presence on U.S. government data portals indicates its archival importance.

Limitations

• The exact number of profiles (rows) and the full column schema are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, with one showing 2026 (likely a metadata refresh) and another showing 1976 (the data collection end date).
• Data is historical and limited to a single, brief cruise, restricting analysis of long-term trends.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments from a research vessel and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1976-07-08 to 1976-08-03

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:19:20.858599

Geography

Philippine Sea and South China Sea