South China Sea Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1966

Bathythermograph (MBT) data from the USS CHICAGO cruise in the South China Sea during July 1966. The dataset contains temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format. It captures the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature structure of the upper ocean using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying short-term thermal variability in the South China Sea during July 1966 using time-stamped profiles.
• Mapping cruise track and spatial temperature patterns using reported position data (latitude/longitude).
• Calibrating or validating ocean mixed-layer models with historical in-situ temperature observations.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format).
• Temporal and spatial scope is clearly defined: one month (July 1966) in the South China Sea.
• Measurement methodology and depth interval (5 meters) are explicitly described.
• Cross-platform presence on U.S. government data portals indicates institutional curation.

Limitations

• Key structural metadata is missing: exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown.
• The dataset's utility is limited to the upper ocean due to the MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026 vs. 1966), creating provenance uncertainty.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce.

Collection Method

Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1966-07-01 to 1966-07-30

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:51:10.184122

Geography

South China Sea, cruise of the USS CHICAGO.