Historical Ocean Temperature Profiles from the R/V Currier

Temperature-depth profiles from the mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument aboard the R/V Currier in the North Pacific Ocean. The dataset covers a three-week cruise from May to June 1958, processed into the NODC C128 standard format. Data points are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, providing a structured view of the ocean's upper thermal layers.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature structure of the upper ocean (0-285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal thermal changes in the North Pacific during late spring using date and position columns.
• Calibrating or validating historical ocean model simulations with precisely timed cruise observations.
• Investigating the spatial distribution of near-surface ocean temperatures using reported latitude and longitude.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a consistent standard format (NODC C128), ensuring structured temperature-depth pairs.
• Temporal and spatial metadata (cruise information, date, position, time) is reported for each observation.
• Measurements are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating direct profile comparisons.

Limitations

• The mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument limits observations to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Exact row count, column names, and dataset size are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, with one showing a 2026 administrative date and another the 1958 collection date.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), from the R/V Currier cruise.

Collection Method

Collected using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument and processed by NODC to the C128 format.

Time Range

1958-05-22 to 1958-06-12

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:44:40.316937

Geography

North Pacific Ocean