Dolphin Cruise Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1970

NODC processed bathythermograph data from the DOLPHIN cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean, covering a four-day period from June 15 to June 18, 1970. The dataset contains temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals, processed to the NODC standard C128 format. It is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the ocean's upper 285 meters using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying short-term temperature variability in a specific North Atlantic region from cruise, date, position, and time data.
• Calibrating or validating models of upper-ocean heat content based on instrument-specific MBT observations.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a documented standard format (NODC C128) ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal and spatial context with a specific cruise, date range (1970-06-15 to 1970-06-18), and location (North Atlantic Ocean).
• Temperature measurements are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating systematic analysis.

Limitations

• Key technical details are missing, including row count, column names, and exact file size.
• The dataset's utility is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Cross-platform metadata shows a conflict in last updated dates (2026-03-05 vs. 1970-06-18), creating uncertainty about maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1970-06-15 to 1970-06-18

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:16:27.760259

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean