Dolphin Cruise Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1971

285 meters is the maximum depth for temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals. The dataset contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) observations from the DOLPHIN cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean. Data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into its standard C128 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature gradient in the upper 285 meters of the North Atlantic.
• Studying short-term thermal variability during a specific cruise from June 14-18, 1971.
• Using reported cruise information, date, position, and time to contextualize each temperature-depth observation.
• Investigating the applicability of MBT instrument data for upper ocean layer studies.

Strengths

• Data is structured to a known standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring consistent interpretation.
• Temperature values are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating systematic analysis.
• Each observation includes associated metadata: cruise information, date, position, and time.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• The instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the ocean's upper thermal structure only.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-03-05 on Data.gov vs. 1971-06-18 on NASA Earthdata).

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1971-06 14 to 1971-06-18

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:22:40.405873

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean