North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from the EASTWARD Cruise

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration data contains bathythermograph (MBT) measurements from the EASTWARD research cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset provides temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals, processed to the NODC C128 standard format. Observations span from May 6 to June 29, 1971, focusing on the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean using temperature-depth value pairs.
• Studying seasonal warming or spatial temperature gradients in the North Atlantic during spring 1971 using cruise position and date data.
• Calibrating or validating ocean mixed layer models with in-situ historical profile data.
• Investigating instrument performance and data standardization methods for mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) records.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a documented standard format (NODC C128) ensuring consistency.
• Temperature observations are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating analysis.
• Each profile is associated with cruise information, date, position, and time, providing essential context.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' metadata: Data.gov reports 2026-03-05, while NASA Earthdata reports the original data date of 1971-06-29.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, file size, and license are unavailable from all sources.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Measurements gathered using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument and processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1971-05-06 to 1971-06-29

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:52:21.259028

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean (from the EASTWARD cruise)