ECLIPSE Expedition Temperature Profiles in the Gulf of Alaska, 1964

Temperature-depth profiles from the ECLIPSE expedition, collected in the Gulf of Alaska during the summer of 1964. The dataset contains observations processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format for Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) data. It documents the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to 285m) using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying seasonal oceanographic changes in the Gulf of Alaska during summer 1964.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with observed temperature profiles.
• Providing a historical baseline for comparisons with modern ocean temperature data.

Strengths

• Data is standardized to the NODC C128 format, ensuring consistent structure.
• Temperature observations are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating analysis.
• Provides precise temporal coverage from May 11 to August 19, 1964.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized importance.

Limitations

• Row count, column names, and exact dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• Instrument limitation: MBT maximum depth is ~285m, restricting analysis to the ocean's upper layer only.
• Sources conflict on 'last updated' metadata (2026-04-01 vs. 1964-08-19).

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1964-05-11 to 1964-08-19

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:15:10.873314

Geography

Gulf of Alaska