Historical Bathythermograph Data from EL PASO Cruise

Temperature-depth profiles from the 1944 EL PASO cruise were collected using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processed the data into the NODC standard C128 format, with measurements taken at uniform 5-meter intervals down to approximately 285 meters. This dataset captures ocean thermal structure in the Bismarck Sea and North and South Pacific Ocean over a three-month period.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal thermal structure changes in the upper ocean during 1944.
• Calibrating or validating historical ocean model reanalyses for the Pacific.
• Studying the technical specifications and data characteristics of Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) observations.
• Examining cruise-based spatial coverage of temperature profiles across the Bismarck Sea and Pacific Ocean.

Strengths

• Data is formatted to a recognized standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring structural consistency.
• Temporal and spatial scope is precisely defined: from 1944-03-13 to 1944-06-23 in the Bismarck Sea and Pacific Ocean.
• Measurement methodology is documented, with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals.

Limitations

• Key quantitative metadata (row count, file size, specific columns) is unavailable from all sources.
• The MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the ocean's upper layers only.
• A conflict exists for the 'last_updated' field: one source states 2026-03-05, while another states 1944-06 -23.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1944-03-13 to 1944-06-23

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:53:44.329416

Geography

Bismarck Sea, North Pacific Ocean, South Pacific Ocean