FORSTER MBT Temperature-Depth Profiles from 1968

NODC processed bathythermograph (MBT) data from the FORSTER cruise, providing temperature-depth profiles for the upper ocean. The dataset covers the East China Sea, North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea over a seven-month period in 1968. Data is formatted to the NODC standard C128 format, with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to ~285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying spatial temperature gradients across the East China Sea, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea.
• Investigating seasonal temperature changes in the North Pacific Ocean from June to December 1968.
• Validating or calibrating ocean model outputs for historical periods using standardized NODC C128 format data.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized NODC format (C128), ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides specific temporal coverage from 1968-06-02 to 1968-12-16 across multiple ocean basins.
• Temperature data is recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Instrument limitation: MBT maximum depth is approximately 285 meters, restricting analysis to the upper ocean only.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1968-06-02 to 1968-12-16

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:18:27.088525

Geography

East China Sea, North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, South China Sea