Historical Bathythermograph Temperature Profiles from 1944 Pacific Voyage

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data records temperature-depth profiles from the research vessel GENDREAU during a 1944 cruise. The dataset contains pairs of temperature and depth values recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals down to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters. Data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into its standard C128 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean (0-285m) using temperature-depth pairs.
• Mapping historical sea surface temperature conditions in the North and South Pacific Ocean.
• Studying cruise-based oceanographic observations from World War II-era expeditions.
• Correlating temperature profiles with reported cruise information, date, position, and time for each cast.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format).
• Temperature readings are recorded at a consistent, uniform 5-meter depth interval.
• Covers a specific, well-documented 6.5-month time range from April to October 1944.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata) indicates recognized archival importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata such as row count, column names, and file size are unavailable from all sources.
• Instrument limitation restricts observations to the upper ocean (max depth ~285m).
• A conflict exists between the last updated date: Data.gov lists 2026 (likely a metadata update), while NASA Earthdata lists the original data end date of 1944.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles gathered using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument from the vessel GENDREAU.

Time Range

1944-04 13 to 1944-10-30

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:53:11.275738

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Solomon Sea, and South Pacific Ocean