Historical Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from GERONIMO and UNDAUNTED

Atlantic Ocean temperature-depth profiles were collected using Mechanical Bathythermographs (MBT) aboard the GERONIMO and UNDAUNTED vessels. The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) processed this data into its standard C128 format, covering the Gulf of Guinea, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic from 1965 to 1968. Each record provides paired temperature and depth measurements at uniform 5-meter intervals down to approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean layers (0-285m) using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying spatial and temporal variability of sea surface temperatures in the Atlantic Ocean using cruise position and date data.
• Establishing historical baselines for climate and oceanographic models from the mid-1960s.
• Investigating cruise-specific oceanographic conditions using the reported cruise information, time, and location.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized format (NODC C128), ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides a multi-year time series from 1965-01-19 to 1968-11-18 across three Atlantic regions.
• Measurements are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating comparative analysis.

Limitations

• Instrument limitation restricts depth coverage to approximately 285 meters, capturing only upper ocean layers.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and license are unreported across all platforms.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date between platforms (2026-03 06 vs. 1968-11-18).

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), via the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Collected via Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instruments during research vessel cruises.

Time Range

1965-01-19 to 1968-11-18

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:26:10.071856

Geography

Gulf of Guinea, North Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean