Historical Ocean Temperature Profiles from HMNZS Waikato

285 meters is the maximum observation depth for this dataset of mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) profiles. It contains temperature-depth pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals from a 1970 cruise in the North Pacific and Philippine Sea. 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 up to 285m depth using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying spatial temperature variations during the HMNZS Waikato's February 1970 cruise using reported position data.
• Investigating diurnal or short-term thermal changes using observation dates and times recorded for each profile.
• Calibrating or validating ocean model simulations for the North Pacific region with historical in-situ measurements.

Strengths

• Data is structured to the NODC's standardized C128 format, ensuring a consistent schema for temperature-depth profiles.
• Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating straightforward vertical analysis.
• Each observation includes associated metadata: cruise information, date, position, and time.

Limitations

• Key quantitative details like total row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum instrument depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Metadata freshness conflicts: one platform shows a 2026 administrative update, while another lists the original 1970 end date.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1970-02-15 to 1970-02-28

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:47:33.473320

Geography

North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea