Historical Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from the North Pacific

November 17 to December 22, 1956, this dataset contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) temperature-depth profiles collected by the vessel HUGH M. SMITH in the North Pacific Ocean. The data has been processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format, with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals. It provides a snapshot of the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers during this specific cruise.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature gradient in the upper 285 meters of the ocean for a specific time and location.
• Studying short-term thermal variability in the North Pacific during the late 1950s using cruise date, position, and time metadata.
• Calibrating or validating historical ocean model reanalysis products with in-situ temperature profile observations.
• Investigating the limitations of Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) technology for capturing deep ocean thermal features.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a specific research cruise from November 17 to December 22, 1956.
• Temperature measurements are recorded at a consistent, high-resolution vertical interval of 5 meters.

Limitations

• Key technical details are unknown, including row count, file size, specific column names, and data license.
• Instrument limitation: MBT maximum depth is approximately 285 meters, restricting analysis to the upper ocean only.
• The dataset's last updated metadata date (2026-03 05) conflicts with the collection end date (1956-12-22), suggesting a potential administrative update not reflecting data changes.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles obtained using the mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1956-11-17 to 1956-12-22

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:18:42.106410

Geography

North Pacific Ocean