North Atlantic Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1959

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data from the NOAA ship HYDROGRAPHER provides temperature-depth profiles for the upper ocean. The dataset contains observations from a two-day cruise in April 1959, processed into the NODC C128 standard format. Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals down to a maximum of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature gradient in the upper ocean for a specific location and time.
• Studying short-term thermal variability over a two-day observation period.
• Serving as a historical reference point for comparisons with modern ocean temperature data.
• Validating or calibrating models of upper ocean heat content using in-situ measurements.

Strengths

• Data is formatted to a known standard (NODC C128), ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal (April 26-27, 1959) and spatial (North Atlantic Ocean) context for each profile.
• Temperature measurements are recorded at a consistent 5-meter vertical resolution.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Exact row count, file size, and column names are not provided across the sources.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date, reporting either 1959-04-27 or 2026-03 05.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), collected from the NOAA ship HYDROGRAPHER.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument, processed by NODC.

Time Range

1959-04-26 to 1959-04-27

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:20:32.536045

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean