Mechanical Bathythermograph Profiles from J.R. Perry Cruise

Temperature-depth profiles were collected using a Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) aboard the J. R. PERRY vessel in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the C128 standard format, covers a specific cruise period from October 5 to November 27, 1964. It provides structured observations of the ocean's upper thermal layers.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to ~285m depth) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying spatial and temporal ocean temperature variability in the North Atlantic during fall 1964 using cruise position and time data.
• Calibrating or validating ocean model hindcasts for the historical period using precisely dated and located profile data.
• Investigating the methodology and data quality of historical mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) observations in the C128 format.

Strengths

• Data is standardized into the NODC C128 format, ensuring a consistent structure for analysis.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a dedicated research cruise over a 54-day period in 1964.
• Includes core metadata for each observation: cruise information, date, position, and time.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Specific row counts, column names, and file size are unreported across all platforms.
• Data is historical and from a single instrument type over a limited time and geographic range.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument during a research cruise and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1964-10-05 to 1964-11-27

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:58:41.874245

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean