North Pacific Ocean Temperature Profiles from the J.R. Perry, 1969

285 meters is the maximum depth of temperature observations in this dataset, which contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data from the J.R. Perry research vessel. The National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) processed the data into its standard C128 format, providing temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals. Observations were collected in the North Pacific Ocean during a single cruise from February 4 to February 25, 1969.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to 285m depth) using temperature-depth pairs.
• Studying short-term oceanographic conditions during a specific North Pacific cruise in February 1969.
• Comparing historical MBT instrument data with modern CTD or XBT profiles for calibration studies.
• Investigating spatial and temporal patterns of near-surface ocean temperature based on cruise date, position, and time metadata.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a specific research cruise over a 22-day period in February 1969.
• Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, specific column names, and license are unavailable across all sources.
• The MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the upper ocean layers only.
• The dataset's age (1969) and single cruise scope limit its applicability for studying long-term or broad regional trends.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, via the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed to NODC standard C128 format.

Time Range

1969-02-04 to 1969-02-25

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:49:23.851214

Geography

North Pacific Ocean