Historical North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from KIRKPATRICK

Bathythermograph data records temperature-depth profiles from the R/V KIRKPATRICK cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the C128 standard format, captures the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers. It represents a specific observational period from January to February 1958.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the ocean up to approximately 285 meters depth using temperature-depth value pairs.
• Studying seasonal or historical ocean temperature patterns in the North Atlantic for a specific cruise and time period.
• Correlating surface and subsurface temperature data with cruise information, date, position, and time reported for each observation.
• Using uniformly recorded data at 5-meter depth intervals to model heat content or mixed-layer dynamics in the upper ocean.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring a consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal and spatial context with a defined cruise (KIRKPATRICK), date range (1958-01 22 to 1958-02-01), and location (North Atlantic Ocean).
• Measurements are recorded at uniform depth intervals (5 meters), facilitating straightforward vertical analysis.

Limitations

• The maximum observation depth is approximately 285 meters, limiting analysis to the upper ocean layers only.
• Key technical details such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from the provided sources.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, with one platform reporting 2026-03-06 and another reporting the original data date of 1958-02-01.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1958-01-22 to 1958-02-01

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:20:02.115583

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean