Historical Ocean Temperature Profiles from the R/V Labrador

Bathythermograph data records temperature-depth profiles from the R/V Labrador's cruises in the North Pacific Ocean between 1954 and 1960. The dataset has been processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format. It captures the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature gradients in the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal or interannual thermal variability in the North Pacific from cruise-based observations.
• Validating ocean model simulations of historical upper-ocean conditions using instrument-measured profiles.
• Mapping the spatial distribution of near-surface ocean temperatures from the reported position data.

Strengths

• Data is standardized to the NODC C128 format, ensuring consistency for analysis.
• Temporal coverage spans nearly six years (1954-10-18 to 1960-09-25), providing a multi-year record.
• Temperature data is recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating direct profile comparisons.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• The mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument limits observations to a maximum depth of ~285m, restricting analysis to the upper ocean.
• Platforms provide conflicting last updated dates (2026-03-05 vs. 1960-09-25), creating uncertainty about data currency.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from NODC.

Collection Method

Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument during research vessel cruises and processed to a standard format.

Time Range

1954-10-18 to 1960-09-25

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:07:14.449516

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, from the R/V Labrador.