LYNX Historical Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1957-1962

NOAA_NCEI provides mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data collected by the LYNX vessel across multiple ocean basins from 1957 to 1962. The dataset contains temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals down to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters. Data is processed into the NODC standard C128 format, reporting cruise information, date, position, and time for each observation.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal or interannual temperature variability in the upper 285m of specified ocean regions.
• Calibrating or validating ocean model simulations for the late 1950s and early 1960s using historical in-situ profiles.
• Studying the vertical thermal structure of the mixed layer using the paired temperature-depth value records.
• Mapping historical cruise tracks and sampling locations in the Caribbean Sea, Atlantic, Indian Ocean, and English Channel.

Strengths

• Data covers a multi-year time range from July 1957 to February 1962.
• Observations span five distinct ocean regions, providing geographical breadth.
• Profiles are standardized to the NODC C128 format with consistent 5m depth intervals.

Limitations

• Row count, total size, and specific column names are not provided by any source.
• Instrument limitation restricts data to the upper ocean layers, with a maximum depth of ~285m.
• A conflict exists for the 'last updated' field: datagov reports 2026-04-01, while nasa_earthdata reports 1962-02-01.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information)

Collection Method

Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument from the LYNX vessel and processed to NODC standard C128 format.

Time Range

1957-07-02 to 1962-02-01

Freshness

2026-04-01 14:58:00.750499

Geography

Caribbean Sea, English Channel, Indian Ocean, North Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean