Caribbean and North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from HMS Morecambe Bay, 1956

Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean temperature-depth profiles were collected from HMS Morecambe Bay between July 11 and September 7, 1956. The NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information processed the mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data into the NODC C128 standard format. This dataset captures the thermal structure of the upper ocean layers to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing upper ocean thermal stratification using temperature-depth pairs recorded at 5-meter intervals.
• Studying seasonal surface layer variability in the Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic during summer 1956.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with observed temperature profiles for historical reconstructions.
• Calibrating or validating models of historical ocean mixed-layer depth based on mechanical bathythermograph observations.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a recognized standard format (NODC C128) ensuring structured temperature-depth pairs.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot with a clear 2-month observation period from July to September 1956.
• Records data at uniform depth intervals (5 meters), facilitating consistent vertical analysis.

Limitations

• Key technical details are missing, including the total number of profiles (rows), specific column names, and dataset size.
• Instrument limitation restricts data to the upper ~285 meters of the ocean, excluding deeper thermal structure.
• Conflicting 'last updated' metadata between platforms (2026 vs. 1956) creates uncertainty about provenance maintenance.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Centers for Environmental Information).

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1956-07-11 to 1956-09-07

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:55:00.494092

Geography

Caribbean Sea and North Atlantic Ocean from HMS Morecambe Bay.