Historical Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from the Atlantic Ocean

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data collected from the research vessel NIZERY, ANDRE during 1971. This dataset contains temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals down to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters. The data, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format, covers the Gulf of Guinea, North Atlantic, and South Atlantic Oceans.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature gradient in the upper 285 meters of the ocean for a specific cruise.
• Studying seasonal thermal changes in the Gulf of Guinea across 1971 using date and position columns.
• Mapping surface layer heat content in the North and South Atlantic using geospatial position data.
• Comparing historical upper-ocean thermal conditions from 1971 with modern satellite-derived sea surface temperature data.

Strengths

• Data is formatted to a recognized standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring structural consistency.
• Temperature readings are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating direct profile comparisons.
• Each observation includes associated metadata: cruise information, date, position, and time.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean (max ~285m depth), excluding deeper water column data.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one platform lists a last update in 2026, while another shows the original data date from 1971.
• Specific column names, row counts, file size, and license information are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1971-01-05 to 1971-12-11

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:23:29.071126

Geography

Gulf of Guinea, North Atlantic Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean