NOAA Albatross IV Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1970

Bathythermograph (MBT) data from NOAA Ship Albatross IV captures temperature-depth profiles in the Bay of Fundy and North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset contains observations from a 15-day cruise in November 1970, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format. It is useful for studying the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean using temperature-depth value pairs.
• Studying short-term oceanographic variability during a November 1970 cruise using date, time, and position data.
• Calibrating or validating models of upper ocean heat content for the Northwest Atlantic region.
• Investigating historical ocean conditions in the Bay of Fundy using standardized NODC C128 format data.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known, documented standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring consistency.
• Provides specific temporal coverage from 1970-11-05 to 1970-11-20 for a focused analysis period.
• Temperature data is recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic profile analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates recognized archival importance.

Limitations

• The exact row count, column names, and dataset size are unknown across all sources.
• Instrument limitation: MBT data is only useful for the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of ~285m.
• Conflicting metadata: 'Last updated' dates conflict between platforms (2026-03-05 on Data.gov vs. 1970-11-20 on NASA EarthData).

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1970-11-05 to 1970-11-20

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:16:43.140415

Geography

Bay of Fundy and North Atlantic Ocean