NOAA Ship Delaware II XBT Temperature-Depth Profiles from 1979

Twenty-two days of ocean temperature-depth profiles collected via expendable bathythermographs from the NOAA Ship Delaware II in the North Atlantic Ocean. The National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration processed the data to the NODC standard C116 format, capturing inflection points to define the temperature curve. This dataset represents a specific historical cruise from May 7 to May 28, 1979.

Use Cases

• Analyzing vertical temperature gradients in the North Atlantic Ocean for a specific period.
• Studying historical ocean conditions using paired temperature-depth observation points.
• Calibrating or validating ocean models with in-situ profile data from 1979.
• Researching expendable bathythermograph (XBT) data collection and processing methods prior to 1994.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a documented NODC standard format (C116).
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot from a 22-day cruise in May 1979.
• Captures temperature at non-uniform inflection points to accurately define the profile curve.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA Earthdata indicates recognized importance.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column names, and file size are unknown.
• Data freshness is conflicted: one source lists a 2026 update while another lists the end date of the cruise (1979).
• The license and detailed authorship information are not provided.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments from NOAA Ship Delaware II and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1979-05-07 to 1979-05-28

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:13:47.458522

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean