NORWALK Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1966-1967

285-meter temperature-depth profiles collected by the research vessel NORWALK using a Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) in the North Atlantic. The dataset contains processed observations from a single cruise spanning December 1966 to March 1967, formatted to the NODC C128 standard. Data was processed and archived by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) under NOAA.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean up to 285 meters depth using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal ocean temperature changes in the North Atlantic during the winter of 1966-1967.
• Validating or calibrating ocean model simulations for historical periods using precise cruise date, position, and time metadata.
• Researching the methodology and data characteristics of historical mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a consistent standard format (NODC C128) ensuring structural uniformity.
• Provides precise metadata for each observation, including cruise information, date, position, and time.
• Temperature readings are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2026-03-05 on Data.gov vs. 1967-03-02 on NASA Earthdata).
• Key quantitative details like total row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA), Department of Commerce, via the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Collected via Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument from the vessel NORWALK and processed to NODC standard C128 format.

Time Range

1966-12 21 to 1967-03-02

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:53:39.239046

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, specific locations from the NORWALK cruise.