NORWALK Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles 1967-1968

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data from the vessel NORWALK provides temperature-depth profiles for the upper ocean layers in the North Atlantic. The dataset contains observations from September 25, 1967, to February 2, 1968, processed into the NODC standard C128 format. It was collected and curated by NOAA's National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal temperature changes in the upper ocean from fall to winter using paired temperature-depth values.
• Mapping the thermal structure of the upper ocean layers with data recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals.
• Correlating ocean surface thermal conditions with cruise information, date, position, and time for each observation.

Strengths

• Data is formatted to a consistent standard (NODC C128), ensuring structured temperature-depth pairs.
• Provides a focused time series over a 4-month period for studying seasonal upper-ocean dynamics.
• Cross-platform presence on government data portals indicates recognized archival value and stability.

Limitations

• Key technical details like row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Instrument limitation restricts observations to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters, excluding deeper ocean analysis.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' metadata, with one showing a 2026 date and another the 1968 collection end date.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from NODC.

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles obtained using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument from the vessel NORWALK.

Time Range

1967-09-25 to 1968-02-02

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:52:11.808224

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean