North Pacific Upper Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1963

August 1963 data from the O'BRIEN cruise in the North Pacific Ocean, containing mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) temperature-depth profiles. The dataset was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format, with observations limited to the upper 285 meters of the ocean. It is published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean at 5-meter depth intervals.
• Studying spatial and temporal temperature variations in the North Pacific during August 1963.
• Providing a historical baseline for climate and ocean warming studies.
• Correlating cruise metadata (date, position, time) with observed temperature profiles.

Strengths

• Data is formatted to a recognized standard (NODC C128 format) ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot from a specific 26-day cruise in August 1963.
• Contains paired temperature-depth values recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals for the upper ocean.

Limitations

• Row count, total size, and specific column names are unknown from all sources.
• Observations are limited to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters, excluding deeper ocean layers.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date (2026-04-01 vs. 1963-08-30), indicating potential metadata inconsistency.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1963-08-05 to 1963-08-30

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:08:59.382633

Geography

North Pacific Ocean