Ocean Temperature Profiles from O'Brien Cruise in the North Pacific

November 23-30, 1963 data from the O'Brien cruise in the North Pacific Ocean, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC). This dataset contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) observations, providing paired temperature-depth values recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters. It is useful for studying the thermal structure of the ocean's upper layers.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature structure of the upper ocean (285m) for a specific week in 1963.
• Studying historical ocean thermal conditions in the North Pacific Ocean using standardized NODC C128 format data.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with recorded temperature-depth profile pairs.
• Investigating short-term thermal variability in the upper ocean layers from a fixed instrument platform.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized NODC format (C128), ensuring consistency for analysis.
• Provides specific temporal coverage for a one-week cruise from November 23 to 30, 1963.
• Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating direct profile comparison.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• The maximum observation depth is limited to approximately 285 meters, restricting analysis to the upper ocean only.
• Sources conflict on the dataset's last updated date: one lists 2026-03-05, while another lists the original collection date of 1963-11-30.

Provenance

Source

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

Collection Method

Mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed to NODC standard C128 format.

Time Range

1963-11-23 to 1963-11-30

Freshness

2026-03 05 22:57:24.373279

Geography

North Pacific Ocean (specific cruise track of the O'Brien vessel).