Historical North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from the OUTPOST Cruise

Mechanical bathythermograph data from the OUTPOST cruise in the North Atlantic Ocean, covering a three-week period from May 15 to June 3, 1964. The dataset consists of temperature-depth profile pairs, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center into the standard C128 format. Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals down to a maximum of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying short-term temperature variability in the North Atlantic during spring 1964 using cruise date and time stamps.
• Mapping regional oceanographic conditions using reported position data for each observation.
• Investigating the limitations of mechanical bathythermograph data for studies below 285 meters.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring consistency.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a specific three-week cruise in 1964.
• Records data at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on government data portals indicates recognized archival importance.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Sources conflict on the last updated date: Data.gov reports 2026-03 05, while NASA Earthdata lists the original data date of 1964-06-03.
• Specific column names, row counts, and file size are not provided by any source.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected using a mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument during the OUTPOST cruise and processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1964-05-15 to 1964-06-03

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:23:05.464560

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean