SANGAMON Bathythermograph Profiles from 1944

285 meters is the maximum depth of observations in this dataset of mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data collected by the SANGAMON vessel. It contains temperature-depth profile pairs recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals in the North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea between June and November 1944. The data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to 285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying seasonal ocean temperature changes in the North Pacific during mid-1944 using cruise date and time data.
• Mapping historical oceanographic conditions using reported position (latitude/longitude) data.
• Calibrating or validating ocean models with precisely measured temperature profiles at 5m depth intervals.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized format (NODC C128), ensuring consistency for analysis.
• Profiles provide high vertical resolution with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals.
• Covers a specific, focused time period (1944-06-25 to 1944-11-01) for a clear historical snapshot.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata) indicates recognized archival importance.

Limitations

• Key metadata conflicts: row count, column names, license, and exact size are unknown across all sources.
• Instrument limitation: MBT data is only useful for studying the upper ocean, with a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Lacks freshness for contemporary studies, with the most recent metadata update in 2026 but core data from 1944.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), from the SANGAMON vessel cruise.

Collection Method

Collected using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments and processed by NODC to the C128 format.

Time Range

1944-06-25 to 1944-11-01

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:16:57.069110

Geography

North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea