Historical North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from SEARCHER

Bathythermograph (MBT) data from the NOAA_NCEI archives captures temperature-depth profiles from the SEARCHER vessel in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset, processed to the NODC C128 standard, contains observations from a 13-day cruise between April 26 and May 8, 1962. Each record provides paired temperature and depth measurements at uniform 5-meter intervals down to a maximum of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (0-285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying short-term temperature variability in the North Atlantic during spring 1962 using cruise date and time stamps.
• Mapping historical oceanographic conditions by correlating temperature profiles with reported position (latitude/longitude) data.
• Validating or calibrating ocean model outputs for the upper ocean layer using standardized NODC C128 format data.

Strengths

• Data is standardized to the NODC C128 format, ensuring consistent structure for temperature-depth profile pairs.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot from a 13-day cruise (1962-04 26 to 1962-05-08).
• Temperature measurements are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic analysis.
• Cross-platform presence (Data.gov, NASA Earthdata) indicates recognized archival importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts: row count, column names, file size, and license are listed as unknown or 'None' across all sources.
• Limited vertical coverage, with a maximum observation depth of ~285m, restricting analysis to the ocean's upper layer.
• The dataset is historical and singular, covering only one short cruise, limiting spatial and temporal generalizability.

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI (National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, National Centers for Environmental Information)

Collection Method

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

Time Range

1962-04-26 to 1962-05-08

Freshness

2026-04-01 14:53:17.909463

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean (specific cruise track of the SEARCHER vessel)