North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1963

Bathythermograph data from the vessel SEARCHER provides temperature-depth profiles for the upper ocean layers in the North Atlantic. The dataset, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center, contains observations recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals from January 4 to January 23, 1963. It is structured in the NODC standard C128 format, focusing on the thermal structure down to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical thermal structure of the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying short-term temperature variability in a specific region during January 1963 using date, time, and position columns.
• Calibrating or validating ocean mixed-layer models with historical in-situ temperature profile data.
• Investigating cruise-based observational methods and data formats from the 1960s.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring a consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a 20-day period in January 1963.
• Temperature observations are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating analysis.
• Cross-platform presence on U.S. government data portals indicates formal curation and archival.

Limitations

• The exact row count, column names, and dataset size are unknown from available sources.
• Limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Sources conflict on the last update date, with one showing 2026 and another showing 1963.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument measurements processed by NODC.

Time Range

1963-01-04 to 1963-01-23

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:40:28.635846

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean