South Pacific Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1969 Cruise

August 28 to September 18, 1969, this dataset contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) temperature-depth profiles from the SNP-1 cruise in the South Pacific Ocean. The data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into the standard C128 format, with temperature recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals. It is published by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to 285m) using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying short-term ocean temperature variability in the South Pacific during late August and September.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with observed temperature profiles for historical reconstruction.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring a consistent structure.
• Provides precise temporal coverage for a 22-day research cruise in 1969.
• Temperature measurements are recorded at a uniform 5-meter depth interval, facilitating analysis.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• Instrument limitation restricts observations to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters, capturing only the upper ocean.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date, with one listing 2026-04-01 and another 1969-09-18.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument during the SNP-1 cruise and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1969-08-28 to 1969-09-18

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:01:21.582475

Geography

South Pacific Ocean