Historical Ocean Temperature Profiles from the TAYLOR Expedition

Approximately 285 meters is the maximum depth for temperature-depth profiles collected by the TAYLOR vessel using a Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT). The National Oceanographic Data Center processed this data into the standard C128 format, covering the North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea. Observations were recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals between May and July of 1963.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal thermal stratification in the upper ocean using paired temperature-depth values.
• Studying historical ocean conditions in specific basins like the South China Sea via cruise position and date data.
• Calibrating or validating ocean model simulations for the 1960s using instrument-based profile data.
• Investigating spatial temperature gradients across the North Pacific, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring structural consistency.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot from a specific research cruise over a 70-day period in 1963.
• Records observations at a consistent 5-meter depth interval, facilitating uniform analysis.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific column names are unavailable from all sources.
• The MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the ocean's upper layers only.
• A conflict exists in the 'last updated' date: one source states 2026-04-01, while another states 1963-07-31.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instrument from the TAYLOR vessel and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1963-05-22 to 1963-07-31

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:26:55.529874

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea