North Atlantic Ocean Temperature Profiles from Mechanical Bathythermographs

Temperature-depth profiles from Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instruments collected in the North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset contains observations processed to the NODC C128 standard format, with data recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals up to approximately 285 meters. It was collected by unknown United States platforms over a six-day period in February 1970 and is managed by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature structure of the upper ocean (using temperature-depth value pairs).
• Studying short-term thermal variability in a specific region (using date, position, and time for each observation).
• Correlating cruise information with oceanographic conditions for historical research.
• Calibrating or validating models of upper ocean heat content using standardized profile data.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized format (NODC C128), ensuring consistency.
• Provides precise temporal and spatial context with reported cruise information, date, position, and time for each observation.
• Temperature measurements are recorded at a consistent, high-resolution interval of 5 meters.

Limitations

• The dataset is limited to the upper ocean, with a maximum observation depth of approximately 285 meters.
• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and license information are unavailable across all sources.
• The temporal coverage is very brief, spanning only six days in February 1970.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Collection Method

Collected using Mechanical Bathythermograph (MBT) instruments from unknown United States platforms, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Time Range

1970-02-10 to 1970-02-15

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:52:35.498752

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean.