Historical Bathythermograph Data for Upper Ocean Thermal Structure

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration bathythermograph data provides temperature-depth profiles from the North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South Pacific Ocean. The dataset contains observations processed to the NODC standard C128 format, with profiles recorded at uniform 5-meter intervals to a maximum depth of approximately 285 meters. Data collection occurred from April 1944 to September 1947.

Use Cases

• Analyzing historical temperature-depth profiles at 5-meter intervals in the upper 285 meters of the ocean.
• Studying spatial and temporal variability of upper ocean thermal structure in the Pacific region during the mid-1940s.
• Validating or initializing ocean models with historical in-situ temperature observations.
• Correlating cruise information, date, position, and time with paired temperature-depth values for specific observational events.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a standardized NODC format (C128), ensuring consistent structure.
• Provides a specific temporal range (1944-04 11 to 1947 -09-07) for historical analysis.
• Records observations at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating systematic profile comparison.

Limitations

• Maximum observation depth is approximately 285 meters, limiting analysis to the upper ocean only.
• Conflicting metadata exists: one platform lists a last updated date of 2026-03-06, while another lists 1947-09-07, creating uncertainty about recent processing.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Temperature-depth profiles obtained using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1944-04-11 to 1947-09-07

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:25:54.333243

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, South Pacific Ocean