Historical MBT Ocean Temperature Profiles from the WALTON Expedition

Bathythermograph (MBT) data from the WALTON expedition provides temperature-depth profiles for the upper ocean layers. The dataset covers observations in the Japan Sea, North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South China Sea. Data was processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into its standard C128 format.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the thermal structure of the upper ocean (up to ~285m) across multiple sea regions.
• Studying historical temperature variations over a multi-year period (1954-1957).
• Mapping cruise tracks and correlating temperature profiles with specific locations and times.
• Calibrating or validating models of upper ocean heat content using uniformly sampled depth intervals (5m).

Strengths

• Data is processed to a consistent, documented standard (NODC C128 format).
• Provides a multi-year time series from 1954 to 1957 across a significant geographic area.
• Temperature values are recorded at uniform 5-meter depth intervals, facilitating analysis.

Limitations

• The MBT instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the upper ocean only.
• Key metadata such as row count, column names, and license are not provided by any source.
• Sources conflict on the 'last updated' date (2026-03-05 vs. 1957-08-29), creating uncertainty about data currency.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC).

Collection Method

Observations gathered using mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instruments during the WALTON expedition and processed to NODC standard.

Time Range

1954-06-16 to 1957 08-29

Freshness

2026-03 05 23:30:03.472925

Geography

Japan Sea, North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, South China Sea