North Pacific Ocean Temperature Profiles from 1955

285 meters is the maximum depth for temperature observations in this dataset. It contains mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) data from the research vessel WALTON, processed by the National Oceanographic Data Center (NODC) into its standard C128 format. The profiles, recorded at 5-meter intervals, document the thermal structure of the upper ocean during a cruise from May 12 to May 25, 1955.

Use Cases

• Analyzing the vertical temperature structure of the upper ocean to a depth of 285 meters.
• Studying historical ocean thermal conditions for climate change baselines using time-series data.
• Mapping spatial temperature variations in the North Pacific Ocean using cruise position data.
• Validating or calibrating ocean model simulations of mixed-layer dynamics with in-situ profile data.

Strengths

• Data is processed to a known standard format (NODC C128), ensuring structural consistency.
• Observations have a defined and uniform vertical resolution, with temperature recorded at 5-meter depth intervals.
• Provides a focused two-week time series from a single research cruise, offering temporal coherence.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, column names, and license are unavailable from all sources.
• The instrument's maximum depth of ~285m limits analysis to the ocean's upper layers only.
• The last updated date conflicts between sources (2026 vs. 1955), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Collected via mechanical bathythermograph (MBT) instrument and processed by NODC.

Time Range

1955-05-12 to 1955-05-25

Freshness

2026-04-01 15:21:40.595272

Geography

North Pacific Ocean (from WALTON cruise)