Lake Superior Water Temperature Profile Time Series

Vertical water temperature data was collected from a single mooring in the central basin of Lake Superior from August 2018 through August 2020. Observations were recorded continuously at 21 distinct depths, with a maximum depth of 198 meters and a high measurement accuracy of ±0.002 °C. The dataset was collected by NOAA NCEI.

Use Cases

• Analyzing seasonal thermal stratification patterns using temperature columns for 21 depths.
• Modeling lake heat content and energy transfer over the two-year time series.
• Validating regional climate models with high-accuracy, continuous in-situ temperature measurements.
• Studying sensor performance and data gaps, such as the sensor lost at 156.6 m depth.

Strengths

• High measurement accuracy of ±0.002 °C.
• Continuous data collection over a two-year period from August 2018 to August 2020.
• Detailed vertical profile with observations at 21 distinct depths.

Limitations

• Data is from a single geographic location, limiting spatial representativeness.
• Two sensors experienced failures: one was lost at deployment (156.6 m) and another stopped logging in November 2018.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between sources (2020-08-12 and 2026-03-05).

Provenance

Source

NOAA_NCEI

Collection Method

Continuous measurements from a moored instrument.

Time Range

2018-08-30 to 2020-08-12

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:42:58.801319

Geography

Central basin of Lake Superior, approximately 46 miles north of Rock River, Michigan.