Profiles of temperature, salinity, and density measured by a handheld CTD in melt ponds during expedition PS122/5 (MOSAiC Leg 5) to the central Arctic in August-September 2020.

Water temperature, salinity and density were obtained in melt ponds within the MOSAiC Leg 5 ice camp between 23 August and 14 September 2020. A Rinko handheld CTD (JFE Advantech Co., Ltd., Japan) was carefully lowered into the melt ponds on a regular basis to determine the spatial distribution and temporal evolution of the stratification. A fresh meltwater layer was detected within the melt ponds. As part of a dedicated study, the present dataset documents the evolution of this layer.