Temperature profile data collected using XBTs from NOAA Ship RESEARCHER from the Atlantic Ocean during the International Decade of Ocean Exploration / combination of USSR POLYGON project and US MODE (IDOE/POLYMODE) project, 1976-03-09 to 1976-05-01 (NCEI Accession 8000562)

Temperature profile data were collected using bathythermograph (BT/XBT) casts from NOAA Ship RESEARCHER in the Pacific Ocean from March 9, 1976 to May 1, 1976. Data were submitted by Atlantic Oceanographic Meteorological Laboratory - Miami, FL (AOML) as part of the International Decade of Ocean Exploration / combination of USSR POLYGON project and US MODE (IDOE/POLYMODE) project. Data were processed by NODC to the NODC standard Universal Bathythermograph Output (UBT) format. Full BT descriptions are available at http://www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html.

The UBT format contains temperature-depth profile data obtained using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments. Cruise information, position, date and time were reported for each observation. The data record was comprised of pairs of temperature-depth values. Unlike the MBT Data File, in which temperature values were recorded at uniform 5 m intervals, the XBT data files contained temperature values at non-uniform depths. These depths were recorded at the minimum number of points ("inflection points") required to accurately define the temperature curve. Standard XBTs can obtain profiles to depths of either 450 or 760 m. With special instruments, measurements can be obtained to 1830 m.