Temperature profile data collected using XBTs from NOAA Ship McARTHUR and other platforms from the Coastal Waters of California during the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CALCOFI) project, 1985-02-19 to 1985-03-16 (NODC Accession 8500286)

Temperature, depth, and other data were collected using bathythermograph (BT/XBT) casts from NOAA Ship McARTHUR and other platforms in the Coastal Waters of California from February 19, 1985 to March 16, 1985. Data were submitted by Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory (PMEL) as part of the California Cooperative Fisheries Investigation (CALCOFI) 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.