WATER TEMPERATURE and other data from COLUMBUS CANADA, NOAA Ship TOWNSEND CROMWELL and other platforms from 1987-09-09 to 1991-10-28 (NCEI Accession 9200010)

This accession contains forty one sets of data collected as part of Shipboard Environmental data Acquisition System (SEAS) III program. The cruises were conducted using sixteen different ships. The bathythermograph (XBT) data was collected between September 9, 1987 and October 28, 1991. The data containing 2,454 observations were sent from the cruise ships to the National Ocean Service, Rockville, MD via telecommunication. This data is currently available in the C116 file format of NODC.

The data type C116 contained 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. 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.