Temperature profiles from mechanical bathythermograph (XBT) casts from the USS FEARLESS in the North Atlantic Ocean in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project from from 02 August 1971 to 05 August 1971 (NODC Accession 7101381)

XBT data were collected from the USS FEARLESS in support of the Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data (FLOOD) project. Data were collected by US Navy; Ships of Opportunity from 02 August 1971 to 05 August 1971. The platform was equipped and staffed to observe weather and sea conditions. Data were processed by NODC to the NODC standard Universal Bathythermograph Output (UBT) format. Full format description is available from NODC at www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html. The UBT file is used for temperature-depth profile data obtained using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instrument. Standard XBTs can obtain profiles at depths of about 450 or 760 m. With special instruments, measurements can be obtained to 1830 m. Cruise information, position, date, and time are reported for each observation. The data record comprises pairs of temperature-depth values. Unlike the MBT data file, in which temperature values are recorded at uniform 5m intervals, the XBT Data File contains temperature values at non-uniform depths. These depths are at a minimum number of points ("inflection points") required to record the temperature curve to an acceptable degree of accuracy. On output, however, the user may request temperature values either at inflection points or interpolated to uniform depth increments.本批抛弃式温深仪（Expendable Bathythermograph, XBT）数据采集于美国海军“无畏号”（USS FEARLESS）舰艇，用于支持海洋学数据舰队观测（Fleet Observations of Oceanographic Data, FLOOD）项目。数据由美国海军机遇舰船于1971年8月2日至1971年8月5日采集。该观测平台配备气象与海况观测设备并配有操作人员。美国国家海洋数据中心（National Oceanographic Data Center, NODC）已将数据处理为符合其标准的通用温深仪输出（Universal Bathythermograph Output, UBT）格式。完整格式说明可从NODC官网www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html获取。 UBT文件用于存储通过抛弃式温深仪（XBT）采集的温度-深度剖面数据。标准型XBT可获取约450米或760米深度范围内的剖面数据；配备专用仪器时，测量深度可达1830米。每条观测记录均附带航次信息、位置、日期及时间。数据记录由温度-深度值对组成。与以5米为均匀间隔记录温度值的MBT数据文件不同，XBT数据文件中的温度值对应非均匀深度测点。这些测点为将温度曲线记录至可接受精度所需的最少点数，即“拐点”。但在数据输出时，用户可选择获取拐点处的温度值，或通过插值得到均匀深度间隔下的温度值。