Temperature profiles from expendable bathythermograph (XBT) casts from the KANE in the North Atlantic Ocean in support of the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS) from 04 February 1977 to 24 February 1977 (NODC Accession 7700329)

XBT data were collected from the KANE in support of the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS). Data were collected by the US Navy; Naval Oceanographic Office (NAVOCEANO) from 04 February 1977 to 24 February 1977. 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 format is used for temperature-depth profile data obtained using expendable bathythermograph (XBT) instruments. 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.

抛弃式深海测温仪（Expendable Bathythermograph，XBT）数据由“凯恩号”（KANE）科考船采集，用于支撑全球海洋综合服务系统（Integrated Global Ocean Services System，IGOSS）。该数据由美国海军海军海洋学办公室（Naval Oceanographic Office，NAVOCEANO）于1977年2月4日至1977年2月24日采集，后由美国国家海洋数据中心（National Oceanographic Data Center，NODC）按照其标准的通用测温仪输出（Universal Bathythermograph Output，UBT）格式完成标准化处理。完整的格式说明可通过NODC官方网站链接www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html获取。

UBT文件格式用于存储通过抛弃式深海测温仪（XBT）获取的温度-深度剖面数据。标准型XBT可获取深度约450米或760米的剖面数据；若配备专用仪器，测量深度可达1830米。每条观测记录均包含航次信息、观测位置、观测日期与时间，数据主体由温度-深度值对构成。与机械深海测温仪（Mechanical Bathythermograph，MBT）数据文件不同——后者以均匀5米间隔记录温度值，XBT数据文件中的温度值对应非均匀深度。这些非均匀深度为记录温度曲线至可接受精度所需的最少拐点数量。在数据输出环节，用户可自主选择获取拐点处的原始温度值，或通过插值得到均匀深度间隔下的温度值。