Temperature profiles from expendable bathythermograph (XBT) casts from the KNORR in the North Atlantic Ocean in support of the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS) from 22 July 1970 to 28 January 1975 (NODC Accession 7500207)

XBT data were collected from the KNORR in support of the Integrated Global Ocean Services System (IGOSS). Data were collected by Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI) from 22 July 1970 to 28 January 1975. 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.

投弃式温深仪（expendable bathythermograph, XBT）数据采集自“克诺尔”号（KNORR）科考船，用于支撑全球海洋综合服务系统（Integrated Global Ocean Services System, IGOSS）。该数据由伍兹霍尔海洋研究所（Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, WHOI）于1970年7月22日至1975年1月28日期间采集完成。数据经美国国家海洋数据中心（National Oceanographic Data Center, NODC）处理为其制定的通用探温仪输出（Universal Bathythermograph Output, UBT）标准格式。完整格式说明可从美国国家海洋数据中心官网www.nodc.noaa.gov/General/NODC-Archive/bt.html获取。

通用探温仪输出（UBT）文件格式适用于通过投弃式温深仪获取的温度-深度剖面数据。标准型XBT可获取最大深度约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、日期与时间，数据记录由多组温度-深度数值对构成。与机械温深仪（Mechanical Bathythermograph, MBT）数据文件不同——后者以固定5米间隔记录温度数值——XBT数据文件中的温度数值对应的深度并不均匀，这些深度点为满足温度曲线记录精度要求所需的最少数量的拐点（inflection points）。但在数据输出时，用户可选择获取拐点处的原始温度数值，或通过插值得到均匀深度间隔下的温度数据。