Cloud amount/frequency, SALINITY and other data from USCGC CHASE, CARIBIA EXPRESS and other platforms in the NW Atlantic from 1968-09-01 to 1984-12-29 (NCEI Accession 8700212)

Data has been processed by NODC to the NODC standard Bathythermograph XBT Selected Depths (SBT) (C125) and Ocean Station (C100) formats.

The Oceanographic Station Data (C100) format contains physical-chemical oceanographic data recorded at discrete depth levels. Most of the observations were made using multi-bottle Nansen casts or other types of water samplers. A small amount (about 5 percent) were obtained using electronic CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth) or STD (salinity-temperature-depth) recorders. The CTD/STD data were reported to NODC at depth levels equivalent to Nansen cast data, however, and have been processed and stored the same as the Nansen data. Cruise information (e.g., ship, country, institution), position, date, and time, and reported for each station. The principal measured parameters and temperature and salinity, but dissolved oxygen, phosphate, total phosphorus, silicate, nitrate, nitrite, and pH may be reported. Meteorological conditions at the time of the cast (e.g., air temperature and pressure, wind, waves) may also be reported, as well as auxiliary data such as water color (Forel-Ule scale), water transparency (Secchi disk depth), and depth to bottom. Values of density (sigma-t) sound velocity, and dynamic depth anomaly are computed from measured parameters. Each station contains the measurements taken at the observed depth levels, but also includes data values interpolated to a set of standard depth levels.

The UBT (C125) 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 records are comprised of pairs of temperature-depth values. Depths are selected by the originator - usually at standard horizons or some fixed interval. Standard XBTs can obtain profiles to depths of either 450 or 760 m. Special instruments permitted measurements to be obtained to 1830 m.