Temperature profile data from XBT and BT casts in the Gulf of Mexico through NOAA Ship RESEARCHER from 1977-07-24 to 1977-08-01 (NCEI Accession 8200135)

Temperature profile data were collected using XBT and BT casts from NOAA Ship RESEARCHER in the Gulf of Mexico from 24 July 1977 to 01 August 1977. Data were collected by the Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) in Miami, Florida. Data were processed by NODC to the NODC standard Universal Bathythermograph Output (UBT) format.

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.