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Description

This dataset contains Level 2 in situ temperature profile measurements from the Airborne eXpendable BathyThermograph (AXBT) probes. It provides science quality temperature measurements as a function of depth in the water column. The AXBTs were jettisoned from a plane to collect temperature readings around Greenland, where a ship would have had difficulties maneuvering. After landing in the water, the AXBTs drop a weighted sensor from the surface that falls at a well-calibrated rate, measuring water temperature as it falls. An equation is used to determine the depth of the measurements as the probe falls. The AXBTs are part of the Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) mission. In the fall of 2020 and 2021, the AXBT probes were used to supplement the ocean-per-year survey of ocean properties on the continental shelf surrounding Greenland. The goal of the mission is to find out what contributions the ocean has on Greenland's melting glaciers.

Product Summary

Platforms
AIRCRAFT
Instruments
BATHYTHERMOGRAPHS
Spatial Extent

N: 83.6 S: 59.1 E: 180 W: 73.6

,

N: 83.6 S: 59.1 E: -6.9 W: -180

Location
GREENLAND
Coordinate System
CARTESIAN
Granule Spatial Representation
CARTESIAN
Temporal Extent
2020-09-02 to 2021-09-16
Data Partner
Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center, Jet Propulsion Laboratory, NASA (NASA/JPL/PODAAC)
Concept ID
C2491772153-POCLOUD
Data State
COMPLETE
Number of Files/Granules
86
Processing Level
2
Published
Updated
Science Keywords
Water Temperature ,
Conductivity ,
Water Depth ,
Salinity

Citation

Citation is critically important for dataset documentation and discovery. This dataset is openly shared, without restriction, in accordance with the EOSDIS Data Use and Citation Guidance.

Copy Citation

Oceans Melting Greenland (OMG) Science Team. (2020). OMG Airborne eXpendable Bathy Thermograph (AXBT) Profiles [Data set]. NASA Physical Oceanography Distributed Active Archive Center. https://doi.org/10.5067/OMGEV-AXBT1 Date Accessed: 2026-03-17

Documents

USER'S GUIDE

DATA CITATION GUIDELINES

GENERAL DOCUMENTATION

Variables

The table below lists the variables contained within a single granule for this dataset. Variables often contain observed or derived geophysical measurements collected from a variety of sources, including remote sensing instruments on satellite and airborne platforms, field campaigns, in situ measurements, and model outputs. The terms variable, parameter, scientific data set, layer, and band have been used across NASA’s Earth science disciplines; however, variable is the designated nomenclature in NASA’s Common Metadata Repository (CMR). Variable metadata attributes such as Name, Description, Units, Data Type, Fill Value, Valid Range, and Scale Factor allow users to efficiently process and analyze the data. The full range of attributes may not be applicable to all variables. Additional information on variable attributes is typically available in the data, user guide, and/or other product documentation.

For questions on a specific variable, please use the Earthdata Forum.

Name Description Units Data Type Fill Value Valid Range Scale Factor Offset
depth depth meters float -9999 0 to 5000 1 N/A
frequency This is the frequency of the radio broadcast that is used to determine the temperature with the following formula: (T = (f - 1440)/36). s-1 float -9999 N/A 1 N/A
lat Represents the latitude of the plane position when the probe was deployed which is an estimate of the actual location where the probe hit the surface of the water. degrees_north float -9999 -90 to 90 1 N/A
lon Represents the longitude of the plane position when the probe was deployed which is an estimate of the actual location where the probe hit the surface of the water. degrees_east float -9999 -180 to 180 1 N/A
profile_time Represents the time in seconds since the weighted probe was released from the floating buoy. Depth is calculated from this variable based on a standard formula. seconds float -9999 N/A 1 N/A
sound_velocity speed of sound in sea water m s-1 float -9999 1405 to 1560 1 N/A
temperature sea water temperature degrees_C float -9999 -2.2 to 35 1 N/A
time Represents the time the probe was deployed from the plane. seconds since 1970-01-01T00:00:00Z double -9999 N/A 1 N/A
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