Abstract:
The CTD/STD databank comprises approximately 10000 profiles of
conductivity-temperature-depth data, collected by UK laboratories,
from 1975 onwards. These data have been collected on about 200
research cruises. Recent data collected during NERC Community Research
Projects (for example, the North Sea Project, the Biogeochemical Ocean
Flux Study and the World Ocean Circulation Experiment) are not
... included in this data set.
Data from about 75 cruises have been collected in the shelf seas
around the British Isles (i.e. North Sea, Irish Sea). The data have
usually been supplied as 1 second averages. Since the CTD is usually
lowered through the water column at rates of between 0.5 and 1.5 m/s,
this means that the data are at depth intervals of between 0.5 to
1.5m. Approximately 50 per cent of the total number of profiles have
been collected in the shelf seas, most of these being in the Irish
Sea.
The remaining data were collected in the deep ocean, although some
data were collected on sections from the continental shelf
oceanwards. Profiles collected in the deep ocean may obtain data down
to 5000m. Data are usually supplied as 2, 5 or 10 decibar averages. 40
per cent of these data have been collected on a section from the west
coast of Scotland to Rockall, repeated several times each year over
the last 15 years. These measurements have been carried out by the
Dunstaffnage Marine Laboratory, Oban, UK. Apart from 5 cruises to the
Indian Ocean, 1 to the South Atlantic and 5 to the Southern Ocean,
most of the remaining 50 cruises have been in the North East Atlantic.
AVAILABILITY: Data are available from BODC on magnetic tape, floppy
disk or via ftp over Internet. Some restrictions exist on recently
collected data.
[This description was derived from the BODC WWW pages.] 
