L2 Pointwise data

Pointwise data of some oceanic variables directly computed from in situ observations of T/S profiles are made available hereunder. Those data are mainly intended for investigating research questions but user should still take care to always keep a scientific view on them (e.g. occurrences of what look like outliers for you may happen, some flags may come soon with the data). To get those data (in netcdf format) you can choose between the two methods hereafter.

 L2 Data Download 

You can download the whole L2 pointwise datasets through ftp links below. A more detailed description of each dataset and variables is available hereafter (rapid descriptions also exist in the netcdf data files .

 L2 Data Description 

We give hereunder a description of the variables and datasets you can select from the form above. Some variables are basically the same as for the L3 Gridded Data. The basic datasets should be updated on a yearly basis. More choice in the variables (e.g. MLDreqdt02, WLD, BLT, T/S under ML, D20...) and datasets (CTD from WOD09, TAO buoys) should hopefully come soon.

Variables:

• T10: in situ temperature linearly interpolated at 10 m depth. Unit: °C.


• S10: salinity linearly interpolated at 10 m depth. Unit: PSU.


• MLD_DT02: Mixed Layer Depth defined from temperature profiles (i.e. = IsoThermal Layer Depth) with a threshold of ± 0.2 °C from the value at 10 m depth. Unit: meters.
  
  NB!! For all MLD variables :Values are positive for regular MLDs. Negative values can also be found (e.g. -252 m) and it means that the station''s deepest value (e.g. at 252m depth) is still in the mixed layer. The MLD could not really be estimated. However the absolute value of such negative MLDs gives you a 2nd order information as a lower bound for your actual MLD, and that is why we still make it available if ever needed.


• MLD_DR003: Mixed Layer Depth defined from surface potential density profiles (i.e. = IsoPycnal Layer Depth) with a threshold of - 0.03 kg/m3 from the value at 10 m depth. Unit: meters.

Datasets:

• ARGO Profiling Floats: The Argo data set used here has been downloaded through ftp from Ifremer/Coriolis GDAC. The download of the entire database was done on July, 27th 2011. It contains a total of 813,675 stations (either with T, S or both), spanning the entire globe and from 1995-09-07 to 2011-07-27.
  

  Figures of distributions for the above PFL ARGO dataset



• WOCE v3.0 2002 CTDs (sample test): This data set is just a temporary test sample from the WOCE Global Data Version 3.0, 2002, available from NODC/WOCE website. The present sample of CTD data come from DVD disk 1, hydrography data (Woce Hydrography Program, WHP). It contains 12 repeated lines, for a total of 648 stations, spanning from 1990-06-19 to 1996-03-23 (e.g. available from whp repeated data).
  

  Figures of distributions for the above CTD WOCE dataset