Monthly Sea Surface Chemistry in Osaka Bay and Kii Channel (1984-1995)

Monthly measurements of pH, chlorophyll, and inorganic nutrients were collected from 15 stations in the Eastern Seto Inland Sea. Data collection spanned over a decade, from April 1984 to May 1995, by the organization SCIOPS. The original measurements were recorded on a floppy disk.

Use Cases

• Analyze long-term trends in sea surface pH to study ocean acidification in a coastal environment.
• Model chlorophyll-a concentrations as an indicator of phytoplankton biomass and primary productivity.
• Investigate correlations between inorganic nutrient levels (e.g., nitrates, phosphates) and chlorophyll measurements to understand eutrophication.
• Compare water chemistry across the 15 sampling stations to identify spatial gradients in Osaka Bay and the Kii Channel.
• Use the monthly time-series data to detect seasonal cycles in nutrient availability and biological response.

Strengths

• Over 11 years of consistent monthly measurements from April 1984 to May 1995.
• Spatial coverage includes 15 distinct sampling stations across two connected water bodies.

Limitations

• Specific row count, column names, and measurement units are unknown.
• Data is temporally stale, with the last update in May 1995, limiting analysis of recent conditions.
• Potential for data loss or corruption exists as the original medium was a floppy disk.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements of sea surface water collected once per month.

Time Range

1984-04 to 1995-05

Freshness

Static historical dataset; last updated 1995-05-31.

Geography

Eastern Seto Inland Sea, specifically Osaka Bay and the Kii Channel, Japan.