Delta carbon-13 isotopic measurements of brassicasterol and cholesterol from Antarctic sea-ice, alongside particulate barium concentrations, were collected during the SIPEX II expedition in 2012. The dataset was created by researchers from the Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) and archived by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC). It aims to quantify the contribution of sea-ice algae to the Southern Ocean's biological carbon pump.
Use Cases
- Correlate delta 13C signal of brassicasterol with sea-ice diatom contributions to deep water masses like Antarctic Bottom Water.
- Analyze the presence of particulate barium (Baxs) in sea-ice as an indicator of remineralization processes within brine pockets.
- Compare isotopic enrichment (delta 13C-POC) between sea-ice phytoplankton and pelagic phytoplankton using sterol biomarker data.
- Investigate the relationship between trace metal sampling sites and sterol or barium measurements from co-located ice-core sections.
Strengths
- Data originates from a dedicated Antarctic research expedition (SIPEX II) with a clear scientific hypothesis.
- Samples underwent analysis via specialized instruments (GC-c-IRMS, ICP-AES) in a controlled laboratory.
Limitations
- The sample size is constrained to the ice stations and cores collected during a single expedition in 2012.
- Specific row counts, column names, and measurement uncertainties are not provided in the available metadata.
Provenance
- Source
- Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), collected by Vrije Universiteit Brussel (VUB) researchers.
- Collection Method
- Ice-core samples collected from sea-ice stations, filtered, and analyzed via Gas Chromatography-combustion-Isotope Ratio Mass Spectrometry (GC-c-IRMS) for sterols and Inductively Coupled Plasma Atomic Emission Spectrometry (ICP-AES) for barium.
- Time Range
- 2012 (SIPEX II expedition).
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Antarctic Seasonal Ice Zone (SIZ), specific sampling locations during SIPEX II.