Weddell Sea Carbonate Chemistry from 1981 Expedition

Weddell Sea carbonate chemistry data was collected during the US-USSR Weddell Polynya Expedition (WEPOLEX-81) from October 9 to November 25, 1981. The dataset includes surface samples along the cruise track and vertical station samples, providing a snapshot of marine geochemistry in a key Antarctic region. It is managed by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.

Use Cases

• Analyzing surface carbonate chemistry gradients along the 1981 cruise track.
• Studying vertical profiles of carbonate parameters from station samples.
• Investigating historical baseline conditions for the Weddell Sea polynya region.
• Calibrating or validating models of polar ocean acidification using legacy data.

Strengths

• Data provides a focused temporal snapshot from a specific 48-day expedition in 1981.
• Includes both surface transect and vertical profile sampling, offering two-dimensional context.
• Dataset is hosted by NOAA, a major authoritative source for oceanographic data.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData signals recognized importance.

Limitations

• Critical metadata conflicts exist: last updated date is listed as both 1981-11-25 and 2026 03-05.
• No column names, row counts, or file size information is available from any source.
• The dataset's specific license and detailed sampling methodology are not provided.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Samples collected from surface and vertical stations aboard the Soviet icebreaker SOMOV during the WEPOLEX-81 expedition.

Time Range

1981-10 09 to 1981-11-25

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:33:25.318007

Geography

Weddell Sea, Antarctica