Equatorial Pacific CTD Measurements from 1992 JGOFS Study

1992 CTD data from the JGOFS Equatorial Pacific Process Study, collected along 140°W longitude across five research cruises. Measurements include depth, pressure, temperature, conductivity, salinity, fluorescence, and photosynthetically available radiation. The dataset was compiled by the SCIOPS organization from the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study.

Use Cases

• Analyze the relationship between salinity and potential density to study water mass stratification.
• Model the depth of the ocean mixed layer using temperature, salinity, and potential density profiles.
• Correlate fluorescence and photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) data to assess phytoplankton activity.
• Examine spatial and temporal variations in conductivity and temperature across stations from 12°N to 17°S latitude.

Strengths

• Data collected from 59 distinct CTD cast stations across five dedicated research cruises.
• Includes 12 measured and derived parameters per cast, such as fluorescence and particle beam attenuation.
• Provides a focused temporal snapshot of the equatorial Pacific during the 1992 El Niño year.

Limitations

• Limited to a single year (1992) and a specific longitudinal transect (140°W), reducing generalizability.
• Sample size is constrained to the 59 station visits described, with unknown sampling frequency per cast.
• Data format and specific row/column counts are not provided in the description.

Provenance

Source

Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Equatorial Pacific Process Study (EQPAC).

Collection Method

In-situ CTD casts conducted from research vessels at specified oceanographic stations.

Time Range

1992, specifically covering cruises from February to December.

Freshness

Historical dataset; last updated in December 1992.

Geography

Equatorial Pacific Ocean along 140°W longitude, from 17°S to 12°N latitude.