Antarctic Peninsula CTD Pressure Profiles from 2001-2002 GLOBEC Cruises

April-September 2001 and 2002 CTD (Conductivity, Temperature, Depth) profiles collected from the continental margin west of the Antarctic Peninsula. Data was gathered during four ship cruises aboard the RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer and processed to standard pressure intervals by the SCIOPS organization. The survey area extended from Adelaide Island to Alexander Island, including Marguerite Bay and depths to 3000 meters.

Use Cases

• Analyze water column structure by comparing temperature and salinity at standard pressure intervals (e.g., 0, 10, 20, 30, 50 decibars).
• Study seasonal and interannual variability in Antarctic coastal waters using profiles from the April-September 2001 and 2002 periods.
• Calibrate regional ocean models by providing in-situ CTD profile data from the continental margin west of the Antarctic Peninsula.
• Investigate frontal zones and water mass distributions in Marguerite Bay using the geospatial coverage of the cruise tracks.

Strengths

• Data collected during four dedicated research cruises (NBP0103, NBP0104, NBP0202, NBP0204) over two field seasons.
• Profiles cover a significant spatial range from Adelaide Island to Alexander Island and depths to 3000 meters.
• Post-cruise calibration and computation routines were applied, and data is reported at standard pressure intervals.

Limitations

• Temporal coverage is limited to specific months in 2001 and 2002, not a continuous long-term record.
• The raw description notes cruise dates are generally longer than dates of data collection, implying potential gaps.
• No information is provided on the total number of profiles (rows) or the specific suite of sensors beyond CTD.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, collected via NASA Earthdata (GLOBEC program).

Collection Method

CTD profiles gathered from ship-based sensors during RVIB Nathaniel B. Palmer cruises NBP0103, NBP0104, NBP0202, and NBP0204.

Time Range

April-September 2001 and April-May, July-September 2002.

Freshness

Data collection ended in September 2002, with a last updated date of 2002-09-14.

Geography

Continental margin west of the Antarctic Peninsula, from Adelaide Island to Alexander Island, including Marguerite Bay.