Over 12 chemical and physical variables, including dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, and nutrients, were measured in the North Atlantic Ocean during a 43-day research cruise. Scientists from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and the Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research collected this data using CTD and bottle instruments. The observations occurred from July 31 to September 11, 1989, as part of the CARINA synthesis project.
Use Cases
- Calculate ocean pCO2 and carbonate saturation states using DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON (DIC) and TOTAL ALKALINITY (TA) measurements.
- Analyze nutrient stoichiometry and limitations by correlating NITRATE, NITRITE, phosphate, and silicate concentrations.
- Study water mass properties and mixing by examining vertical profiles of SALINITY, Potential temperature (theta), and HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.
- Assess biological oxygen consumption by analyzing DISSOLVED OXYGEN levels relative to nutrient data.
- Validate regional ocean model outputs for the 1989 period against in-situ measurements of WATER TEMPERATURE, SALINITY, and AMMONIUM (NH4).
Strengths
- Includes 12 key variables for carbon system and nutrient analysis per sampling event.
- Data collected over a 43-day continuous cruise, providing temporal context within a single season.
- Part of the curated, internally consistent CARINA data synthesis project for the Atlantic Ocean.
Limitations
- Single cruise provides a spatial and temporal snapshot from 1989, limiting long-term trend analysis.
- Sample size is constrained to the stations visited during the 43-day voyage.
- Data is over 35 years old, which may limit relevance for contemporary ocean state studies without complementary modern data.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI Accession 0113604), collected under the CARINA project.
- Collection Method
- Discrete water samples and continuous profiles gathered using CTD and bottle instruments.
- Time Range
- 1989-07-31 to 1989-09-11
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- North Atlantic Ocean, from the research vessel TYRO.