CLIVAR A12 JC30 2008: Ocean Carbon and Hydrographic Measurements from the Southern Oceans

Discrete sample and profile data collected from the JAMES CLARK ROSS research vessel in the Indian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, and Southern Oceans south of 60 degrees from December 26, 2008, to January 30, 2009. The dataset includes measurements for dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, chlorofluorocarbons, sulfur hexafluoride, nutrients, oxygen isotopes, and physical parameters like temperature and salinity. These data were collected by Dorothee C. E. Bakker of the University of East Anglia as part of the International CLIVAR Global Ocean Carbon and Repeat Hydrography Program.

Use Cases

• Quantifying changes in ocean carbon dioxide storage based on dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity measurements.
• Analyzing ocean circulation and ventilation timescales based on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) and sulfur hexafluoride tracer data.
• Studying nutrient cycles and biological productivity based on nitrate, phosphate, and silicate concentrations.
• Investigating water mass formation and mixing using stable isotope data for Delta Carbon-13 and Delta Oxygen-18.
• Calibrating and validating ocean biogeochemical models using the comprehensive suite of hydrographic and chemical parameters.

Strengths

• Includes a multi-parameter suite of 17 key oceanographic variables relevant to carbon cycle and climate studies.
• Data collected during a dedicated research cruise (CLIVAR_A12_JC30_2008) over a focused temporal range of 36 days.
• Spatial coverage spans three major ocean basins, including the high-latitude Southern Oceans (>60 degrees South).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics and data structure must be inferred after download.
• Row count and dataset size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale analysis.
• Data format is listed as HTML, which may require parsing or conversion for standard analytical workflows.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; collected by Dorothee C. E. Bakker of University of East Anglia.

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations using CTD, Coulometer for DIC measurement, and bottle sampling.

Time Range

2008-12 26 to 2009-01-30

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 23:20:15.885535; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Indian Ocean, South Atlantic Ocean, Southern Oceans (> 60 degrees South)