KERFIX Time-Series: Ocean Carbon and Chemistry in the Indian Ocean

NCEI Accession 0112882 contains discrete sample, profile, and time-series data collected from the R/V LA CURIEUSE in the Indian Ocean between 1990 and 1995. The dataset includes measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, nutrients, chlorophyll a, and physical parameters like salinity and temperature. It was collected as part of the KERFIX time-series project and contributes to the international Global CO2 Time-series and Moorings Project.

Use Cases

• Analyzing ocean carbon sequestration and acidification trends based on dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity measurements.
• Studying nutrient-phytoplankton dynamics using concurrent nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chlorophyll a data.
• Calibrating and validating ocean biogeochemical models with high-resolution, co-located physical and chemical profile data.
• Investigating interannual variability in Southern Ocean water masses using a multi-year time series of temperature and salinity.

Strengths

• Provides a multi-year (1990-1995) time-series from a key Southern Ocean location, supporting trend analysis.
• Includes co-located measurements of carbon system parameters (DIC, TA), nutrients, biology (Chl a), and physical oceanography, enabling multivariate studies.
• Data collection is part of a coordinated international project (Global CO2 Time-series and Moorings Project) involving 18 countries, suggesting standardized methods.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, file size, specific column names, and license are missing from all platform entries.
• The last updated date conflicts between sources (1995-01-08 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about data currency and stewardship.
• The dataset's spatial coverage is limited to the specific track and station locations of the KERFIX cruises in the Indian Ocean.

Provenance

Source

Data collected by researchers from the Center National de la Recherche Scientifique (CNRS) and The Observatory Midi-Pyrénées.

Collection Method

Discrete water samples and continuous profiles collected using CTD and bottle instruments aboard the R/V LA CURIEUSE.

Time Range

1990-01-27 to 1995-01-08

Freshness

Conflicting: One source lists last updated as 1995-01-08, another as 2026-03-05.

Geography

Indian Ocean (specific region of the KERFIX time-series station)