North Atlantic Ocean Carbon Chemistry and Hydrographic Profiles from 1997

A 1997 oceanographic cruise collected discrete and profile measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH, and related variables in the North Atlantic Ocean. Data were gathered by researchers from the Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization and others during the CARINA/WOCE A25 project. Measurements span from August 7 to September 17, 1997.

Use Cases

• Calculate ocean acidification metrics like aragonite saturation state using pH, alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, temperature, and salinity.
• Model carbon system parameters by calibrating algorithms with paired measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH, nitrate, and phosphate.
• Analyze water mass age and circulation using chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11 and CFC-12) tracer data alongside potential temperature and salinity profiles.
• Study phytoplankton biomass distribution by correlating chlorophyll a and phaeophytin measurements with nutrient levels (nitrate, phosphate, silicate).
• Validate and calibrate biogeochemical ocean models using the internally consistent, merged profile data for dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and carbon variables.

Strengths

• Includes 15 key biogeochemical variables for carbon system studies, including dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, and pH.
• Data is part of the CARINA synthesis project, which produced an internally consistent, merged dataset for the Atlantic Ocean.
• Measurements combine discrete bottle samples and continuous CTD profiles, providing both point and vertical context.

Limitations

• Data is from a single 42-day cruise in 1997, providing a temporal snapshot rather than a long-term time series.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the specific cruise track of the R/V DISCOVERY in the North Atlantic Ocean.
• Sample size and row count are unknown, which may limit statistical power for some analyses.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Accession 0113535, originally from NODC.

Collection Method

Collected from discrete sample and profile observations using CTD and bottle instruments.

Time Range

1997-08-07 to 1997-09-17

Freshness

Data collection ended on 1997-09, representing a historical snapshot.

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean along the R/V DISCOVERY cruise track for CARINA/74D19970807 (WOCE A25).