North Pacific Ocean Carbon and Chemistry Profiles from RYOFU MARU, 2002

PACIFICA project data from a 2002 research cruise includes 22 measured parameters like dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, and chlorofluorocarbons. The data were collected using CTD and bottle instruments from the RYOFU MARU in the North Pacific Ocean between April 24 and May 29, 2002. Norikazu Obata of the Japan Meteorological Agency and Masao Ishii of the Meteorological Research Institute led the collection as part of an international synthesis effort for Pacific Ocean interior carbon.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean acidification trends based on pH and dissolved inorganic carbon measurements.
• Studying marine nutrient cycles using nitrate, phosphate, and silicate concentration data.
• Analyzing ocean ventilation and water mass age using Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) tracers.
• Investigating phytoplankton biomass dynamics using chlorophyll a and phaeophytin data.

Strengths

• Includes 22 distinct chemical, biological, and physical parameters for a holistic view of ocean conditions.
• Data collection is temporally focused on a specific 36-day research cruise in 2002.
• Part of the international PACIFICA project, suggesting standardized collection and synthesis protocols.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment for large-scale modeling.
• Data may reflect geographic and temporal bias inherent to a single vessel cruise in spring 2002.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations using CTD and bottle instruments.

Time Range

2002-04-24 to 2002-05-29

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 23:34:53.159037; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean