PACIFICA project data collected from the Ryofu Maru II in April-May 2003 includes measurements for dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH, chlorofluorocarbons, and nutrients. The dataset likely contains discrete sample and profile observations from a specific cruise in the North Pacific Ocean. Masamitsu Kumagai of the Japan Meteorological Agency and Masao Ishii of the Meteorological Research Institute collected these data as part of an international synthesis effort supported by PICES.
Use Cases
- Modeling ocean acidification trends based on pH and alkalinity measurements.
- Analyzing carbon cycle dynamics based on dissolved inorganic and organic carbon data.
- Studying nutrient distributions and their impact on marine ecosystems based on nitrate, phosphate, and silicate concentrations.
- Tracking anthropogenic tracer dispersion based on chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) measurements.
- Investigating phytoplankton biomass and productivity based on chlorophyll a and phaeophytin data.
Strengths
- Data includes over 20 distinct chemical, biological, and physical parameters relevant to ocean carbon studies.
- Observations are tied to a specific research cruise (PACIFICA_49RY20030425) with a precise temporal range (2003-04-25 to 2003-05-12).
- Collection involved specialized instruments like a CTD and Coulometer for DIC measurement.
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 cruise in the North Pacific.
Provenance
- Source
- National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce
- Collection Method
- Discrete sample and profile observations using CTD, Coulometer for DIC measurement, and bottle.
- Time Range
- 2003-04-25 to 2003-05-12
- Freshness
- Last updated 2026-03-06 00:08:42.533225; freshness should be verified.
- Geography
- North Pacific Ocean