Pacific Ocean Carbon and Hydrographic Measurements from Cruise PACIFICA_49FA20040120

PACIFICA, an international project supported by PICES, synthesized ocean interior carbon data. This dataset contains 22 chemical, biological, and physical parameters, including dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, and nutrients, collected via CTD and bottle samples from the KEIFU MARU research vessel. Data were gathered by researchers from the Japan Meteorological Agency and Meteorological Research Institute during a cruise from January 20 to February 6, 2004, across the North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South Pacific Ocean.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean acidification trends based on pH and dissolved inorganic carbon measurements.
• Analyzing nutrient cycling and primary productivity based on nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chlorophyll a data.
• Studying water mass ventilation and circulation using chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) tracer data.
• Investigating carbonate system dynamics based on alkalinity, dissolved inorganic carbon, and delta carbon-13 measurements.

Strengths

• Includes 22 distinct, co-located chemical, biological, and physical parameters for integrated analysis.
• Data collected during a dedicated research cruise (PACIFICA_49FA20040120) following standardized protocols.
• Part of the international PACIFICA synthesis project, suggesting quality control and community relevance.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count and file size are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Data is from a single, short cruise in 2004, limiting temporal and spatial generalizability.

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 instruments.

Time Range

2004-01 20 to 2004-02-06

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 23:17:29.800034; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, South Pacific Ocean