PACIFICA: Ocean Interior Carbon and Chemistry Measurements in the North Pacific, 2006

Discrete sample and profile data collected from the KEIFU MARU research vessel in the North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea from 2006-04-18 to 2006-05-22. The dataset includes 22 measured variables such as dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, pH, nutrients, and chlorofluorocarbons, collected using CTD, Coulometer, and bottle instruments. These data were gathered by Minoru Matsui and Masao Ishii as part of the international PACIFICA project for synthesizing Pacific Ocean interior carbon data.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean acidification trends based on pH and dissolved inorganic carbon measurements.
• Analyzing nutrient cycles and primary productivity based on nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chlorophyll a data.
• Studying ocean ventilation and circulation using chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) tracer data.
• Calibrating biogeochemical models with profile data for alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and hydrostatic pressure.

Strengths

• Includes 22 distinct chemical, biological, and physical variables measured consistently.
• Data collected during a defined research cruise (PACIFICA_49FA20060418) over a 35-day period in 2006.
• Project was an international collaborative effort supported by PICES, suggesting standardized protocols.

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 cruise in 2006; temporal and spatial coverage is limited.

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

2006-04 18 to 2006-05-22

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 23:25:41.911323; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea