PACIFICA Ocean Carbon and Chemistry Profiles from Ryofu Maru II, 2004

Discrete sample and profile data collected from the Ryofu Maru II research vessel in the North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, and South Pacific Ocean during a cruise from January 14 to February 26, 2004. The dataset includes 22 measured variables such as dissolved inorganic carbon, pH, alkalinity, nutrients, chlorophyll, and CFCs, collected using CTD, Coulometer, and bottle instruments. Data were contributed by researchers from the Japan Meteorological Agency and the Meteorological Research Institute as part of the international PACIFICA project.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean carbon storage and acidification based on dissolved inorganic carbon and pH measurements.
• Studying nutrient dynamics and primary productivity based on nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and chlorophyll a data.
• Analyzing water mass age and circulation based on Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) concentrations.
• Investigating the marine carbon cycle based on dissolved organic carbon and delta carbon-13 isotope data.

Strengths

• Includes 22 distinct chemical, biological, and physical variables per observation.
• Data collected during a dedicated research cruise over a focused 44-day period in 2004.
• Part of the international PACIFICA synthesis project, suggesting standardized collection 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 early 2004.

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 14 to 2004-02-26

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-05 23:15:14.929818; freshness should be verified.

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Philippine Sea, South Pacific Ocean