Discrete sample and profile data from the POLARSTERN research vessel in the South Atlantic and Southern Oceans (>60°S) during March-May 1998. The dataset includes measurements for dissolved inorganic carbon, chlorofluorocarbons, dissolved oxygen, nutrients, and hydrographic variables. Data were collected by researchers from the Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research as part of the CARINA synthesis project.
Use Cases
- Analyzing dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) concentration trends relative to salinity and water temperature to study ocean acidification.
- Mapping chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12, CFC-113) distributions as tracers for ocean ventilation and circulation age.
- Correlating nutrient levels (nitrate, phosphate, silicate) with hydrostatic pressure and potential temperature to understand biogeochemical cycles.
- Using tritium and helium isotope measurements alongside delta helium-3 to investigate water mass origins and mixing processes.
Strengths
- Data collected from a dedicated research vessel (POLARSTERN) in a targeted polar region (>60°S).
- Includes 17 distinct chemical and physical variables, providing a multi-faceted view of ocean conditions.
- Part of the CARINA international synthesis project, ensuring efforts toward internal consistency for biogeochemical studies.
Limitations
- Temporal coverage is limited to a single two-month cruise in 1998, providing a snapshot rather than a long-term record.
- Sample size and row count are unknown, which limits assessment of statistical robustness.
- Geographic coverage is restricted to the cruise track, not a comprehensive survey of the Southern Oceans.
Provenance
- Source
- Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, via NOAA NCEI Accession 0113595.
- Collection Method
- Data collected using CTD and bottle instruments from discrete sample and profile observations.
- Time Range
- 1998-03-28 to 1998-05-23
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- South Atlantic Ocean and Southern Oceans (>60 degrees South), along the POLARSTERN cruise track.