Dissolved Iron Measurements from the Kerguelen-Axis Southern Ocean Region

K-axis dissolved iron (dFe) data from the Kerguelen-Axis region of the Southern Ocean was collected by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) following GEOTRACES protocols. The dataset includes quality control flags and detection limits for dFe concentrations, with analytical results validated against GEOTRACES reference materials. It was last updated in February 2018.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of dissolved iron (dFe) concentration across the Kerguelen-Axis region to identify sources and sinks.
• Correlate dFe QC flag values (1, 2, 3) with measurement confidence to filter data for high-precision modeling.
• Use reported detection limits (0.016 to 0.067 nmol kg-1) to assess the uncertainty of low-concentration dFe measurements.
• Validate analytical methods by comparing dataset reference material results (SAFe D1, GD) against GEOTRACES consensus values.

Strengths

• Data quality is validated against GEOTRACES reference materials SAFe D1 and GD, showing good agreement with consensus values.
• Includes explicit quality control flags (1, 2, 3) for each dFe measurement, indicating confidence levels.
• Provides specific detection limit ranges (0.016 to 0.067 nmol kg-1) for the analytical runs, with a median of 0.026 nmol kg-1.

Limitations

• Sample size is unclear as the number of rows and specific spatial/temporal coverage are not provided.
• Data recency is limited, with the last update in February 2018, potentially missing recent observations.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), accessed via NASA EarthData.

Collection Method

Samples collected and analyzed following GEOTRACES protocols, using SeaFAST S2 pico pre-concentration and SF-ICP-MS analysis.

Freshness

Last updated 2018-02-28; no update frequency specified.

Geography

Kerguelen-Axis region of the Southern Ocean.