Measurements of oceanic carbon dioxide and ammonium were collected during the RRS Discovery 192 research cruise in June 1990. The dataset includes 46 pCO2 measurements, 60 total inorganic carbon measurements, and 13 ammonium concentration measurements. Scientists Andy Watson and Peter Williams gathered the data as part of the Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study (BOFS).
Use Cases
- Analyze the relationship between partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and total inorganic carbon (TCO2) concentrations in surface waters.
- Model spatial distributions of ammonium (NH4) concentration within the specified +47N to +48N latitude and +16W to +17W longitude grid.
- Calibrate historical ocean carbon models using the 46 discrete pCO2 measurements from June 1990.
- Study short-term biogeochemical variability by correlating the 60 TCO2 measurements with the 13 NH4 measurements over the cruise period.
Strengths
- Discrete measurements for three key chemical variables: 46 pCO2, 60 TCO2, and 13 NH4.
- Precise spatial and temporal bounds: collected between June 12-24, 1990, within a 1-degree latitude/longitude box in the North Atlantic.
Limitations
- Small sample size with only 119 total data points across all measured variables.
- Limited temporal scope to a single two-week cruise in 1990, preventing seasonal or long-term trend analysis.
- Sparse geographic coverage confined to a specific region of the North Atlantic.
Provenance
- Source
- Measurements made by scientists Andy Watson and Peter Williams during the RRS Discovery 192 cruise for the Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study (BOFS).
- Collection Method
- pCO2 measured by gas chromatography, TCO2 by coulometry, and NH4 by colorimetric autoanalysis from water column samples.
- Time Range
- 1990-06-12 to 1990-06-24
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- North Atlantic, bounded by +47N to +48N latitude and +16W to -17W longitude.