190 discrete measurements of oceanic carbon were collected during a 25-day research cruise aboard the RRS Discovery. Scientists Andy Watson and Peter Williams recorded partial pressure and total inorganic carbon concentrations in the North Atlantic. Data collection occurred between May 12 and June 6, 1990.
Use Cases
- Analyze the relationship between pCO2 measurements and TCO2 concentrations to study carbon system thermodynamics.
- Map the spatial distribution of carbon parameters across the +48N to +60N, +17W to +22W study region.
- Use the late-spring 1990 data as a baseline for assessing decadal changes in North Atlantic carbon inventory.
- Correlate cruise-track carbon measurements with contemporaneous satellite or atmospheric data for validation.
Strengths
- Provides 125 pCO2 and 65 TCO2 discrete measurements from a controlled research expedition.
- Precise temporal (May 12 - June 6, 1990) and spatial (+48N to +60N, +17W to +22W) boundaries are documented.
Limitations
- Small sample size of 190 total data points limits statistical power for broad regional analysis.
- Data is from a single, short-duration cruise, capturing only a seasonal snapshot.
- No column-level metadata is available to detail measurement units, depths, or associated environmental variables.
Provenance
- Source
- Measurements by Andy Watson and Peter Williams during the RRS Discovery 191 cruise for the Biogeochemical Ocean Flux Study (BOFS).
- Collection Method
- pCO2 measured by gas chromatography; TCO2 measured by gas coulometry from water column samples.
- Time Range
- 1990-05-12 to 1990-06-06
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- North Atlantic, bounded by +48N to +60N latitude and +17W to +22W longitude.