North Sea Organosulfur and Halocarbon Measurements from 1989 Research Cruise

The North Sea Project collected 1,397 discrete water column measurements of oceanic organosulfur compounds, halocarbons, and ammonium during the Challenger 59 research cruise in August and September 1989. Measurements were made by researchers Sue Turner and David Hydes under the SCIOPS organization. The dataset includes concentrations of dimethylsulphide, dimethylsulphoniopropionate, and multiple halocarbons like dibromochloromethane and methyl iodide.

Use Cases

• Modeling dimethylsulphide (DMS) sea-to-air flux using its concentration measurements to assess climate impacts.
• Analyzing correlations between dissolved and particulate dimethylsulphoniopropionate (DMSP) concentration measurements to understand phytoplankton physiology.
• Investigating spatial patterns of halocarbon concentrations like methyl iodide and chloroform across the sampled latitude and longitude range.
• Studying ammonium concentration distribution relative to other measured compounds to evaluate nutrient cycling in the North Sea.

Strengths

• Contains 1,397 discrete chemical concentration measurements from a defined research cruise.
• Provides specific counts for 12 different compounds, with up to 112 measurements for a single analyte (DMS).
• Clear spatial coverage defined by coordinates (+51N to +56N, +2W to +8E) and temporal coverage (23 Aug - 3 Sep 1989).

Limitations

• Sample size is limited to a single, short cruise in 1989, offering only a temporal snapshot.
• Measurement counts vary significantly between compounds (e.g., 5 for dissolved plus particulate DMSP vs. 357 for ammonium), limiting comparative analysis.
• Data is over 30 years old, which may not reflect current oceanic conditions.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS organization, via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Measurements taken from water column samples via filtration, purging, cryogenic trapping, gas chromatography, and colorimetric autoanalysis during a dedicated research cruise.

Time Range

1989-08-23 to 1989-09-03

Freshness

Data is from 1989; no update frequency specified.

Geography

North Sea, bounded by +51N to +56N latitude and +2W to +8E longitude.