Oceanographic measurements from McMurdo Sound include tide levels, currents, temperature, salinity, and biological biomass samples. Data collection spanned multiple field seasons from the 1970-71 to 1973-74 seasons, involving tide gauges, current meters, and plankton net hauls. The work was conducted by the organization SCIOPS.
Use Cases
- Model tidal circulation patterns in McMurdo Sound using time-series tide gauge and current meter data.
- Analyze relationships between water column properties like temperature and salinity and biological biomass from plankton net hauls.
- Study seasonal or multi-year variability in current observations taken at 100m depth intervals across a 16-mile transect.
- Examine the flux through McMurdo Sound using current data from a line of five hydrographic stations.
Strengths
- Multi-season data collection covering the 1970-71, 1972-73, and 1973-74 field seasons.
- Includes multiple data types: physical (current, tide, temperature, salinity) and biological (biomass) measurements.
- Spatial coverage includes a 16-mile transect of hydrographic stations and multiple sampling holes in the fast ice.
Limitations
- Specific row counts, column details, and sample sizes for biological hauls are unknown.
- Primary data collection occurred over 50 years ago; environmental conditions may have since changed.
- Geographic scope is limited to McMurdo Sound, which may not be representative of other Antarctic regions.
Provenance
- Source
- SCIOPS, accessed via NASA EarthData.
- Collection Method
- Field measurements using tide gauges, current meters, conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) casts, and plankton net hauls from holes drilled in fast ice and from a research ship.
- Time Range
- Primary measurements from the 1970-71 to 1973-74 Antarctic field seasons, with references to historical data from 1902-1903 and the 1950s-1960s.
- Freshness
- Data is historical, with the last recorded update in February 1971.
- Geography
- McMurdo Sound, Antarctica, specifically near McMurdo Station, Scott Base, Cape Armitage, Winter Quarters Bay, and Arrival Heights.