Mertz Polynya Oceanographic Measurements from Ship and Mooring Arrays

Oceanographic measurements were conducted in the vicinity of the Mertz Polynya, encompassing 2 consecutive seasonal cycles from 1998 to 2000. The dataset includes 92 CTD/LADCP vertical profile stations, over 700 Niskin bottle water samples, ship-mounted ADCP data, and two mooring arrays with 11 total moorings. Data was collected by the Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC) during science cruises between 1998 and 2000.

Use Cases

• Analyze vertical profiles of salinity, temperature, and depth (CTD data) to characterize water column structure near the Mertz Glacier.
• Use Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler (ADCP) data to map near-surface current patterns across multiple cruises.
• Correlate moored thermosalinograph and current meter time-series with ship-based CTD casts to study seasonal polynya dynamics.
• Investigate biogeochemical properties by analyzing nutrient, dissolved oxygen, and dimethyl sulphide measurements from over 700 Niskin bottle samples.
• Combine upward-looking sonar data from moorings with other measurements to infer sea ice thickness or bottom topography influences.

Strengths

• Comprehensive coverage of 2 full seasonal cycles (1998-2000) in a key Antarctic region.
• High vertical resolution with 92 CTD/LADCP stations, most reaching within 20 meters of the seafloor.
• Multi-instrument integration from ship-based profiles, bottle samples, ADCP, and 11 moorings.

Limitations

• Specific row counts, file sizes, and column schemas for the underlying data files are not provided.
• Data collection ended in February 2000, representing a historical snapshot with no recent updates.
• Potential spatial bias limited to the vicinity of the Mertz Polynya and adjacent glacier.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Data Centre (AU_AADC), part of ASAC projects 2223 and 189.

Collection Method

Ship-based measurements (CTD, LADCP, ADCP, Niskin bottle rosette) and deployed/recovered mooring arrays (thermosalinographs, current meters, upward-looking sonars).

Time Range

1998 to 2000, with specific cruises in April 1998, July 1998, winter 1999, and February 2000.

Freshness

Data collection concluded in February 2000; last metadata update was March 2000.

Geography

Vicinity of the Mertz Polynya and Mertz Glacier in the Antarctic region.