Antarctic Shelf Nutrient Profiles from GLOBEC Research Cruise 2001

Nutrient profile data was collected aboard the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer on the western Antarctic shelf. The dataset was created by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information in support of the GLOBEC project. Measurements were taken from April to June 2001.

Use Cases

• Analyze spatial patterns of nutrient concentrations across the western Antarctic shelf using station location data.
• Correlate nutrient profiles with physical oceanographic data like temperature and salinity from the same cruise.
• Study seasonal nutrient depletion or enrichment in Antarctic waters during the austral autumn period.
• Validate regional biogeochemical models of the Southern Ocean using in-situ nutrient measurements.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated, large-scale international research program (GLOBEC).
• Measurements are from a specific, well-documented research vessel (R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer) and time period (Apr-Jun 2001).
• Focuses on a critical and data-sparse region: the western Antarctic shelf.

Limitations

• The exact number of sampling stations, rows of data, and measured parameters (columns) is unknown.
• Data is over 20 years old, limiting analysis of recent climate change impacts.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the cruise track of a single vessel over three months.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI Accession 0000786).

Collection Method

Collected via ship-based sampling during the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer research cruise.

Time Range

2001-04 to 2001-06

Freshness

Data collection ended in June 2001; it is a static historical dataset.

Geography

Western Antarctic shelf.