Equatorial Pacific Bio-optical Profiles from 1992 JGOFS Cruises

Four research cruises collected bio-optical measurements along 140°W longitude in the equatorial Pacific during 1992. The dataset includes spectral irradiance, radiance, photosynthetically available radiation, fluorescence, and light transmission profiles. The data was gathered as part of the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) Equatorial Pacific Process Study.

Use Cases

• Modeling photosynthetically available radiation (PAR) profiles from spectral irradiance measurements.
• Correlating in-water fluorescence data with phytoplankton biomass estimates across latitudes from 17°S to 12°N.
• Analyzing spatial and temporal variability of light transmission along the 140°W transect over four cruises.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color products using in-situ upwelled spectral radiance measurements.

Strengths

• Data collected from 43 distinct station occupations across four dedicated research cruises.
• Includes multiple concurrent bio-optical measurements (spectroradiometer, transmissometer, fluorometer) per profile.
• Provides latitudinal coverage from 17°S to 12°N along a fixed 140°W longitude transect.

Limitations

• Data is from a single year (1992), limiting analysis of long-term trends or interannual variability.
• Spatial coverage is restricted to a single longitudinal line, not a basin-wide survey.
• Sample data and specific row/column counts are unavailable for assessing dataset size and structure.

Provenance

Source

Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) via NASA EarthData (SCIOPS).

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from ship-based profiling systems equipped with spectroradiometers, transmissometers, and fluorometers.

Time Range

1992-02-03 to 1992-10-21

Freshness

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Geography

Equatorial Pacific Ocean along 140°W longitude, from 17°S to 12°N latitude.