Arabian Sea Organic Carbon and Nitrogen Profiles from JGOFS Cruises

Eleven research cruises aboard the R/V Thomas G. Thompson collected data from October 1994 to January 1996. The dataset contains depth-profile measurements of particulate organic carbon (POC), particulate organic nitrogen (PON), total organic carbon (TOC), and total organic nitrogen (TON) in the Arabian Sea. Investigators from the U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) program, including Azam, Smith, Ducklow, Balch, Hansell, and Peltzer, conducted the study.

Use Cases

• Modeling the relationship between particulate organic carbon (POC) and particulate organic nitrogen (PON) using the provided carbon-to-nitrogen molar ratio across depth profiles.
• Analyzing seasonal variability of total organic carbon (TOC) concentrations in micromoles per liter during monsoon and inter-monsoon cycles captured over multiple cruises.
• Correlating total organic nitrogen (TON) measurements with physical oceanographic data from CTD casts at specific depths and cruise stations.
• Investigating vertical export flux by examining POC and PON concentration gradients with depth from CTD rosette bottle samples.

Strengths

• Seasonal coverage over 16 months captures the annual monsoon and inter-monsoon cycles.
• Data includes multiple organic matter components (POC, PON, TOC, TON) measured on coordinated cruises.
• Measurements are provided with specific units (e.g., micromoles per liter, micromoles per kilogram) for quantitative analysis.

Limitations

• The dataset is temporally limited, with the last update in January 1996, representing a specific historical period.
• Spatial coverage is focused on the Arabian Sea southeast of Oman, which may limit generalizability to other ocean basins.
• Sample size and row count are unspecified, making it difficult to assess statistical power.

Provenance

Source

U.S. Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) program, hosted by the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution (WHOI).

Collection Method

Measurements taken from water samples collected via CTD rosette bottle samplers during research cruises, analyzed by filtration and combustion.

Time Range

October 1994 to January 1996.

Freshness

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Geography

Arabian Sea, specifically the area southeast of Oman where the cruises were staged.