Surface underway measurements of carbon dioxide partial pressure, salinity, temperature, and barometric pressure collected from the R/V F.G. Walton Smith research vessel. The dataset was collected by the Global Coastal Carbon Data Project and submitted to NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI). Observations were made during coastal cruises in the Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean in 2021.
Use Cases
- Calculate air-sea CO2 flux using the air-sea difference of partial pressure of carbon dioxide (pCO2) and barometric pressure.
- Analyze correlations between sea surface salinity, sea surface temperature, and pCO2 in water along cruise tracks.
- Validate satellite-derived sea surface temperature and salinity products with in-situ thermosalinograph measurements.
- Model coastal carbon dynamics using concurrent atmospheric pCO2 and water pCO2 measurements from the same location.
- Assess spatial variability of carbon parameters in the Gulf of Mexico versus the North Atlantic Ocean from the cruise data.
Strengths
- Data includes multiple concurrent chemical, physical, and meteorological variables (pCO2, salinity, temperature, pressure) for integrated analysis.
- Measurements target coastal regions, which are critical and data-sparse areas for carbon cycle understanding.
- Data collected using specific, documented instruments including carbon dioxide gas analyzers and thermosalinographs.
Limitations
- Sample size and temporal resolution (e.g., number of data points, sampling frequency) are unknown from the description.
- Geographic coverage is limited to specific cruise tracks in 2021, not a continuous spatial or temporal record.
- Potential for instrument-specific biases or calibration issues across the different sensors used.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) via the Global Coastal Carbon Data Project.
- Collection Method
- Surface underway observations collected from the R/V F.G. Walton Smith research vessel using barometric pressure sensors, carbon dioxide gas analyzers, equilibrators, and thermosalinographs.
- Time Range
- 2021
- Freshness
- Data is from 2021, with metadata last updated in May 2021; represents a single year's snapshot.
- Geography
- Gulf of Mexico and North Atlantic Ocean along the cruise tracks of the R/V F.G. Walton Smith.