Malizia Ocean Challenge: Sea Surface Carbon and Salinity Measurements

Surface underway data from the racing sailing vessel Malizia Ocean Challenge provides a unique mobile perspective on ocean chemistry. Measurements of partial pressure of carbon dioxide, salinity, temperature, and barometric pressure were collected across the North Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, and Mediterranean Sea from May to August 2019. This dataset supports research on carbon flux and ocean-atmosphere interaction in dynamic coastal and open ocean regions.

Use Cases

• Tracking carbon dioxide partial pressure variability in coastal vs. open ocean regions.
• Correlating sea surface temperature with salinity measurements along vessel transects.
• Analyzing barometric pressure data for meteorological context during oceanographic cruises.
• Studying carbon flux dynamics using data from a shower head chamber equilibrator.

Strengths

• Data collected across multiple major marine regions (North Atlantic, Mediterranean Sea, English Channel).
• Includes direct measurements of four key oceanographic and atmospheric variables.
• Sourced from a NOAA NCEI accession, indicating formal archival and quality control.

Limitations

• Column names and exact data structure are not provided in any source description.
• Exact row count and dataset size are unknown, limiting assessment of scope.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2019-08-05 and 2026-03-05) create uncertainty about provenance.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) Accession 0210604.

Collection Method

Surface underway observations collected via carbon dioxide gas analyzer and equilibrator aboard the sailing vessel Malizia.

Time Range

2019-05-03 to 2019-08-05

Freshness

Last updated date conflicts between sources: 2019-08-05 and 2026-03-05.

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, English Channel, Strait of Gibraltar, Mediterranean Sea.