Coastal Surface Carbon Dioxide Measurements from NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow in 2021

Surface underway data from NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow in the North Atlantic Ocean, US North-East Coast during 2021. The dataset includes chemical, meteorological, and physical measurements such as mole fraction of CO2 in water and air, sea surface temperature, and salinity. Data were collected by NOAA's Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) using a carbon dioxide gas analyzer and equilibrator.

Use Cases

• Calculate air-sea CO2 flux using the difference between sea water fugacity of CO2 (fCO2) and interpolated air fCO2.
• Analyze seasonal patterns in coastal ocean carbon uptake by correlating sea surface temperature and salinity with fugacity of CO2 in sea water.
• Calibrate satellite-derived sea surface temperature products using in-situ water temperature in equilibrator and sea surface temperature measurements.
• Study coastal carbon system variability by examining mole fraction of carbon dioxide (CO2) in the equilibrator headspace and in dry outside air.

Strengths

• Data collected from a dedicated NOAA research vessel using standardized instruments including a carbon dioxide gas analyzer.
• Time-series covers a full annual cycle for the year 2021 in a key coastal region.
• Includes multiple directly measured and derived variables relevant for carbon flux calculation.

Limitations

• Spatial coverage is limited to the ship track between North Carolina and Maine, not a continuous spatial field.
• Sample size and temporal resolution (e.g., hourly vs. sub-hourly) are unspecified.
• Data is from a single year (2021), limiting analysis of long-term trends.

Provenance

Source

NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory (AOML) Ocean Carbon Group, accessed via NASA Earthdata (NCEI Accession 0235184).

Collection Method

Surface underway observations collected autonomously using a carbon dioxide gas analyzer and shower head chamber equilibrator installed on NOAA Ship Henry B. Bigelow.

Time Range

2021

Freshness

Data is from 2021; update frequency is not specified.

Geography

North Atlantic Ocean, US North-East Coast, primarily between North Carolina and Maine.