WOCE P16S17S: Carbon and Tracer Profiles from the South Pacific Ocean

South Pacific Ocean data from the R/V Thomas Washington during July-August 1991 includes discrete chemical and physical profile measurements. The dataset contains variables for studying the carbon cycle and ocean circulation, such as dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, CFCs, and stable isotopes. It was collected as part of the World Ocean Circulation Experiment Hydrographic Program.

Use Cases

• Calibrating ocean carbon cycle models using dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity measurements.
• Tracing ocean ventilation pathways using Chlorofluorocarbon (CFC-11, CFC-12) concentrations.
• Studying water mass age and mixing with Delta Carbon-14 and Tritium isotope data.
• Analyzing nutrient distributions and biogeochemical cycles with nitrate, phosphate, and silicate columns.

Strengths

• Contains a specific suite of 19 chemical and physical variables for carbon cycle and tracer analysis.
• Part of the larger, well-documented World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) program, which covered approximately 23,000 stations.
• Data collection methodology is specified, using CTD and bottle instruments.

Limitations

• The exact number of rows, columns, and file size is unknown from all sources.
• Conflicting last updated dates exist between platforms (1991-08-25 vs. 2026-03-06), suggesting potential metadata issues.
• Column names are not explicitly listed, requiring inference from the description.

Provenance

Source

Taro Takahashi of Columbia University; Lamont-Doherty Earth Observatory

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations using CTD and bottle instruments from the R/V Thomas Washington.

Time Range

1991-07-16 to 1991-08-25

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:03:54.828677

Geography

South Pacific Ocean