SOCCOM K-Axis: Southern Ocean Carbon and Hydrographic Profiles

NCEI Accession 0163181 contains discrete sample and profile data from the Southern and Indian Oceans collected aboard the AURORA AUSTRALIS from January to March 2016. The dataset includes measurements for carbon system variables like dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity, alongside hydrographic and nutrient data such as salinity, temperature, nitrate, and phosphate. It was collected by researchers from the Australian Antarctic Division and CSIRO using CTD rosettes and sensors as part of the SOCCOM project.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean carbon uptake based on dissolved inorganic carbon and partial pressure of CO2 measurements.
• Studying nutrient cycling and primary productivity using nitrate, phosphate, silicate, and ammonium concentrations.
• Analyzing water mass properties and circulation from CTD-derived salinity, temperature, and hydrostatic pressure profiles.
• Calibrating biogeochemical ocean models with in-situ total alkalinity and dissolved oxygen data.

Strengths

• Includes a specific suite of 15+ chemical and physical variables relevant to carbon cycle research.
• Data collected over a focused 2-month cruise in a critical and data-sparse region (Southern Ocean >60°S).
• Associated with a recognized research program (SOCCOM) and specific cruise ID (Kerguelen Axis V3).

Limitations

• Key structural metadata is missing: column names, row count, and file size are unknown across all sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' timestamps (2016-03-15 vs. 2026-03-05) create uncertainty about data currency.
• License information is absent, restricting clarity on reuse permissions.

Provenance

Source

Australian Antarctic Division and Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO)

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations collected using CTD, PAR Sensor, and bottle instruments.

Time Range

2016-01-11 to 2016-03-15

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:35:34.607958

Geography

Indian Ocean and Southern Oceans (> 60 degrees South)