Coastal Carbon Measurements from the Gulf of Mexico Pelican Cruise 2013

From September 9 to 22, 2013, the R/V Pelican collected surface underway, discrete sample, and profile data in the Coastal Waters of Louisiana, Texas, and the Gulf of Mexico. The dataset includes measurements of dissolved inorganic carbon, partial pressure of carbon dioxide in air and water, total alkalinity, pH, salinity, temperature, and barometric pressure. It is part of the Global Coastal Carbon Data Project, focusing on carbon cycling in continental margin environments.

Use Cases

• Modeling coastal carbon budgets based on dissolved inorganic carbon and alkalinity measurements.
• Assessing ocean acidification trends using pH and partial pressure of carbon dioxide in water.
• Calibrating satellite-derived salinity and temperature data with in-situ CTD profiles.
• Studying air-sea gas exchange of CO2 using concurrent atmospheric and aquatic fugacity measurements.

Strengths

• Data collection employed multiple specialized instruments, including an alkalinity titrator, CTD, and non-dispersive infrared analyzers.
• The dataset is part of a curated, cross-platform project (Global Coastal Carbon Data Project), indicating established scientific utility.
• Covers a specific two-week cruise with detailed metadata on location, time, and personnel.

Limitations

• Critical metadata is missing from all sources: exact row count, column names, file size, and specific license are unknown.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2013-09-22 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about data currency.
• The dataset's scope is limited to a single cruise in 2013, providing a snapshot rather than a long-term time series.

Provenance

Source

Collected by Antonio Mannino (NASA GSFC), Christopher W. Hunt, and Joseph E. Salisbury (University of New Hampshire).

Collection Method

Ship-based measurements using alkalinity titrator, CTD, carbon dioxide gas analyzer, NDIR DIC analyzer, shower head chamber equilibrator, bottle samples, and pH sensors.

Time Range

2013-09-09 to 2013-09-22

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:20:56.389554

Geography

Coastal Waters of Louisiana, Coastal Waters of Texas, Gulf of Mexico