Minerve-40: Ocean Carbon and Meteorology from the Marion Dufresne

NCEI Accession 0157283 captures a two-week research voyage of the R/V Marion Dufresne across the Mediterranean and Red Seas in late 1999. The dataset likely contains continuous surface measurements of carbon dioxide partial pressure in both air and water, alongside salinity, temperature, and fluorescence. These observations support the study of ocean-atmosphere carbon exchange and marine biogeochemistry in key regional basins.

Use Cases

• Calculating air-sea CO2 flux based on partial pressure measurements in air and water.
• Correlating sea surface temperature and salinity with carbon dioxide fugacity.
• Mapping regional variability in marine fluorescence as a proxy for biological activity.
• Validating ocean carbon cycle models for the Mediterranean and Red Sea regions.

Strengths

• Data is hosted by authoritative sources (NOAA NCEI, NASA Earthdata), indicating formal curation.
• Covers a specific, well-documented research cruise (Minerve-40) with a precise time range (1999-10-18 to 1999-11-01).
• Includes simultaneous atmospheric and aquatic carbon dioxide measurements, a key pairing for flux calculations.

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing: row count, file size, and specific column names are not provided by any source.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-03-05 vs. 1999-11-01) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• The dataset's age (1999) may limit its utility for studying contemporary oceanographic changes.

Provenance

Source

Nicolas Metzl of Sorbonne University (formerly Universite Pierre et Marie Curie); Laboratoire de Biogeochimie et Chimie Marines.

Collection Method

Surface underway observations collected from the R/V Marion Dufresne using barometric pressure sensors and CO2 gas analyzers.

Time Range

1999-10-18 to 1999-11-01

Freshness

2026-03-05 (from datagov platform)

Geography

Arabian Sea, Gulf of Aden, Gulf of Suez, Indian Ocean, Ionian Sea, Mediterranean Sea (including Eastern Basin), Red Sea.