Coastal Carbon Dioxide Measurements from F.G. Walton Smith Cruises

NCEI Accession 0157425 contains surface underway measurements of carbon dioxide partial pressure and related variables from ten research cruises aboard the R/V F.G. Walton Smith. Data collection occurred from February to September 2012 across the Caribbean Sea, Gulf of Mexico, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, and North Atlantic Ocean. The dataset includes air-sea difference calculations for carbon dioxide, barometric pressure, salinity, and sea surface temperature, collected using carbon dioxide gas analyzers and equilibrators.

Use Cases

• Analyzing coastal carbon dioxide flux variability based on air-sea difference measurements.
• Assessing ocean acidification trends in the Gulf of Mexico using partial pressure of carbon dioxide in water.
• Correlating sea surface temperature and salinity with carbon dioxide concentrations in coastal waters.
• Validating regional carbon cycle models with in-situ surface underway data from specific cruise tracks.

Strengths

• Data originates from ten distinct research cruises (e.g., WS1202, WS1206-WS1215), providing multiple sampling events.
• Covers a seven-month time range from 2012-02-27 to 2012-09-25 across multiple coastal and open ocean regions.
• Includes direct measurements from specialized instruments like carbon dioxide gas analyzers and shower head chamber equilibrators.

Limitations

• Column names and dataset size (rows) are not specified in any source, limiting immediate understanding of data structure.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates exist between platforms (2012-09-25 vs. 2026-03-06), creating provenance ambiguity.
• License information is not provided, restricting clarity on permissible use.

Provenance

Source

Frank J. Millero (Rosenstiel School of Marine and Atmospheric Science) and Rik Wanninkhof (NOAA Atlantic Oceanographic and Meteorological Laboratory)

Collection Method

Surface underway observations collected using Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas analyzer and Shower head chamber equilibrator.

Time Range

2012-02-27 to 2012-09-25

Freshness

2026-03-06 00:20:48.970168

Geography

Caribbean Sea, Coastal Waters of Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Florida Keys National Marine Sanctuary, Gulf of Mexico, North Atlantic Ocean