Southern Ocean Particle Flux Data from Sediment Traps (2004-2005)

Particle flux data collected between 2004 and 2005 using moored sinking particle traps at three sites in the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ), the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ), and beneath the Subantarctic Front (SAF). The dataset, provided by the Australian Ocean Data Network, includes variables like time, depth, location, and mass flux measurements to study carbon redistribution in the Southern Ocean.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon export flux based on measured particulate total mass flux (mass_flux).
• Analyzing temporal particle flux variations based on time-series data (TIME, TIME_START).
• Studying spatial gradients in particle export across oceanographic fronts based on latitude and longitude coordinates.
• Investigating the role of water masses (SAMW, AAIW) in carbon sequestration based on depth and location context.

Strengths

• Data collection spans a full annual cycle from 2004 to 2005.
• Measurements target three distinct biogeochemical regions: the SAZ, PFZ, and beneath the SAF.
• Variables include key oceanographic parameters like depth, location, and mass flux with associated uncertainty estimates where available.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The description notes that not all variables, such as uncertainty estimates and quality control flags, are supplied in all files.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Measured using moored sinking particle traps.

Time Range

2004-2005

Freshness

Last updated 2026-07-10 00:23:50.649700; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Ocean, south of -47 degrees latitude, specifically the Subantarctic Zone (SAZ) and Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ).