Particulate Organic Carbon and CTD Data from Pacific Hydrothermal Vents (1990-1993)

CTD and light attenuation data were collected from the Straits of Juan de Fuca hydrothermal vents in the northeast Pacific Ocean. The dataset contains measurements from four files collected between June 1990 and October 1993 by NOAA Ship DISCOVERER and ATLANTIS II. Data were gathered by the Pacific Marine Environmental Laboratory as part of the VENTS program to study submarine volcanism.

Use Cases

• Analyze relationships between light attenuation (transmissometer data) and particulate organic carbon concentrations in vent plumes.
• Model water column structure using Conductivity, Temperature, and Depth (CTD) profiles averaged to 1 decibar pressure intervals.
• Investigate temporal changes in vent fluid properties from time-series data collected over a 3-year period.
• Correlate CTD-derived salinity and temperature with light transmission to study particle dispersion from seafloor spreading centers.

Strengths

• Data collected over a 3-year and 5-month period from June 1990 to October 1993.
• Measurements from two dedicated research vessels, NOAA Ship DISCOVERER and ATLANTIS II.
• Specific instrumentation noted: Seabird model 9 CTD and SeaTech .25 transmissometer.

Limitations

• Exact sample size (row count) and data volume are unknown.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Straits of Juan de Fuca and NE Pacific, not globally representative.
• Data is temporally stale, with the last update occurring over 30 years ago in 1993.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), submitted by Dr. David J Pashinski.

Collection Method

In-situ measurements from ship-based Conductivity-Temperature-Depth (CTD) casts and a transmissometer.

Time Range

1990-06-01 to 1993-10-31

Freshness

Data collection ended on 1993-10-31; no ongoing updates.

Geography

Coastal Waters of Washington/Oregon and NE Pacific (limit-180), specifically the Straits of Juan de Fuca vents.