CARINA: Ocean Carbon and Nutrient Profiles from the Bay of Biscay, 1977

NODC Accession 0113528 provides a 21-day snapshot of subsurface ocean chemistry from the R/V Cornide de Saavedra cruise 29CS19771007. This dataset includes 12 key variables like alkalinity, dissolved oxygen, and nutrients, collected via CTD and bottle casts for the CARINA carbon synthesis project. Its measurements support biogeochemical investigations of the carbon system across the Atlantic and adjacent oceans.

Use Cases

• Calibrating ocean carbon models based on discrete alkalinity and pH measurements.
• Analyzing nutrient stoichiometry (nitrate, phosphate, silicate) for biological productivity studies.
• Studying water mass properties using concurrent salinity, potential temperature, and hydrostatic pressure profiles.
• Assessing historical baseline conditions for dissolved oxygen in the Bay of Biscay.

Strengths

• Includes a specific suite of 12 biogeochemical variables critical for carbon system studies.
• Data is part of the internationally curated CARINA synthesis project, aimed at internal consistency.
• Covers a defined 21-day research cruise (1977-10 07 to 1977-10-27) with clear provenance.

Limitations

• Column names and row counts are unspecified across all sources, hindering structural assessment.
• Conflicting last update dates (2026-03-05 vs. 1977-10-27) indicate potential metadata inconsistency.
• Author affiliations differ slightly between sources (CSIRO/unknown vs. IIM).

Provenance

Source

NOAA NCEI (NODC Accession 0113528), collected by F. Pérez, Aida F. Ríos, and F. Fraga.

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations using CTD and bottle instruments.

Time Range

1977-10-07 to 1977-10-27

Freshness

2026-03-05 22:25:28.974430

Geography

Bay of Biscay and North Atlantic Ocean