Weddell Sea Carbonate Chemistry and CTD Profiles from 1981

1981-10-09 to 1981-11-25 chemical and physical oceanographic data collected during the WEPOLEX-81 cruise in the South Atlantic Ocean's Weddell Sea. The dataset includes measurements of pH, total alkalinity, salinity, water temperature, potential temperature, and hydrostatic pressure. Data were collected by Chen-Tung A. Chen of National Sun Yat-Sen University using CTD and bottle instruments.

Use Cases

• Calculate ocean acidification parameters like aragonite saturation state from pH and total alkalinity measurements.
• Analyze water column structure by correlating hydrostatic pressure with salinity and potential temperature profiles.
• Model carbon uptake in the Weddell Sea by examining relationships between total alkalinity, salinity, and water temperature.
• Validate regional ocean models using in-situ bottle and CTD data for salinity and temperature.

Strengths

• Data covers a focused 48-day research cruise in the critical Weddell Sea region.
• Includes key carbonate system variables (pH, total alkalinity) alongside core physical parameters.

Limitations

• Dataset is from a single cruise in 1981, providing only a historical snapshot.
• Unknown row count and sample size limit statistical analysis.
• Geographic coverage is limited to the specific cruise track of the MIKHAIL SOMOV.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from NODC Accession 0117504.

Collection Method

Discrete samples and continuous profiles collected using CTD and bottle instruments.

Time Range

1981-10-09 to 1981-11-25

Freshness

Data is from 1981; no updates are expected.

Geography

South Atlantic Ocean, specifically the Weddell Sea, from cruise WEPOLEX-81 aboard the MIKHAIL SOMOV.