Venezuelan Shelf Physical and Nutrient Measurements for Carbon Retention Study

Physical and nutrient data from the continental shelf of Venezuela supports the Carbon Retention in a Colored Ocean (CARIACO) project. The dataset was collected by NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) between July 2004 and May 2005. It captures in-situ oceanographic conditions for analyzing carbon dynamics in a coastal upwelling region.

Use Cases

• Modeling carbon retention by correlating nutrient concentrations (e.g., nitrate, phosphate) with physical parameters like temperature and salinity.
• Analyzing temporal trends in water column properties over the 11-month sampling period to study seasonal upwelling dynamics.
• Validating satellite-derived ocean color data with in-situ measurements of chlorophyll and other optical properties.
• Investigating relationships between dissolved oxygen levels and nutrient data to assess biogeochemical processes on the continental shelf.

Strengths

• Data collected over an 11-month period (July 2004 - May 2005), providing seasonal coverage.
• Sourced from NOAA NCEI, a authoritative U.S. government environmental data repository.
• Focuses on a specific, scientifically significant coastal upwelling region (Venezuelan shelf).

Limitations

• Exact sample size, row count, and column details are unknown.
• Data is over 15 years old, limiting analysis of recent oceanographic changes.
• Geographic scope is limited to the Venezuelan continental shelf, reducing generalizability.

Provenance

Source

NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI) under accession 0002481.

Collection Method

In-situ collection on the continental shelf, likely via ship-based sensors and water sampling.

Time Range

July 2004 - May 2005

Freshness

Last updated in May 2005; static historical dataset.

Geography

Continental shelf of Venezuela.