High-Frequency Water Quality Measurements from Lough Neagh Buoy

A multiparameter sonde records water temperature, dissolved oxygen, phycocyanin, turbidity, and specific conductivity every 30 minutes at Rea's Wood, Antrim. Data is collected by NIEA's Freshwater Monitoring and Assessment Team as part of a long-term monitoring project and is uploaded with a short delay. Measurements are provisional and non-validated, with sensor accuracy ranges specified for each parameter.

Use Cases

• Modeling algal bloom dynamics based on phycocyanin and turbidity measurements.
• Analyzing diurnal and seasonal water quality trends based on high-frequency temperature and dissolved oxygen data.
• Calibrating or validating hydrological models based on specific conductivity and dissolved oxygen saturation.
• Developing anomaly detection systems for sensor malfunction based on the described accuracy ranges and maintenance schedule.

Strengths

• High temporal resolution with data recorded every 30 minutes.
• Sensor accuracy specifications are provided for each measured parameter (e.g., temperature +/- 0.1°C).
• Part of a long-term monitoring project with regular probe maintenance every 4-6 weeks.

Limitations

• Data is explicitly non-validated and provisional, subject to revision.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.

Provenance

Source

NIEA’s Freshwater Monitoring and Assessment Team, published via OpenDataNI.

Collection Method

Collected by a multiparameter sonde deployed on a buoy.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-03-18 11:22:26.497054; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Rea's Wood bathing water site, Lough Neagh, Antrim, Northern Ireland.