NBP0812: Underway Oceanographic Data from Drake Passage, 2008

R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer leg NBP0812 collected underway data for a study on the Antarctic Circumpolar Current in Drake Passage. The NSF-supported icebreaker operates year-round for the U.S. Antarctic Program, conducting global change studies across biological, chemical, physical, and oceanographic disciplines. This specific voyage started and ended at Punta Arenas, Chile.

Use Cases

• Analyze the dynamics and transport of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current based on underway measurements mentioned in the description
• Study physical oceanographic properties in the Drake Passage region based on the expedition's focus
• Investigate global change phenomena in the Southern Ocean based on the vessel's multidisciplinary research mission
• Model water mass properties and current variability using continuous ship-based sensor data likely collected

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NSF-supported research icebreaker, suggesting rigorous collection standards
• Focuses on the strategically important Drake Passage, a key chokepoint for the Antarctic Circumpolar Current
• Supports multidisciplinary global change studies across biological, chemical, physical, and oceanographic disciplines

Limitations

• Last updated 2008-12-12 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download
• Row count and file formats are unknown, which may limit suitability assessment

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata

Collection Method

Underway data collection from the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer research vessel

Time Range

2008 (specific leg NBP0812)

Freshness

2008-12-12 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Drake Passage, starting and ending at Punta Arenas, Chile