R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer NBP9304: Antarctic Research Vessel Underway Data

Underway data was collected during leg NBP9304 of the NSF-supported research icebreaker R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer. The vessel operates year-round for the U.S. Antarctic Program, conducting studies in biological, chemical, physical, and oceanographic disciplines. This transit leg started and ended at Punta Arenas, Chile, with data last updated in August 1993.

Use Cases

• Analyze physical oceanographic conditions during a 1993 Antarctic transit based on underway data.
• Study temporal changes in marine biological or chemical properties along the vessel's route.
• Correlate environmental data with other Antarctic datasets for long-term climate change research.
• Model ship-track based observations for regional oceanographic studies.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NSF-supported research icebreaker, suggesting authoritative collection.
• Covers multiple scientific disciplines (biological, chemical, physical, oceanographic) for integrated analysis.
• Provides a specific temporal snapshot from a 1993 Antarctic research voyage.

Limitations

• Last updated 1993-08-05 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is 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

1993 (specific leg NBP9304)

Freshness

1993-08-05 23:59:59.999000

Geography

Antarctic region, transit starting and ending at Punta Arenas, Chile.