NBP9802: Underway Oceanographic Data from Antarctic Icebreaker Cruise

Leg NBP9802 of the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer collected underway data during a 1998 Antarctic research cruise that started and ended at McMurdo Station. The dataset, hosted by NASA Earthdata and sourced from SCIOPS, supports global change studies in biological, chemical, physical, and oceanographic disciplines. The data was last updated in April 1998.

Use Cases

• Analyze physical oceanographic conditions (e.g., temperature, salinity) along the cruise track based on the description of physical discipline studies.
• Study chemical oceanography and biogeochemical cycles based on the description of chemical discipline support.
• Investigate biological patterns and distributions in Antarctic waters based on the mention of biological studies.
• Model ocean currents and water mass properties in the Southern Ocean based on the underway data collection method.
• Correlate in-situ marine measurements with satellite or other observational data for calibration based on the multidisciplinary research focus.

Strengths

• Data originates from a dedicated NSF-supported research icebreaker, the R/V Nathaniel B. Palmer.
• Supports multidisciplinary global change studies across biological, chemical, physical, and oceanographic disciplines.
• Provides a specific temporal snapshot from a completed Antarctic research leg (NBP9802) in 1998.

Limitations

• Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
• Last updated 1998-04-02 23:59:59.999000; freshness should be verified.
• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.

Provenance

Source

SCIOPS, via NASA Earthdata.

Collection Method

Underway data collection during a research icebreaker cruise.

Time Range

1998 (specific leg NBP9802).

Freshness

Last updated 1998-04 02 23:59:59.999000; likely a static historical dataset.

Geography

Antarctic region, cruise starting and ending at McMurdo Station.