CTD data collected from Cefas research vessel cruises broadly covering the European Shelf and the Iberian Abyssal Plain. Data were collected using a lowered CTD rosette system when the vessel was stationary, with profiles taken from the surface to near the sea bed. The exact sensor configuration varies between cruises, with early years focusing on pressure, temperature, and conductivity, and later years adding fluorometers, optical back scatter, transmissometers, and PAR sensors.
Use Cases
- Calculate salinity from conductivity data based on the UNESCO 1978/1983 formulations mentioned in the description.
- Analyze vertical profiles of temperature and conductivity for oceanographic research.
- Calibrate sensor readings using water bottle samples collected on the up cast.
- Study temporal changes in marine parameters across different research cruises.
- Investigate biogeochemical processes using data from fluorometers and PAR sensors added in later years.
Strengths
- Data collection follows a standardized method using a lowered CTD rosette system on stationary vessels.
- The description indicates coverage of a broad geographic area, including the European Shelf and the Iberian Abyssal Plain.
- Sensor suite expanded over time to include fluorometers, optical back scatter, transmissometers, and PAR sensors.
Limitations
- Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
- Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
- The exact sensor configuration varies between cruises, complicating consistent analysis.
Provenance
- Source
- Government Digital Service
- Collection Method
- Data collected from Cefas (or its predecessor the Directorate of Fisheries Research) research cruises using a lowered CTD rosette system.
- Geography
- European Shelf and Iberian Abyssal Plain