IN2023_V07: Triaxus Oceanographic Data for SWOT Satellite Validation

Southern Ocean data collected from the RV Investigator voyage IN2023_V07 between November 15 and December 20, 2023. The dataset contains multidisciplinary oceanographic measurements from 5 Triaxus tows totaling 121.75 hours, focusing on a meander of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current south of Tasmania. It was collected by the Australian Ocean Data Network to validate the Surface Water Ocean Topography (SWOT) satellite mission.

Use Cases

• Validate SWOT satellite sea surface height observations based on in situ subsurface CTD, dissolved oxygen, and nitrate data.
• Characterize small-scale (10-100 km) variability in ocean circulation based on high-resolution towed sensor measurements across an ACC meander.
• Quantify cross-frontal transport of heat and carbon based on concurrent physical and biogeochemical sensor data (e.g., transmissometer, ECO Triplet).
• Investigate linkages between physical dynamics and biological processes based on combined CTD, PAR, fluorescence, and plankton counter (LOPC) data.

Strengths

• Data from 5 distinct Triaxus tows with a total operational duration of 121.75 hours.
• Includes measurements from duplicate Seabird SBE9plus CTD sensors for key parameters like pressure, conductivity, and temperature.
• Multidisciplinary sensor suite captures physical, biogeochemical, and biological variables (CTD, nitrate, PAR, transmissometer, fluorescence, plankton counting).

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Description notes software issues during data collection, including 5 instances of software crashes requiring restarts.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Data collected using a towed TRIAXUS platform (hull number 2) equipped with multiple sensors during RV Investigator voyage IN2023_V07.

Time Range

November 15, 2023 to December 20, 2023

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-27 18:13:58.357573; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southern Ocean, focusing on a meander of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current south of Tasmania, departing from and returning to Hobart.