CLIM-EPARSES: Surface Ocean Chemistry in the Mozambique Channel

Surface measurements from the Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel were collected aboard the R/V Marion-Dufresne from April 4 to April 30, 2019. The data includes dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, temperature, and salinity, aimed at evaluating the impact of global warming and acidification on coral reef ecosystems in the Eparses Islands. This discrete, time-series data supports research on ocean carbon cycles and the health of vulnerable marine habitats.

Use Cases

• Modeling ocean acidification trends based on dissolved inorganic carbon and total alkalinity measurements.
• Assessing coral reef vulnerability to climate change using concurrent temperature and chemistry data.
• Calibrating satellite-derived sea surface salinity products with in-situ discrete measurements.
• Studying carbon cycling dynamics in the surface waters of the Mozambique Channel.

Strengths

• Data has a precise temporal scope, collected during a dedicated research cruise from 2019-04-04 to 2019-04-30.
• Dataset is hosted by a authoritative source, the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
• Cross-platform presence on Data.gov and NASA EarthData indicates established curation and importance.

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are not specified in any source, limiting immediate usability.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2026-03-05 vs. 2019-04-30) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific license are unavailable.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Surface measurements collected during the R/V Marion-Dufresne cruise CLIM-EPARSES (EXPOCODE 35MV20190405).

Time Range

2019-04-04 to 2019-04-30

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:28:19.581559

Geography

Indian Ocean and Mozambique Channel, focusing on the Eparses Islands (Scattered Islands).