SPURS-2: Lady Amber Underway Ocean and Atmosphere Data for the Eastern Tropical Pacific

SPURS-2 S/V Lady Amber underway Thermosalinograph and Sea Snake data originates from a NASA-funded oceanographic process study. The dataset contains physical measurements from six cruises by the schooner Lady Amber in the eastern tropical Pacific during 2016-2017, including meteorological readings and conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) measurements at 1m and 2m depths. These in-situ observations support the study of near-surface salinity dynamics in a rainfall-dominated region subject to strong ocean currents.

Use Cases

• Validating satellite-derived sea surface salinity measurements from Aquarius/SAC-D, SMAP, and SMOS based on in-situ CTD and 'salinity snake' data.
• Analyzing small-scale spatial variability in ocean salinity and temperature using high-resolution underway measurements from a sailboat platform.
• Studying the dynamics of the eastern Pacific fresh pool and its interaction with the North Equatorial Current and Countercurrent based on the campaign's geographic focus near 10N,125W.
• Evaluating methodological uncertainties in oceanographic data collection by comparing measurements from the schooner Lady Amber with nearby data from the R/V Revelle.

Strengths

• Data is part of a coordinated, NASA-funded field campaign (SPURS-2) employing state-of-the-art in-situ sampling technologies.
• Provides complementary, continuous sampling from six cruises over a year-long period, augmenting two month-long research vessel cruises.
• Files are in netCDF format compliant with CD/ACDD standards, promoting interoperability.

Limitations

• Column names and specific row counts are not provided in the available metadata, limiting precise understanding of the data structure.
• The last updated date conflicts between sources (2018-04 30 vs. 2026-04-09), creating uncertainty about metadata freshness.
• The license is ambiguously listed as 'other-license-specified' or 'None', requiring further investigation for reuse.

Provenance

Source

NASA SPURS (Salinity Processes in the Upper Ocean Regional Study) project, likely via PO.DAAC (POCLOUD).

Collection Method

Collected via underway systems on the schooner Lady Amber during six dedicated cruises, including meteorological sensors, a fixed-hull CTD, and a 'salinity snake'.

Time Range

August 2016 to October 2017

Freshness

2026-04-09 22:43:27.671267

Geography

Eastern Tropical Pacific Ocean, focused around a central mooring near 10°N, 125°W.