R/V Sikuliaq 2018 Underway pCO2 and Sea Surface Measurements

Surface underway data from the R/V Sikuliaq tracks the partial pressure of carbon dioxide across a vast marine transect from the North Pacific to the Arctic Ocean. Measurements of pCO2, salinity, temperature, and barometric pressure were collected autonomously using a CO2 gas analyzer and equilibrator. This time-series captures seasonal and spatial variability in ocean carbon chemistry during 2018.

Use Cases

• Calculating air-sea CO2 flux based on continuous pCO2 and barometric pressure measurements.
• Analyzing correlations between sea surface temperature, salinity, and carbon dioxide partial pressure across ocean basins.
• Validating regional ocean carbon models with in-situ underway data from the Gulf of Alaska and Bering Sea.
• Investigating seasonal changes in ocean acidification parameters in the Chukchi and Arctic Oceans.

Strengths

• Covers a wide geographic range including the North Pacific, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, and Arctic Ocean.
• Provides continuous, high-frequency underway measurements over a 10-month period from February to December 2018.
• Data is hosted by authoritative sources including NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI).

Limitations

• Column names and data structure are not specified in any source, complicating direct analysis.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2018-12-10 vs. 2026-03-05) create uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• Key metadata such as row count, file size, and specific data license are not provided.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce

Collection Method

Surface underway data collected autonomously from R/V Sikuliaq using a Carbon dioxide (CO2) gas analyzer and shower head chamber equilibrator.

Time Range

2018-02-05 to 2018-12-10

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:07:56.511314

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, Gulf of Alaska, Bering Sea, Chukchi Sea, Arctic Ocean