Ocean Carbon and pCO2 Measurements from R/V Wakataka-Maru Cruise

Surface underway data from the R/V Wakataka-Maru cruise in the North Pacific Ocean from July 12 to July 23, 2018, includes measurements of the partial pressure of carbon dioxide in both the atmosphere and seawater. The dataset also contains concurrent sea surface salinity, sea surface temperature, and barometric pressure readings. These data were collected using a CO2 gas analyzer and a shower head chamber equilibrator as part of the Fisheries Research Agency's near-Japan pCO2 cruises project.

Use Cases

• Calculating air-sea CO2 flux based on partial pressure measurements in water and atmosphere.
• Analyzing correlations between sea surface temperature and pCO2 levels in the North Pacific.
• Validating regional ocean carbon cycle models using in-situ pCO2, salinity, and temperature data.
• Assessing short-term variability in surface ocean chemistry during a specific research cruise.

Strengths

• Provides a focused 12-day time series of high-resolution surface ocean carbon measurements.
• Includes directly measured, co-located parameters (pCO2, SST, SSS, pressure) crucial for flux calculations.
• Data is hosted by authoritative organizations like NOAA's National Centers for Environmental Information.

Limitations

• Key metadata such as row count, specific column names, and data license are not provided in the available sources.
• Conflicting 'last updated' dates (2018-07-23 vs. 2026-03-05) create uncertainty about data currency and versioning.
• The dataset's spatial coverage is limited to the specific cruise track of the R/V Wakataka-Maru.

Provenance

Source

National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration, Department of Commerce; Fisheries Research Agency (FRA)

Collection Method

Surface underway measurements collected from the R/V Wakataka-Maru using a CO2 gas analyzer and shower head chamber equilibrator.

Time Range

2018-07-12 to 2018-07-23

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:10:18.065350

Geography

North Pacific Ocean, near Japan