CLIVAR I08S_2003: Southern Ocean Hydrographic Profile Data

Discrete sample and profile data were collected from the AURORA AUSTRALIS research vessel in the Indian and Southern Oceans (>60°S) between January 3 and March 17, 2003. The dataset includes measurements of dissolved oxygen, salinity, water temperature, potential temperature, hydrostatic pressure, and concentrations of nitrate+nitrite, phosphate, and silicate. These data support the CLIVAR program's goal of quantifying changes in ocean heat, freshwater, and carbon dioxide storage and transport.

Use Cases

• Analyzing water mass properties and ocean circulation based on CTD-derived temperature, salinity, and pressure profiles.
• Studying nutrient cycling and biogeochemical processes using nitrate, phosphate, and silicate concentration data.
• Calibrating and validating oceanographic models with in-situ hydrographic measurements from a specific cruise track.
• Investigating changes in ocean carbon storage by comparing this 2003 occupation with other repeat hydrography sections.

Strengths

• Data collection is tied to a specific, documented research cruise (CLIVAR I08S_2003) with known principal investigators and institutions.
• Covers a 2.5-month time period in a critical and data-sparse region of the Southern Ocean.
• Includes a multi-parameter suite of physical and chemical oceanographic variables from calibrated instruments (CTD and bottle).

Limitations

• Key metadata is missing or conflicting: the exact row count, column names, and file size are unknown across all sources.
• There is a conflict in the 'last updated' date (2003-03-17 vs. 2026-03-05), creating uncertainty about metadata maintenance.
• The dataset's license and specific data access format (beyond HTML metadata) are not provided.

Provenance

Source

Commonwealth Scientific and Industrial Research Organization (CSIRO) and UNSW Climate Change Research Centre (CCRC); collected by Stephen R. Rintoul and John A. Church.

Collection Method

Discrete sample and profile observations collected using CTD and bottle instruments aboard the R/V AURORA AUSTRALIS.

Time Range

2003-01-03 to 2003-03-17

Freshness

2026-03-05 23:00:00.662798

Geography

Indian Ocean and Southern Oceans (specifically > 60 degrees South)