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Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1359783


Metadata Summary

Data Description

Data Category Surface temp/sal
Instrument Type
NameCategories
Sea-Bird SBE 45 MicroTSG thermosalinograph  thermosalinographs; water temperature sensor; salinity sensor
Turner Designs 10AU fluorometer  fluorometers
Trimble 4000DS Global Positioning System receiver  Differential Global Positioning System receivers
Instrument Mounting research vessel
Originating Country United Kingdom
Originator Prof Tim Jickells
Originating Organization University of East Anglia School of Environmental Sciences
Processing Status banked
Online delivery of data Download available - Ocean Data View (ODV) format
Project(s) Atlantic Meridional Transect Phase2(AMT)
 

Data Identifiers

Originator's Identifier AMT12_PRODQXF_SURF
BODC Series Reference 1359783
 

Time Co-ordinates(UT)

Start Time (yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) 2003-05-13 12:24
End Time (yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) 2003-06-15 10:54
Nominal Cycle Interval 60.0 seconds
 

Spatial Co-ordinates

Southernmost Latitude 50.31773 S ( 50° 19.1' S )
Northernmost Latitude 49.42640 N ( 49° 25.6' N )
Westernmost Longitude 53.68221 W ( 53° 40.9' W )
Easternmost Longitude 4.82058 W ( 4° 49.2' W )
Positional Uncertainty 0.0 to 0.01 n.miles
Minimum Sensor or Sampling Depth 6.0 m
Maximum Sensor or Sampling Depth 6.0 m
Minimum Sensor or Sampling Height -
Maximum Sensor or Sampling Height -
Sea Floor Depth -
Sea Floor Depth Source -
Sensor or Sampling Distribution Fixed common depth - All sensors are grouped effectively at the same depth which is effectively fixed for the duration of the series
Sensor or Sampling Depth Datum Approximate - Depth is only approximate
Sea Floor Depth Datum -
 

Parameters

BODC CODERankUnitsTitle
AADYAA011DaysDate (time from 00:00 01/01/1760 to 00:00 UT on day)
AAFDZZ011DaysTime (time between 00:00 UT and timestamp)
ALATTR011DegreesLatitude north relative to WGS84 by Trimble GPS
ALONTR011DegreesLongitude east relative to WGS84 by Trimble GPS
CPHLUMTF1Milligrams per cubic metreConcentration of chlorophyll-a {chl-a CAS 479-61-8} per unit volume of the water body [particulate >unknown phase] by through-flow fluorometer plumbed into non-toxic supply and manufacturer's calibration applied
CPHLUT011Milligrams per cubic metreConcentration of chlorophyll-a {chl-a CAS 479-61-8} per unit volume of the water body [particulate >unknown phase] by through-flow fluorometer plumbed into non-toxic supply and calibration against sample data
PSALSG011DimensionlessPractical salinity of the water body by thermosalinograph and computation using UNESCO 1983 algorithm and calibration against independent measurements
TEMPSG011Degrees CelsiusTemperature of the water body by thermosalinograph and verification against independent measurements

Definition of Rank

  • Rank 1 is a one-dimensional parameter
  • Rank 2 is a two-dimensional parameter
  • Rank 0 is a one-dimensional parameter describing the second dimension of a two-dimensional parameter (e.g. bin depths for moored ADCP data)

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise AMT12 (JR20030512) - Underway Hydrography Data Quality Report

There are no known Data Quality Issues.


Data Access Policy

Open Data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)

You must always use the following attribution statement to acknowledge the source of the information: "Contains data supplied by Natural Environment Research Council."


Narrative Documents

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise AMT12 (JR20030512) - Underway Hydrography Instrumentation Document

The following instruments were used for hydrographic measurements

Manufacturer Model Main Function Serial Number Comments
Trimble 4000DS Position (Latitude and Longitude) - -
Turner Instruments 10AU Fluorometer 005-CE -
Sea-Bird SBE45 Salinity - Conductivity 0 - 7 S m-1
Temperature - -5 - 35°C

Turner Designs 10AU Field Fluorometer

The Turner Designs 10AU is designed for continuous-flow monitoring or discrete sample analyses of fluorescent species. A variety of optical kits with appropriate filters and lamps are available for a wide range of applications. Individual filters and lamps are also available for customised applications.

Standard optical kits include those for chlorophyll-a (extracted and/or in vivo), phycocyanin, phycoerythrin, CDOM, ammonium, rhodamine and fluorescein dye tracing, crude oil, refined oil, histamine and optical brighteners.

The instrument's light source is a 4 watt lamp and the detector is a photomultiplier tube with a standard detection range of 300-650 nm. A red-sensitive version with a detetion range of 185-970 nm is also available.

Specifications

Operating temperature 0 to 55°C
Detector PhotoMultiplier Tube

300 to 650 nm (standard)

185 to 870 nm (Red)

Detection Limits:
Extracted Chlorophyll-a
Rhodamine WT Dye
Fluorescein Dye

0.025 µg L-1
0.01 ppb (in potable water)
0.01 ppb (in potable water)
Linear range:
Extracted Chlorophyll-a
Rhodamine WT Dye
Fluorescein Dye

0 to 250µg L-1
0 to 250 ppb
0 to 250 ppb

Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.

Trimble 4000DS Global Positioning System receiver

The Trimble 4000DS Differential Surveyor is similar to the 4000RS (a Maxwell-based receiver that is oriented toward precision positioning applications. It is intended for use as a DGPS base station, generating RTCM-104 corrections). The 4000Ds can apply RTCM-104 corrections to the satellite data it receives in order to generate accurate position fixes in real time.

SeaBird MicroTSG Thermosalinograph SBE 45

The SBE45 MicroTSG is an externally powered instrument designed for shipboard measurement of temperature and conductivity of pumped near-surface water samples. The instrument can also compute salinity and sound velocity internally.

The MicroTSG comprises a platinum-electrode glass conductivity cell and a stable, pressure-protected thermistor temperature sensor. It also contains an RS-232 port for appending the output of a remote temperature sensor, allowing for direct measurement of sea surface temperature.

The instrument can operate in Polled, Autonomous and Serial Line Sync sampling modes:

  • Polled sampling: the instrument takes one sample on command
  • Autonomous sampling: the instrument samples at preprogrammed intervals and does not enter quiescence (sleep) state between samples
  • Serial Line Sync: a pulse on the serial line causes the instrument to wake up, sample and re-enter quiescent state automatically

Specifications

  Conductivity Temperature Salinity
Range 0 to 7 Sm-1 -5 to 35°C  
Initial accuracy 0.0003 Sm-1 0.002°C 0.005 (typical)
Resolution 0.00001 Sm-1 0.0001°C 0.0002 (typical)
Typical stability (per month) 0.0003 Sm-1 0.0002°C 0.003 (typical)

Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.

RRS James Clark Ross Cruise AMT12 (JR20030512) - Underway Hydrography Processing Document

Originator's Data Processing

The raw data were logged every second to the SCS logging system. The latitude and longitude navigation data originated from the Trimble 4000DS Trimble Surveyor system using Marine Star differential corrections.

The data were submitted to BODC in ASCII output from the BAS SCS system for post-cruise processing and data banking.

BODC Data Processing

Reformatting

Data from the full-resolution SCS files were transferred to BODC's NetCDF format QXF under the BODC Underway Data System (BUDS). The transfer involved reducing the data to 60 second intervals.

Screening

Each data channel was inspected on a graphics workstation and any spikes or periods of dubious data were flagged. The power of the workstation software was used to carry out comparative screening checks between channels by overlaying data channels. A map of the cruise track was simultaneously displayed in order to take account of the oceanographic context.

Values that were outside the parameters designated limits for detection were flagged 'M'.

Calibrations

Temperature

The underway sea temperature channel (TEMPSU01) was compared with averaged surface values extracted from CTD profiles to 6 metres depth. CTD samples with high standard deviations (>0.01 °C) were removed from the dataset. The 59 samples showed the following relationship, which has been used to produce a calibrated temperature channel (TEMPSG01).

TEMPSG01(°C) = 1.0027 * TEMPSU01 - 0.0474 (BODC calibration 2803, R2 = 1)

Salinity

The underway salinity channel (PSALSU01) was compared with averaged surface values extracted from CTD profiles (sensor 2) to 6 metres depth. A regression was carried out and the residuals showed clear shifts over time. The data set was divided into three time periods, and a regression was carried out on each section. The following calibrations were applied:

Date Start Date End Formula BODC Cal Reference N R2
12/05/2003 12:24 25/05/2003 02:12:00 PSALSG01 = 1.0019 * PSALSU01 + 0.0388 2903 23 0.9996
25/05/2003 02:13 09/06/2003 10:07 PSALSG01 = 0.9980 * PSALSU01 + 0.1365 2904 34 0.9997
09/06/2003 10:06 15/06/2003 10:54 PSALSG01 = 1.0430 * PSALSU01 - 1.4041 2905 9 0.9909

The corrected data were compared with 11 salinity samples taken from the non-toxic supply. The average offset between corrected underway data and salinometer data was <0.01

N.B. The offset between uncorrected underway data and salinometer data ranged from -0.05 and -0.15

Chlorophyll-a

The underway chlorophyll-a channel (CPHLUMTF) was calibrated against discrete chlorophyll-a sample measurements.

CPHLUT01 = (CPHLUMTF - 0.113057) / 0.855530


Project Information

The Atlantic Meridional Transect - Phase 2 (2002-2006)

Who was involved in the project?

The Atlantic Meridional Transect Phase 2 was designed by and implemented by a number of UK research centres and universities. The programme was hosted by Plymouth Marine Laboratory in collaboration with the National Oceanography Centre, Southampton. The universities involved were:

  • University of Liverpool
  • University of Newcastle
  • University of Plymouth
  • University of Southampton
  • University of East Anglia

What was the project about?

AMT began in 1995, with scientific aims to assess mesoscale to basin scale phytoplankton processes, the functional interpretation of bio-optical signatures and the seasonal, regional and latitudinal variations in mesozooplankton dynamics. In 2002, when the programme restarted, the scientific aims were broadened to address a suite of cross-disciplinary questions concerning ocean plankton ecology and biogeochemistry and the links to atmospheric processes.

The objectives included the determination of:

  • how the structure, functional properties and trophic status of the major planktonic ecosystems vary in space and time
  • how physical processes control the rates of nutrient supply to the planktonic ecosystem
  • how atmosphere-ocean exchange and photo-degradation influence the formation and fate of organic matter

The data were collected with the aim of being distributed for use in the development of models to describe the interactions between the global climate system and ocean biogeochemistry.

When was the project active?

The second phase of funding allowed the project to continue for the period 2002 to 2006 and consisted of six research cruises. The first phase of the AMT programme ran from 1995 to 2000.

Brief summary of the project fieldwork/data

The fieldwork on the first three cruises was carried out along transects from the UK to the Falkland Islands in September and from the Falkland Islands to the UK in April. The last three cruises followed a cruise track between the UK and South Africa, only deviating from the traditional transect in the southern hemisphere. During this phase the research cruises sampled further into the centre of the North and South Atlantic Ocean and also along the north-west coast of Africa where upwelled nutrient rich water is known to provide a significant source of climatically important gases.

Who funded the project?

Natural Environment Research Council (NERC)


Data Activity or Cruise Information

Cruise

Cruise Name JR20030512 (AMT12, JR102, JR88, JR90)
Departure Date 2003-05-12
Arrival Date 2003-06-17
Principal Scientist(s)Tim Jickells (University of East Anglia School of Environmental Sciences)
Ship RRS James Clark Ross

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here


Fixed Station Information


No Fixed Station Information held for the Series


BODC Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

Flag Description
Blank Unqualified
< Below detection limit
> In excess of quoted value
A Taxonomic flag for affinis (aff.)
B Beginning of CTD Down/Up Cast
C Taxonomic flag for confer (cf.)
D Thermometric depth
E End of CTD Down/Up Cast
G Non-taxonomic biological characteristic uncertainty
H Extrapolated value
I Taxonomic flag for single species (sp.)
K Improbable value - unknown quality control source
L Improbable value - originator's quality control
M Improbable value - BODC quality control
N Null value
O Improbable value - user quality control
P Trace/calm
Q Indeterminate
R Replacement value
S Estimated value
T Interpolated value
U Uncalibrated
W Control value
X Excessive difference

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

The following single character qualifying flags may be associated with one or more individual parameters with a data cycle:

Flag Description
0 no quality control
1 good value
2 probably good value
3 probably bad value
4 bad value
5 changed value
6 value below detection
7 value in excess
8 interpolated value
9 missing value
A value phenomenon uncertain
B nominal value
Q value below limit of quantification