Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 767833


Metadata Summary

Data Description

Data Category Hydrography time series at depth
Instrument Type
NameCategories
Sea-Bird SBE 37-IM MicroCAT C-T Sensor  water temperature sensor; salinity sensor
Instrument Mounting moored surface buoy
Originating Country United Kingdom
Originator Mr John Howarth
Originating Organization Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (now National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool)
Processing Status banked
Project(s) Oceans 2025
Oceans 2025 Theme 10
Oceans 2025 Theme 10 SO11
 

Data Identifiers

Originator's Identifier MC02010.1016
BODC Series Reference 767833
 

Time Co-ordinates(UT)

Start Time (yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) 2007-10-03 12:50
End Time (yyyy-mm-dd hh:mm) 2007-11-21 13:30
Nominal Cycle Interval 600.0 seconds
 

Spatial Co-ordinates

Latitude 53.53333 N ( 53° 32.0' N )
Longitude 3.36283 W ( 3° 21.8' W )
Positional Uncertainty 0.01 to 0.05 n.miles
Minimum Sensor Depth 10.0 m
Maximum Sensor Depth 10.0 m
Minimum Sensor Height 14.1 m
Maximum Sensor Height 14.1 m
Sea Floor Depth 24.1 m
Sensor Distribution Fixed common depth - All sensors are grouped effectively at the same depth which is effectively fixed for the duration of the series
Sensor Depth Datum Instantaneous - Depth measured below water line or instantaneous water body surface
Sea Floor Depth Datum Instantaneous - Depth measured below water line or instantaneous water body surface
 

Parameters

BODC CODE Rank Units Title
AADYAA01 1 Days Date (time from 00:00 01/01/1760 to 00:00 UT on day)
AAFDZZ01 1 Days Time (time between 00:00 UT and timestamp)
ACYCAA01 1 Dimensionless Sequence number
CNDCPR01 1 Siemens per metre Electrical conductivity of the water body by in-situ conductivity cell
PSALPR01 1 Dimensionless Practical salinity of the water body by conductivity cell and computation using UNESCO 1983 algorithm
TEMPPR01 1 Degrees Celsius Temperature of the water body
 

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


Data Access Policy

Public domain data

These data have no specific confidentiality restrictions for users. However, users must acknowledge data sources as it is not ethical to publish data without proper attribution. Any publication or other output resulting from usage of the data should include an acknowledgment.

The recommended acknowledgment is

"This study uses data from the data source/organisation/programme, provided by the British Oceanographic Data Centre and funded by the funding body."


Narrative Documents

Sea-Bird SBE37-IM MicroCAT

The SBE 37-IM MicroCAT is a high accuracy conductivity and temperature recorder (pressure optional) with a built in Inductive Modem, which provides reliable, low-cost, real-time data transmission. Designed for moorings and other long-duration, fixed-site deployments, MicroCATs have non-corroding titanium housings rated for operation to 7000 metres or pressure sensor full scale-range.

Communication with the MicroCAT is via a Surface Inductive Modem (SIM) to a computer or data logger. Commands and data are transmitted half-duplex between the SIM and the MicroCAT using DPSK (differential-phase-shift-keyed) telemetry. As a safe guard, the MicroCAT simultaneously backs up the data in its non-volatile internal memory as well as transmitting the data via telemetry.

The MicroCAT's aged and pressure-protected thermistor has a long history of exceptional accuracy and stability (typical drift is less than 0.002 °C per year). Electrical isolation of the conductivity electronics eliminates any possibility of ground-loop noise.

Specifications

  Temperature
(°C)
Conductivity (S m-1) Optional Pressure
Measurement Range -5 to +35 0 to 7 (0 to 70 mS cm-1) 0 to full scale range: 20 / 100 / 350 / 600 / 1000 / 2000 / 3500 / 7000 metres
Initial accuracy 0.002 0.0003 0.1% of full scale range
Typical Stability 0.0002 0.0003 0.05% of full scale range
Resolution 0.0001 0.00001 0.002% of full scale range
Sensor Calibration +1 to +32 0 to 6; physical calibration over range 2.6 to 6 S m-1, plus zero conductivity (air) Ambient pressure to full scale range in 5 steps
Memory 8 Mbyte non-volatile FLASH memory
Data Storage Converted temperature and conductivity: 5 bytes per sample (2.5 bytes each)
Time: 4 bytes per sample
Pressure (optional): 2 bytes per sample
Real-Time Clock 32,768 Hz TCXO accurate to ±1 minutes year-1
Standard Internal Batteries 10.6 Ampere-hour pack consisting of 12 AA lithium batteries. Provides sufficient capacity for more than 200,000 samples for a typical sampling scheme
Housing Titanium pressure case rated at 7000 metres
Weight (without pressure) In water: 2.4 kg
In air: 4.0 kg

Further information can be found via the following link: Sea-Bird SBE37-IM MicroCAT Datasheet

SeaBird MicroCAT Data Processing

Data Originator's Processing

The following procedures were carried out before the data were supplied to BODC.

Data were downloaded from the instrument logger, and factory calibrations were applied to the conductivity, temperature and pressure channels, when present.

BODC Data Processing and Quality Control

Where pressure sensors were fitted: the data record was compared with the instrument depth to ensure it was giving reasonable values for that depth. The time series was visually screened for evidence of rig movement (e.g. trawling) and excessive leaning (perhaps due to strong currents).

Where temperature sensors were fitted: the data record was compared with other temperature data taken in the vicinity and checked for agreement within a few tenths of a degree Celsius. Obvious spikes were flagged. Periods of excessively noisy data were noted.

Conductivity sensors: salinity (PSS-78) was computed during transfer using the Matlab sw_salt routine:

where

General Data Screening carried out by BODC

BODC screen both the series header qualifying information and the parameter values in the data cycles themselves.

Header information is inspected for:

Documents are written by BODC highlighting irregularities which cannot be resolved.

Data cycles are inspected using time or depth series plots of all parameters. Currents are additionally inspected using vector scatter plots and time series plots of North and East velocity components. These presentations undergo intrinsic and extrinsic screening to detect infeasible values within the data cycles themselves and inconsistencies as seen when comparing characteristics of adjacent data sets displaced with respect to depth, position or time. Values suspected of being of non-oceanographic origin may be tagged with the BODC flag denoting suspect value; the data values will not be altered.

The following types of irregularity, each relying on visual detection in the plot, are amongst those which may be flagged as suspect:

If a large percentage of the data is affected by irregularities then a Problem Report will be written rather than flagging the individual suspect values. Problem Reports are also used to highlight irregularities seen in the graphical data presentations.

Inconsistencies between the characteristics of the data set and those of its neighbours are sought and, where necessary, documented. This covers inconsistencies such as the following:

This intrinsic and extrinsic screening of the parameter values seeks to confirm the qualifying information and the source laboratory's comments on the series. In screening and collating information, every care is taken to ensure that errors of BODC making are not introduced.


Project Information

Oceans 2025 - The NERC Marine Centres' Strategic Research Programme 2007-2012

Who funds the programme?

The Natural Environment Research Council (NERC) funds the Oceans 2025 programme, which was originally planned in the context of NERC's 2002-2007 strategy and later realigned to NERC's subsequent strategy (Next Generation Science for Planet Earth; NERC 2007).

Who is involved in the programme?

The Oceans 2025 programme was designed by and is to be implemented through seven leading UK marine centres. The marine centres work together in coordination and are also supported by cooperation and input from government bodies, universities and other partners. The seven marine centres are:

Oceans2025 provides funding to three national marine facilities, which provide services to the wider UK marine community, in addition to the Oceans 2025 community. These facilities are:

The NERC-run Strategic Ocean Funding Initiative (SOFI) provides additional support to the programme by funding additional research projects and studentships that closely complement the Oceans 2025 programme, primarily through universities.

What is the programme about?

Oceans 2025 sets out to address some key challenges that face the UK as a result of a changing marine environment. The research funded through the programme sets out to increase understanding of the size, nature and impacts of these changes, with the aim to:

In order to address these aims there are nine science themes supported by the Oceans 2025 programme:

In the original programme proposal there was a theme on health and human impacts (Theme 7). The elements of this Theme have subsequently been included in Themes 3 and 9.

When is the programme active?

The programme started in April 2007 with funding for 5 years.

Brief summary of the programme fieldwork/data

Programme fieldwork and data collection are to be achieved through:

The data is to be fed into models for validation and future projections. Greater detail can be found in the Theme documents.


Oceans 2025 Theme 10

Oceans 2025 is a strategic marine science programme, bringing marine researchers together to increase people's knowledge of the marine environment so that they are better able to protect it for future generations.

Theme 10: Integration of Sustained Observations in the Marine Environment spans all marine domains from the sea-shore to the global ocean, providing data and knowledge on a wide range of ecosystem properties and processes (from ocean circulation to biodiversity) that are critical to understanding Earth system behaviour and identifying change. They have been developed not merely to provide long-term data sets, but to capture extreme or episodic events, and play a key role in the initialisation and validation of models. Many of these SOs will be integrated into the newly developing UK Marine Monitoring Strategy - evolving from the Defra reports Safeguarding our Seas (2002) and Charting Progress (2005), thus contributing to the underpinning knowledge for national marine stewardship. They will also contribute to the UK GOOS Strategic Plan (IACMST, 2006) and the Global Marine Assessment.

Weblink: http://www.oceans2025.org/


Oceans 2025 Theme 10, Sustained Observation Activity 11: Liverpool Bay and Irish Sea Coastal Observatory

Sustained, systematic observations of the ocean and continental shelf seas at appropriate time and space scales allied to numerical models are key to understanding and prediction. In shelf seas these observations address issues as fundamental as 'what is the capacity of shelf seas to absorb change?' encompassing the impacts of climate change, biological productivity and diversity, sustainable management, pollution and public health, safety at sea and extreme events. Advancing understanding of coastal processes to use and manage these resources better is challenging; important controlling processes occur over a broad range of spatial and temporal scales which cannot be simultaneously studied solely with satellite or ship-based platforms.

Considerable effort has been spent by the Proudman Oceangraphic Laboratory (POL) in the years 2001 - 2006 in setting up an integrated observational and now-cast modelling system in Liverpool Bay (see Figure), with the recent POL review stating the observatory was seen as a leader in its field and a unique 'selling' point of the laboratory. Cost benefit analysis (IACMST, 2004) shows that benefits really start to accrue after 10 years. In 2007 - 2012 exploitation of (i) the time series being acquired, (ii) the model-data synthesis and (iii) the increasingly available quantities of real-time data (e.g. river flows) can be carried out through Sustained Observation Activity (SO) 11, to provide an integrated assessment and short term forecasts of the coastal ocean state.

BODC image

Overall Aims and Purpose of SO 11

Measurement and Modelling Activities

More detailed information on this Work Package is available at pages 32 - 35 of the official Oceans 2025 Theme 10 document: Oceans 2025 Theme 10

Weblink: http://www.oceans2025.org/

References:

IACMST., 2004. The Economics of Sustained Marine Measurements. IACMST Information Document, N0.11, Southampton: IACMST, 96 pp


Data Activity or Cruise Information

Data Activity

Start Date (yyyy-mm-dd) 2007-10-03
End Date (yyyy-mm-dd) 2007-11-21
Organization Undertaking ActivityProudman Oceanographic Laboratory (now National Oceanography Centre, Liverpool)
Country of OrganizationUnited Kingdom
Originator's Data Activity IdentifierPOLRIG1016
Platform Categorymoored surface buoy

Smartbuoy deployment LB1_045 / POLRIG#1016

Deployment and Recovery

This rig was deployed as part of the Liverpool Bay Coastal Observatory during R.V. Prince Madog cruise PD23_07. All the major cruise objectives were accomplished, despite poor weather during the night of 3 / 4 October, although two CTD sites were missed out. The water column was well mixed, with little signs of phytoplankton productivity. Recovery of the rig took place during R.V. Prince Madog cruise PD27_07.


Rig Position 53° 31.998'N 3° 21.769'W
Water Depth 24.1 m
Deployed 3 October 2007 12:42 GMT
Recovered 21 November 2007 13:27 GMT
No. of days 49

Rig Description

This rig is a SmartBuoy comprising of the following instruments: 2 Sea-Bird MicroCAT sensors; 2 Mini-loggers; one surface CTD; light sensors at 1 and 2 m below the surface; a water sampler which obtains water samples once per day for laboratory nutrient (TOXN and silicate; no filtration therefore no phosphate); fluorometer (SeaPoint); oxygen (Aanderaa Optode) and chlorophyll determination and an in situ NAS2E nutrient analyser. The CTD and light data are transmitted back to CEFAS via Orbcomm. The frame was fitted with bags for the determination of bacterial degradation. The single point mooring was composed mainly of 1/2" long link chain, marked by a 1.8 m diameter toroid and anchored by a half tonne clump of scrap chain.

The table below details the CEFAS instrumentation


Instrument Serial
Number
Parameters Meter
depth (m)
Record
Length (days)
Chelsea Instruments Minitracka Fluorometer 2211 Fluorescence 1 35
Falmouth Scientific OEM CT sensor 1841 Temperature
Conductivity
(Salinity Derived)
1 49
Seapoint Turbidity meter 110933 Turbidity 1 29
LI-COR-192 Underwater Quantum sensor 13 PAR
Vertical Light attenuation coefficient
1 29
LI-COR-192 Underwater Quantum sensor 18 PAR 2 29
EnviroTech WMS-2 Aqua Monitor water sampler 2328 Silicate
Total Oxidised Nitrogen
No information available No information available
EnviroTech NAS in situ nutrient analyser 1819 Total Oxidised Nitrogen No information available No information available
Aanderaa Oxygen Optode 128 Oxygen Concentration
Oxygen Saturation
1 49

The table below details the POL instrumentation

Instrument Serial Number Meter Level Parameters Sampling Interval Comments
Sea-Bird MicroCAT 4966 5 m below surface Temperature
Conductivity
Pressure
600 s -
Sea-Bird MicroCAT 2010 10 m below surface Temperature
Conductivity
600 s Reference pressure=25 dbar
Mini-logger 2425 7.5 m below surface Temperature 600 s Delayed start at 08:00:00 on 3 October 2007
Data not recovered
Mini-logger 2112 15 m below surface Temperature 600 s Delayed start at 08:00:00 on 3 October 2007

Other Series linked to this Data Activity - 767901 767869

Cruise

Cruise Name PD23/07
Departure Date 2007-10-03
Arrival Date 2007-10-04
Principal Scientist(s)M John Howarth (Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory)
Ship RV Prince Madog

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here


Fixed Station Information

Fixed Station Information

Station NameCOA
CategoryOffshore area
Latitude53° 31.51' N
Longitude3° 23.00' W
Water depth below MSL26.0 m

Liverpool Bay Coastal Observatory Mooring Site A (COA/Site 1/Site 9)

This station is the main mooring site for the Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory (POL) Liverpool Bay Coastal Observatory and was first occupied in 2002. It is also known both as Coastal Observatory Site 1 and Site 9. POL perform two main types of activities at this station: they deploy moorings; and in addition, they take CTD profiles during each site visit. The station lies within a box of mean water depth 22.5 m with the following co-ordinates:

Box Corner Latitude (+ve North) Longitude (+ve East)
North-west corner 53.54097 -3.42958
South-east corner 53.50945 -3.33714

The position of this station relative to the other POL Coastal Observatory sites can be seen from the figure below.

BODC image

Mooring Deployment History

2011

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, OBS, OXY 1117 for January cruise. Other frame IDs not available at this time. January - September
SmartBuoy CTD x 2, AC-S, CT x 2, FL x 3, OBS x 2, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, OXY, T x 2 1116 for January cruise. Other frame IDs not available at this time. January - September
SparBuoy AC-S, FL, CTD x 2, T Frame ID not available at this time. September

2010

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, ADV, OBS 1086, 1090, 1094, 1098, 1102, 1106, 1109 January - December
SmartBuoy CT x 2, FL x 2, OBS, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, CTD, OXY, BD, T 1085, 1089, 1093, 1097, 1101, 1105, 1108, 1112 January - December

2009

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, ADV, OBS 1055, 1062, 1067, 1071, 1074, 1078, 1082 January - December
SmartBuoy CT x 2, FL x 2, OBS, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, CTD, OXY, BD, T 1054, 1061, 1066, 1070, 1073, 1077, 1081 January - December

2008

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, ADV, OBS 1024, 1028, 1032, 1036, 1041, 1044, 1047, 1051 January - December
SmartBuoy CT x 2, FL x 2, OBS, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, CTD, OXY, BD, T LB1_047/1023, LB1_048/1027, LB1_049/1031, LB1_050/1035, 1040, 1043, LB1_053/1050 January - December

2007

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, ADV, OBS 990, 997, 1001, 1005, 1010, 1014, 1017, 1021 January - December
SmartBuoy CT x 2, FL x 2, OBS, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, CTD, OXY, BD, T LB1_039/989, LB1_040/996, LB1_041/1000, LB1_042/1004, LB1_043/1009, LB1_044/1013, LB1_045/1016, LB1_046/1020 January - December

2006

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CTD, ADV, OBS 951, 962, 966, 970, 974, 978, 982, 986 January - December
SmartBuoy CT x 2, FL x 2, OBS, PAR x 2, WMS, NAS, CTD, OXY, BD 958, 961, 965, 969, 973, 977, LB1_037/981, LB1_038/985 January - December

2005

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, CT 913, 914, 921, 925, 929, 933, 938, 942, 945, 949 January - December
SmartBuoy CT, FL, OBS, PAR, WMS, NAS, OXY 912, 920, 924, 928, 932, 937, LB1_028/941, LB1_029/944, LB1_030/948 January - December
Frame with telemetry buoy ADCP 914 March - April

2004

Rig Type Typical Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame BPR, ADCP, TR, CT 890, 892, 893, 896, 898, 900, 902, 904, 907, 908, 910, 911 January - December
SmartBuoy CT, FL, OBS, PAR, WMS, NAS 889, 891, 895, 897, 899, 901, 903, 906, 909 January - December
Frame with telemetry buoy ADCP 893, 908, 911 April - May, October - December

2003

Rig Type Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame BPR, ADCP, TR, CT 861, 864, 866, 869, 872, 878, 880, 883, 885, 887, 888 January - December
SmartBuoy CT, FL, OBS, PAR, WMS, NAS 863, 865, 867, 870, 871, 877, 879, 882, 884, 886 January - December

2002

Rig Type Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame BPR, ADCP, TR, CT 851, 854, 856, 858 August - December
Line mooring CT x 3 853, 855 August - November
SmartBuoy CT, FL, OBS, PAR, WMS, NAS 857, 860 November - December

2001

Rig Type Instruments Rig IDs Comment
Frame ADCP, OBS 838, 839, 840, 841, 843, 844, 845, 846, 848, 849 September

CTD Sampling History

Year Number of Cruises Total Casts per year
2011 6 116 including a 46 cast tidal cycle from 2011-04-18 to 2011-04-19 and a 51 cast tidal cycle station from 2011-07-27 to 2011-07-28
2010 7 69 including a 52 cast tidal cycle station from 2010-04-28 to 2010-04-29
2009 7 21
2008 9 75 including a 54 cast tidal cycle station from 2008-05-13 to 2008-05-14
2007 8 71 including a 51 cast tidal cycle station from 2007-05-15 to 2007-05-16
2006 9 72 including a 53 cast tidal cycle station from 2006-05-09 to 2006-05-10
2005 9 41 including a 22 cast tidal cycle station from 2005-04-05 to 2005-04-06
2004 9 77 including a 54 cast tidal cycle station from 2004-05-11 to 2004-05-12
2003 10 28
2002 4 13

The CTD instrument package for these cruises was a Sea-Bird 911plus, with beam transmissometer, fluorometer, LICOR PAR sensor, LISST-25, and oxygen sensor.

Key

AC-S = Absorption and attenuation spectrophotometer
ADCP = Acoustic Doppler Current Profiler
ADV = Acoustic Doppler Velocimeter
BD = Bacterial degradation experiment
BPR = Bottom Pressure Recorder
CT = Conductivity and temperature logger
CTD = Conductivity, temperature, depth sensor
FL = Fluorometer
NAS = in-situ nutrient analyser
OBS = Optical Backscatter Turbidity meter
OXY = Oxygen sensor
PAR = PAR sensor
T = Temperature logger
TR = Transmissometer
WMS = Automatic water sampler

Other Series linked to this Fixed Station for this cruise - 767869 767882 767901 862055 862252 862473 862682 862786 862891 945526 945538 945643 1082334 1082487

Other Cruises linked to this Fixed Station (with the number of series) - PD01/08 (16) PD02/03 (4) PD02/05 (3) PD02/07 (14) PD02/09B (16) PD02/10 (9) PD05/10 (10) PD06/07 (15) PD07/08 (14) PD09/06 (11) PD09/07 (63) PD09/08 (15) PD10/03 (3) PD10/10 (8) PD11/05 (1) PD11/11 (48) PD12/05 (2) PD12/09 (10) PD13/07 (13) PD14/08 (67) PD16/06 (8) PD16/07 (14) PD17/03 (4) PD17/10 (9) PD18/04 (5) PD18/05 (3) PD18/09 (11) PD19/08 (2) PD20/02 (5) PD20/06 (8) PD20/07 (16) PD21/05 (3) PD21/10 (9) PD22/04 (5) PD22/06 (8) PD23/03A (4) PD23/07 (14) PD23/08 (12) PD24/02 (1) PD24/09 (11) PD25/03B (4) PD25/05 (3) PD25/06 (8) PD25/11 (4) PD27/07 (16) PD29/04 (4) PD29/06 (8) PD29/08 (13) PD29/10 (11) PD30/05 (2) PD31/02 (4) PD31/03 (4) PD32/04 (4) PD33/08 (4) PD33/09 (10) PD34/03 (4) PD34/05 (9) PD35/02 (4) PD35/06 (13) PD36/10 (10) PD37/06 (13) PD37/08 (17) PD38/03 (5) PD38/04 (4) PD38/09 (10) PD41/05 (10) PD43/11 (3) PD47/09 (9) PD48/05 (10) PD49/10 (7)


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