Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1360409
Metadata Summary
Problem Reports
Data Access Policy
Narrative Documents
Project Information
Data Activity or Cruise Information
Fixed Station Information
BODC Quality Flags
SeaDataNet Quality Flags
Metadata Summary
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Parameters |
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Problem Reports
No Problem Report Found in the Database
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
Non-toxic (underway) sea water supply
A source of uncontaminated near-surface (commonly 3 to 7 m) seawater pumped continuously to shipboard laboratories on research vessels. There is typically a temperature sensor near the intake (known as the hull temperature) to provide measurements that are as close as possible to the ambient water temperature. The flow from the supply is typically directed through continuously logged sensors such as a thermosalinograph and a fluorometer. Water samples are often collected from the non-toxic supply. The system is also referred to as the underway supply.
D223A Discrete CTD Inorganic Nutrient Sampling Document
Originator's Protocol for Data Acquisition and Analysis
Sample collection and analysis
Duplicate discrete dissolved inorganic nutrient samples were collected from Niskin bottles fired on many of the CTD casts performed during the cruise. Clean plastic diluvial containers were rinsed three times with water from the Niskin bottle prior to being filled. One duplicate sample was stored in the refrigerator and analysed within 12 hours of sampling, the other sample stored in the ship's cold room (at 5 °C). Concentrations of silicate, nitrate/nitrite and phosphate were determined by segmented flow analysis using a Chemlab Autoanalyser. Analysis was performed in duplicate to ensure accuracy and enable greater precision. Sensor drift was also monitored at intervals throughout the process.
Primary standards were prepared in calibrated 500 ml glass volumetric flasks (calibrated polyethylene volumetric flasks for silicate), approximately every four weeks. These utilised pre-weighed salts prepared in the lead up to the cruise. Sets of working standards were typically made up from these on a daily basis in 100 ml calibrated polyethylene volumetric flasks in artificial seawater (40 g/l NaCl).
Analytical equipment functioned satisfactorily throughout the cruise. The tubing on the peristaltic pump being replaced as a precaution approximately every two weeks.
BODC Data Processing Procedures
PSTAR-formatted CTD sample data from this cruise were supplied to BODC during March 1998. The inorganic nutrient data were extracted from these files and loaded into BODC's Oracle database. Flags were assigned if values were considered suspect.
Content of data series
Originator's Parameter | Unit | Description | BODC Parameter code | BODC Unit | Comments |
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SiO3 | µmol/l | Concentration of silicate per unit volume of the water body [dissolved plus reactive particulate phase] by colorimetric autoanalysis | SLCAAATX | µmol/l | No unit conversion necessary |
NO2+NO3 | µmol/l | Concentration of nitrate+nitrite {NO3+NO2} per unit volume of the water body [dissolved plus reactive particulate phase] by colorimetric autoanalysis | NTRZAATX | µmol/l | No unit conversion necessary |
PO4 | µmol/l | Concentration of phosphate per unit volume of the water body [dissolved plus reactive particulate phase] by colorimetric autoanalysis | PHOSAATX | µmol/l | No unit conversion necessary |
References
Leach, H., Pollard, R. T., (1998). RRS Discovery Cruise 223, 28 SEP - 19 NOV 1996. VIVALDI '96. Cruise Report No. 17 Southampton Oceanography Centre.
Project Information
UK WOCE
The UK made a substantial contribution to the international World Ocean Circulation Experiment (WOCE) project by focusing on two important regions:
- Southern Ocean - links all the worlds oceans, controlling global climate.
- North Atlantic - directly affects the climate of Europe.
A major part of the UK effort was in the Southern Ocean and work included:
- Two surveys, in the South Atlantic as part of the WOCE Hydrographic Programme.
- SWINDEX, a year long study of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) where it crosses major topography south of Africa.
- ADOX, a study of deep water flow from the Atlantic to the Indian Ocean.
- ACCLAIM, a study of the ACC by altimetry and island measurements.
In the North Atlantic the UK undertook:
- NATRE, a purposeful tracer experiment to look at cross isopycnic processes.
- CONVEX, a study of the deep ocean circulation and its changes.
- VIVALDI, a seven year programme of seasonally repeated surveys to study the upper ocean.
- Long-term observations of ocean climate in the North West Approaches.
Satellite ocean surface topography, temperature and wind data were merged with in situ observations and models to create a complete description of ocean circulation, eddy motion and the way the ocean is driven by the atmosphere.
The surveys were forerunners to the international Global Ocean Observing System (GOOS). GOOS was later established to monitor annual to decadal changes in ocean circulation and heat storage which are vital in the prediction of climate change.
Data Activity or Cruise Information
Cruise
Cruise Name | D223A |
Departure Date | 1996-09-28 |
Arrival Date | 1996-10-21 |
Principal Scientist(s) | Harry Leach (University of Liverpool Department of Earth Sciences) |
Ship | RRS Discovery |
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 |