Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 1975986

• 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

Problem Reports

No Problem Report Found in the Database

DY078 CTD Data Quality Report

Screening and Quality Control

During BODC quality control, data were screened using in house visualisation software. The data were screened and any obvious outliers and spikes were looked at in closer detail and flagged if necessary.

DOXYSC01, OXYSZZ01

Problems with the autotritrator during DY078 meant the originator was unable to satisfactorily calibrate the oxygen data. There is a clear offset between this years calibrated oxygen values and previous years data in the deep waters where oxygen concentrations are expected to be fairly constant - the originator concluded that the DY078 calibration is suspect, therefore all calibrated data values (DOXYSC01) and values derived from them (OXYSZZ01) have been flagged 'L'.

AHSFZZ01

This channel has been flagged where values are constant or increase with depth. The altimeter only collects good data within 100 m of the seabed and these instances of constant values or increases with depth occur more than 100 m from the seabed.

Data Access Policy

Open 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.

If the Information Provider does not provide a specific attribution statement, or if you are using Information from several Information Providers and multiple attributions are not practical in your product or application, you may consider using the following:

"Contains public sector information licensed under the Open Government Licence v1.0."

Narrative Documents

Sea-Bird Dissolved Oxygen Sensor SBE 43 and SBE 43F

The SBE 43 is a dissolved oxygen sensor designed for marine applications. It incorporates a high-performance Clark polarographic membrane with a pump that continuously plumbs water through it, preventing algal growth and the development of anoxic conditions when the sensor is taking measurements.

Two configurations are available: SBE 43 produces a voltage output and can be incorporated with any Sea-Bird CTD that accepts input from a 0-5 volt auxiliary sensor, while the SBE 43F produces a frequency output and can be integrated with an SBE 52-MP (Moored Profiler CTD) or used for OEM applications. The specifications below are common to both.

Specifications

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

Benthos Programmable Sonar Altimeter (PSA) 916 and 916T

The PSA 916 is a submersible altimeter that uses the travel time of an acoustic signal to determine the distance of the instrument from a target surface. It provides the user with high resolution altitude or range data while simultaneously outputting data through a digital serial port. A wide beam angle provides for reliable and accurate range measurements under the most severe operational conditions. The instrument is electronically isolated to eliminate any potential signal interference with host instrument sensors. The PSA 916 is an upgrade of the PSA 900.

The standard model (PSA 916) has an operational depth range of 0 - 6000 m, while the titanium PSA 916T has a depth range of 0 - 10000 m. All other specifications for the two versions are the same.

Specifications

Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheets for the PSA 916 and the PSA 916T.

DY078 CTD Instrument Description

CTD Unit and Auxillary Sensors

A Sea-Bird 11plus CTD system used on cruise DY078. This was mounted on a 24-way stainless steel rosette frame, equipped with 24 10-litre Niskin bottles. The CTD was fitted with the following scientific sensors:

Sea-Bird Electronics SBE 911 and SBE 917 series CTD profilers

The SBE 911 and SBE 917 series of conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD) units are used to collect hydrographic profiles, including temperature, conductivity and pressure as standard. Each profiler consists of an underwater unit and deck unit or SEARAM. Auxiliary sensors, such as fluorometers, dissolved oxygen sensors and transmissometers, and carousel water samplers are commonly added to the underwater unit.

Underwater unit

The CTD underwater unit (SBE 9 or SBE 9 plus) comprises a protective cage (usually with a carousel water sampler), including a main pressure housing containing power supplies, acquisition electronics, telemetry circuitry, and a suite of modular sensors. The original SBE 9 incorporated Sea-Bird's standard modular SBE 3 temperature sensor and SBE 4 conductivity sensor, and a Paroscientific Digiquartz pressure sensor. The conductivity cell was connected to a pump-fed plastic tubing circuit that could include auxiliary sensors. Each SBE 9 unit was custom built to individual specification. The SBE 9 was replaced in 1997 by an off-the-shelf version, termed the SBE 9 plus, that incorporated the SBE 3 plus (or SBE 3P) temperature sensor, SBE 4C conductivity sensor and a Paroscientific Digiquartz pressure sensor. Sensors could be connected to a pump-fed plastic tubing circuit or stand-alone.

Temperature, conductivity and pressure sensors

The conductivity, temperature, and pressure sensors supplied with Sea-Bird CTD systems have outputs in the form of variable frequencies, which are measured using high-speed parallel counters. The resulting count totals are converted to numeric representations of the original frequencies, which bear a direct relationship to temperature, conductivity or pressure. Sampling frequencies for these sensors are typically set at 24 Hz.

The temperature sensing element is a glass-coated thermistor bead, pressure-protected inside a stainless steel tube, while the conductivity sensing element is a cylindrical, flow-through, borosilicate glass cell with three internal platinum electrodes. Thermistor resistance or conductivity cell resistance, respectively, is the controlling element in an optimized Wien Bridge oscillator circuit, which produces a frequency output that can be converted to a temperature or conductivity reading. These sensors are available with depth ratings of 6800 m (aluminium housing) or 10500 m (titanium housing). The Paroscientific Digiquartz pressure sensor comprises a quartz crystal resonator that responds to pressure-induced stress, and temperature is measured for thermal compensation of the calculated pressure.

Additional sensors

Optional sensors for dissolved oxygen, pH, light transmission, fluorescence and others do not require the very high levels of resolution needed in the primary CTD channels, nor do these sensors generally offer variable frequency outputs. Accordingly, signals from the auxiliary sensors are acquired using a conventional voltage-input multiplexed A/D converter (optional). Some Sea-Bird CTDs use a strain gauge pressure sensor (Senso-Metrics) in which case their pressure output data is in the same form as that from the auxiliary sensors as described above.

Deck unit or SEARAM

Each underwater unit is connected to a power supply and data logging system: the SBE 11 (or SBE 11 plus) deck unit allows real-time interfacing between the deck and the underwater unit via a conductive wire, while the submersible SBE 17 (or SBE 17 plus) SEARAM plugs directly into the underwater unit and data are downloaded on recovery of the CTD. The combination of SBE 9 and SBE 17 or SBE 11 are termed SBE 917 or SBE 911, respectively, while the combinations of SBE 9 plus and SBE 17 plus or SBE 11 plus are termed SBE 917 plus or SBE 911 plus.

Specifications

Specifications for the SBE 9 plus underwater unit are listed below:

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

Chelsea Technologies Group Aquatracka MKIII fluorometer

The Chelsea Technologies Group Aquatracka MKIII is a logarithmic response fluorometer. Filters are available to enable the instrument to measure chlorophyll, rhodamine, fluorescein and turbidity.

It uses a pulsed (5.5 Hz) xenon light source discharging along two signal paths to eliminate variations in the flashlamp intensity. The reference path measures the intensity of the light source whilst the signal path measures the intensity of the light emitted from the specimen under test. The reference signal and the emitted light signals are then applied to a ratiometric circuit. In this circuit, the ratio of returned signal to reference signal is computed and scaled logarithmically to achieve a wide dynamic range. The logarithmic conversion accuracy is maintained at better than one percent of the reading over the full output range of the instrument.

Two variants of the instrument are available, both manufactured in titanium, capable of operating in depths from shallow water down to 2000 m and 6000 m respectively. The optical characteristics of the instrument in its different detection modes are visible below:

* The wavelengths for the turbidity filters are customer selectable but must be in the range 400 to 700 nm. The same wavelength is used in the excitation path and the emission path.

The instrument measures chlorophyll a, rhodamine and fluorescein with a concentration range of 0.01 µg l^-1 to 100 µg l^-1. The concentration range for turbidity is 0.01 to 100 FTU (other wavelengths are available on request).

The instrument accuracy is ± 0.02 µg l^-1 (or ± 3% of the reading, whichever is greater) for chlorophyll a, rhodamine and fluorescein. The accuracy for turbidity, over a 0 - 10 FTU range, is ± 0.02 FTU (or ± 3% of the reading, whichever is greater).

Further details are available from the Aquatracka MKIII specification sheet.

WETLabs Single-angle Backscattering Meter ECO BB

An optical scattering sensor that measures scattering at 117°. This angle was determined as a minimum convergence point for variations in the volume scattering function induced by suspended materials and water. The measured signal is less determined by the type and size of the materials in the water and is more directly correlated to their concentration.

Several versions are available, with minor differences in their specifications:

• ECO BB(RT)provides analog or RS-232 serial output with 4000 count range
• ECO BB(RT)D adds the possibility of being deployed in depths up to 6000 m while keeping the capabilities of ECO BB(RT)
• ECO BB provides the capabilities of ECO BB(RT) with periodic sampling
• ECO BBB is similar to ECO BB but with internal batteries for autonomous operation
• ECO BBS is similar to ECO BB but with an integrated anti-fouling bio-wiper
• ECO BBSB has the capabilities of ECO BBS but with internal batteries for autonomous operation

Specifications

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

WETLabs C-Star transmissometer

This instrument is designed to measure beam transmittance by submersion or with an optional flow tube for pumped applications. It can be used in profiles, moorings or as part of an underway system.

Two models are available, a 25 cm pathlength, which can be built in aluminum or co-polymer, and a 10 cm pathlength with a plastic housing. Both have an analog output, but a digital model is also available.

This instrument has been updated to provide a high resolution RS232 data output, while maintaining the same design and characteristics.

Specifications

Further details are available in the manufacturer's specification sheet or user guide.

DY078 CTD data originator's processing

Sampling strategy

A total of 81 CTD casts were performed during the cruise.

Data processing

Data collection and basic processing of the raw data was completed in Sea-bird Seasave v7.26.2.13 software.

The data were then processed using the mexec_v2 software suite developed by NOC. The following modules were run:

• DatCnv: converts raw frequency and voltage data by applying manufacturer's calibrations stored in the .XMLCON file, and outputs the data in an ASCII format (cast data as .cnv, bottle data as .ros).
• Align: Shifts selected sensors' data in time, relative to pressure. This is required for sensors with a slower response time and when extra time is required for the water parcel to reach the sensor (e.g. traveling through extra lengths of hose). On this occasion only the oxygen SBE43 sensors required this step - a standard alignment of 6 seconds was applied to both. The primary and secondary conductivity channels also required a small shift of 0.073 seconds but this was done in real-time by the CTD deck-unit.
• CellTM: This module removes conductivity cell thermal mass effects from the measured conductivity. Sea-bird recommended constants (α=0.03 and 1/β=7) were used.

Further details of the processing performed can be found in the cruise report.

DY078 CTD data processing by BODC

The CTD data were supplied to BODC as 81 MStar files and converted to the BODC internal format (netCDF).

During transfer the originator's variables were mapped to unique BODC parameter codes. The following table shows the parameter mapping.:

Following transfer the data were screened using BODC in-house visualisation software. Suspect data values were assigned the appropriate BODC data quality flag. Missing data values, where present, were changed to the missing data value and assigned a BODC data quality flag

Project Information

UK - Overturning in the Subpolar North Atlantic Programme (UK-OSNAP) Programme

UK-OSNAP is part of an international collaboration to establish a transoceanic observing system in the subpolar North Atlantic. The aim is to quantify and understand the Subpolar Gyre's response to local and remote forcing of mass, heat and freshwater fluxes, within the conceptual framework of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC).

UK-OSNAP is developing a new observing system to provide a continuous record of full-depth, trans-basin mass, heat, and freshwater fluxes. Combining these sustained measurements with innovative modelling techniques will enable the project to characterise the circulation and fluxes of the North Atlantic Subpolar Gyre.

UK-OSNAP is funded by the Natural Environment Research Council (NERC). The project is led by the National Oceanography Centre (NOC) with partners in the University of Liverpool, the University of Oxford and the Scottish Association for Marine Science (SAMS). It is a part of international OSNAP that is led by USA and includes 10 further partner groups in Canada, France, Germany, the Netherlands and China. The project involves fieldwork at sea and model studies.

The OSNAP observing system consists of two legs: one extending from southern Labrador to the southwestern tip of Greenland across the mouth of the Labrador Sea (OSNAP West), and the second from the southeastern tip of Greenland to Scotland (OSNAP East). The observing system also includes subsurface floats (OSNAP Floats) in order to trace the pathways of overflow waters in the basin and to assess the connectivity of currents crossing the OSNAP line.

NERC have added an extension to UK-OSNAP, until October 2024. This will result in the UK-OSNAP-Decade: 10 years of observing and understanding the overturning circulation in the subpolar North Atlantic (2014-2024).

Data Activity or Cruise Information

Cruise

Complete Cruise Metadata Report is available here

Fixed Station Information

Fixed Station Information

Extended Ellett Line

The Extended Ellett Line is a hydrographic transect consisting of 64 individual fixed stations which have been occupied, typically on an annual basis, since September 1996. The Line runs from the south of Iceland, across the Iceland Basin to the outcrop of Rockall, and across the Rockall Trough to the north west coast of Scotland (see map). CTD dips and associated water sampling for the analysis of nutrients are routinely performed during each station occupation.

The Extended Ellett Line augments the original Ellett Line time series - a shorter repeated transect which encompassed those stations between Rockall and Scotland. Work on the Ellett Line was typically carried out at least once a year between 1975 and 1996.

Map of standard stations (1996-present)

Map produced using the GEBCO Digital Atlas

The white triangles indicate the nominal positions of the Extended Ellett Line stations visited since September 1996. Measurements made along the Extended Ellett Line lie within a box bounded by co-ordinates 56° N, 21° W at the south west corner and 65° N, 6° W at the north east corner.

Nominal Extended Ellett Line stations (September 1996-present)

Listed below are nominal details of the standard hydrographic stations that form the Extended Ellett Line. The majority of these stations have been sampled since the outset, although several have been added more recently.

Occupations of the Extended Ellett Line (September 1996-present)

* These cruises only surveyed the original hydrographic section between Scotland and Rockall.

Related Fixed Station activities are detailed in Appendix 1

BODC Quality Control Flags

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

SeaDataNet Quality Control Flags

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

Appendix 1: Extended Ellett Line

Related series for this Fixed Station are presented in the table below. Further information can be found by following the appropriate links.

If you are interested in these series, please be aware we offer a multiple file download service. Should your credentials be insufficient for automatic download, the service also offers a referral to our Enquiries Officer who may be able to negotiate access.