Metadata Report for BODC Series Reference Number 677052
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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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
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
Housing | Plastic or titanium |
Membrane | 0.5 mil- fast response, typical for profile applications 1 mil- slower response, typical for moored applications |
Depth rating | 600 m (plastic) or 7000 m (titanium) 10500 m titanium housing available on request |
Measurement range | 120% of surface saturation |
Initial accuracy | 2% of saturation |
Typical stability | 0.5% per 1000 h |
Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.
Instrument Description
CTD Unit and Auxiliary Sensors
During this cruise, two separate CTD rigs with different sensors were deployed for different sections of the line.
CTD stations 13965 to 14026 used the Neil Brown Mk3 CTD and are called subaccession A
CTD stations 14027 to 14062 used the Sea-Bird 911 CTD are called subaccession B
CTD stations 14064 to 14130 used the Neil Brown Mk3 CTD and are called subaccession A
Sensor | Serial Number | Last calibration date | Comments |
---|---|---|---|
Neil Brown Mk3 CTD unit with FSI rosette pylon 24 bottle | IM960513 | December 1999 | Used for subaccession A deployments |
Sea_Bird 911 CTD unit | 09P24680-0636 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Pylon: Sea-Bird 32 Carousel/24-bottle position | 32-24680-0345 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Chelsea Instruments Aquatracka | 61/2642/003 | No information | Used for subaccession A deployments |
Chelsea MKII Alphatracka 25cm path Transmissometer | 161047 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Chelsea MKIII Aquatracka Fluorimeter | 88-2360-108 | No information | Used on both A and B deployments |
Pascal Oxygen Sensor | No information | No information | Used for subaccession A deployments |
Sea-Bird SBE 43B dissolved oxygen sensor | 43B-0008 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Primary Premium Temperature Sensor 3P | 03P-4107 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Primary Conductivity Sensor 4C | 04C-2573 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
Digiquartz Temperature Compensated Pressure Sensor | 83008 | No information | Used for subaccession B deployments |
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:
Parameter | Range | Initial accuracy | Resolution at 24 Hz | Response time |
---|---|---|---|---|
Temperature | -5 to 35°C | 0.001°C | 0.0002°C | 0.065 sec |
Conductivity | 0 to 7 S m-1 | 0.0003 S m-1 | 0.00004 S m-1 | 0.065 sec (pumped) |
Pressure | 0 to full scale (1400, 2000, 4200, 6800 or 10500 m) | 0.015% of full scale | 0.001% of full scale | 0.015 sec |
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:
Excitation | Chlorophyll a | Rhodamine | Fluorescein | Turbidity |
---|---|---|---|---|
Wavelength (nm) | 430 | 500 | 485 | 440* |
Bandwidth (nm) | 105 | 70 | 22 | 80* |
Emission | Chlorophyll a | Rhodamine | Fluorescein | Turbidity |
Wavelength (nm) | 685 | 590 | 530 | 440* |
Bandwidth (nm) | 30 | 45 | 30 | 80* |
* 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.
Chelsea Technologies Group ALPHAtracka and ALPHAtracka II transmissometers
The Chelsea Technologies Group ALPHAtracka (the Mark I) and its successor, the ALPHAtracka II (the Mark II), are both accurate (< 0.3 % fullscale) transmissometers that measure the beam attenuation coefficient at 660 nm. Green (565 nm), yellow (590 nm) and blue (470 nm) wavelength variants are available on special order.
The instrument consists of a Transmitter/Reference Assembly and a Detector Assembly aligned and spaced apart by an open support frame. The housing and frame are both manufactured in titanium and are pressure rated to 6000 m depth.
The Transmitter/Reference housing is sealed by an end cap. Inside the housing an LED light source emits a collimated beam through a sealed window. The Detector housing is also sealed by an end cap. A signal photodiode is placed behind a sealed window to receive the collimated beam from the Transmitter.
The primary difference between the ALPHAtracka and ALPHAtracka II is that the Alphatracka II is implemented with surface-mount technology; this has enabled a much smaller diameter pressure housing to be used while retaining exactly the same optical train as in the Mark I. Data from the Mark II version are thus fully compatible with that already obtained with the Mark I. The performance of the Mark II is further enhanced by two electronic developments from Chelsea Technologies Group - firstly, all items are locked in a signal nulling loop of near infinite gain and, secondly, the signal output linearity is inherently defined by digital circuitry only.
Among other advantages noted above, these features ensure that the optical intensity of the Mark II, indicated by the output voltage, is accurately represented by a straight line interpolation between a reading near full-scale under known conditions and a zero reading when blanked off.
For optimum measurements in a wide range of environmental conditions, the Mark I and Mark II are available in 5 cm, 10 cm and 25 cm path length versions. Output is default factory set to 2.5 volts but can be adjusted to 5 volts on request.
Further details about the Mark II instrument are available from the Chelsea Technologies Group ALPHAtrackaII specification sheet.
Paroscientific Absolute Pressure Transducers Series 3000 and 4000
Paroscientific Series 3000 and 4000 pressure transducers use a Digiquartz pressure sensor to provide high accuracy and precision data. The sensor comprises a quartz crystal resonator that responds to pressure-induced stress, and temperature is measured for thermal compensation of the calculated pressure.
The 3000 series of transducers includes one model, the 31K-101, whereas the 4000 series includes several models, listed in the table below. All transducers exhibit repeatability of better than ±0.01% full pressure scale, hysteresis of better than ±0.02% full scale and acceleration sensitivity of ±0.008% full scale /g (three axis average). Pressure resolution is better than 0.0001% and accuracy is typically 0.01% over a broad range of temperatures.
Differences between the models lie in their pressure and operating temperature ranges, as detailed below:
Model | Max. pressure (psia) | Max. pressure (MPa) | Temperature range (°C) |
---|---|---|---|
31K-101 | 1000 | 6.9 | -54 to 107 |
42K-101 | 2000 | 13.8 | 0 to 125 |
43K-101 | 3000 | 20.7 | 0 to 125 |
46K-101 | 6000 | 41.4 | 0 to 125 |
410K-101 | 10000 | 68.9 | 0 to 125 |
415K-101 | 15000 | 103 | 0 to 50 |
420K-101 | 20000 | 138 | 0 to 50 |
430K-101 | 30000 | 207 | 0 to 50 |
440K-101 | 40000 | 276 | 0 to 50 |
Further details can be found in the manufacturer's specification sheet.
BODC Processing
The CTD data were supplied to BODC in 156 PStar files and converted to the BODC internal format, a netCDF subset.
During transfer the originator's variables were mapped to unique BODC parameter codes. The following table shows the parameter mapping. During the cruise, two separate CTD rigs were employed for different sections of the line:- a Neil Brown CTD and a Sea-Bird CTD, which in some cases had different sensors measuring the same quantity. CTD casts recorded by the Neil Brown CTD are identified as subaccession A, those recorded by the Sea-Bird CTD are subaccession B. Where the same originator's variable in the source files was recorded by different sensors on different CTD rigs (possibly resulting in a different BODC parameter mapping) this has been made clear in the table below.
Originator's variable | Units | Description | BODC Code | Units | Comments |
---|---|---|---|---|---|
time | - | Time | - | - | Not transferred - will be superseded in BODC processing |
press | db | Pressure (spatial co-ordinate) exerted by the water body by profiling pressure sensor and corrected to read zero at sea level. | PRESPR01 | db | - |
temp | °C | Temperature of the water body by CTD or STD | TEMPST01 | °C | - |
cond | Subacc A: mmho/cm Subacc B: mS/cm | Electrical conductivity of the water body by CTD | CNDCST01 | S/m | cond divided by 10 for subacc A and B |
salinity | psu | Practical salinity of the water body by CTD and computation using UNESCO 1983 algorithm | PSALST01 | Dimensionless | - |
fluor | Subacc A: mg/m3 Subacc B: volts | Subacc A: Concentration of chlorophyll-a {chl-a} per unit volume of the water body [particulate >unknown phase] by in-situ chlorophyll fluorometer Subacc B: Instrument output (voltage) by in-situ Aquatracka chlorophyll fluorometer | Subacc A: CPHLPR01 Subacc B: FVLTAQ01 | Subacc A: mg/m3 Subacc B: Volts | - |
tran | Subacc A: percent Subacc B: volts | Subacc A: Transmittance (red light wavelength) per 25cm of the water body by 25cm path length red light transmissometer Subacc B: Instrument output (voltage) by 25cm path length red light transmissometer | Subacc A: POPTDR01 Subacc B: TVLTDR01 | Subacc A: percent Subacc B: volts | - |
oxygen | Subacc A: µmol/l Subacc B: ml/l | Concentration of oxygen {O2} per unit volume of the water body [dissolved plus reactive particulate phase] by in-situ sensor | DOXYZZ01 | Micromoles per litre | Unit conversion handled automatically by transfer for both subaccessions |
- | - | Saturation of oxygen {O2} in the water body | OXYSSC01 | % | Calculated by the BODC transfer |
- | - | Potential temperature of the water body by computation using UNESCO 1983 algorithm | POTMCV01 | Degrees Celsius | Calculated by the BODC transfer |
- | - | Sigma-theta of the water body by CTD and computation from salinity and potential temperature using UNESCO algorithm | SIGTPR01 | Kilograms per cubic metre | Calculated by the BODC transfer |
Following transfer the data were screened using BODC in-house visualisation software. A small number of suspect data values were identified during screening and assigned a BODC data quality flag.
Originator's Data Processing
Sampling strategy
The FISHES 2001 (DI253) cruise repeated the occupation of a number of hydrographic lines between Scotland and Iceland and carried out detailed multidisciplinary surveys of the northern ends of the Iceland Basin (including the Iceland Faeroes Front - IFF) and Rockall Trough to resolve both basin- and meso-scale physical, chemical and biological structure. In total, 156 CTD casts were completed.
Data Acquisition and Initial Processing
The data were processed using PEXEC (pstar) routines. Further details on the processing can be found in the cruise report. The data were calibrated post-cruise.
The processed data, together with the raw Sea-Bird, configuration and bottle files, were supplied to BODC for banking.
Project Information
No Project Information held for the Series
Data Activity or Cruise Information
Cruise
Cruise Name | D253 |
Departure Date | 2001-05-04 |
Arrival Date | 2001-06-20 |
Principal Scientist(s) | John T Allen (Southampton Oceanography Centre) |
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 |