Resources

RRS Challenger CH129

Cruise summary report

Cruise Info. 
Ship name (ship code)RRS Challenger (74CH)
Cruise identifierCH129
Cruise period1996-10-16 — 1996-10-31
StatusCompleted
Port of departurePortland Harbour, United Kingdom
Port of returnGreat Yarmouth, United Kingdom
ObjectivesMeasurements were made as part of the ASGAMAGE project, supported by the EU under MAST-3. The purpose is to better understand processes which affect the exchange of climatically active trace gases between sea and air. Sea-air gas transfer velocities were determined from a purposeful release of a suite of volatile and conservative chemical tracers as a discrete patch 8 km x 1 km x 25 m in the S. North Sea, with subsequent monitoring of tracer concentrations over a 12 day period. A range of natural trace gas concentrations were measured simultaneously for calculation of their production rates and sea-air fluxes. Supporting measurements of physical variables thought to influence gas exchange were made continuously. Measurements were co-ordinated to coincide with complementary data collection on "MEETPOST NOORDWIJK".
Chief scientistRobert Upstill-Goddard (Newcastle University Department of Marine Science and Coastal Management)
ProjectASGAMAGE (The ASGASEX MAGE Project)
Coordinating bodyKNMI, P.O. Box 201, 3730 AE De Bilt, Netherlands
Cruise reportRRS Challenger CH129 cruise report ch129.pdf (9.27 MB) 
Ocean/sea areas 
GeneralNorth Sea
SpecificSouthern North Sea
Track chartsRRS Challenger CH129 cruise track — trk4212.html
Measurements 
Physical oceanography 
Surface measurements underway (T,S)Quantity: number of samples = 24
Description: Underway discretes: Rhodamine, 3He, SF6 measurements
Surface measurements underway (T,S)Quantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Thermosalinograph
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of samples = 56
Description: Discrete chlorophyll and phaeopigments on CTD bottles
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of samples = 17
Description: SPM gravimetrics
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of samples = 150
Description: Phytoplankton counts/biomass
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 37
Description: Water bottle rosette on CTD frame
Water bottle stationsQuantity: number of samples = 14
Description: Winkler titrations
CTD stationsQuantity: number of profiles = 37
Description: CTD casts
Transparency (eg transmissometer)Quantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Transmissometer
Optics (eg underwater light levels)Quantity: number of profiles = 37
Description: Transmissometer on CTD frame
Current profiler (eg ADCP)Quantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: ADCP
Surface drifters/drifting buoysQuantity: number of deployments = 3
Description: Argos buoys
Chemical oceanography 
OxygenQuantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Oxygen sensor VSI 6000
OxygenQuantity: number of profiles = 37
Description: Oxygen sensor attached to CTD frame
OxygenQuantity: number of samples = 14
Description: Winkler titrations
OxygenQuantity: number of samples = 20
Description: Underway Winkler O2 titrations for oxygen calibration
Carbon dioxideQuantity: number of samples = 530
Description: Underway, CO analyses from non-toxic pump
Other dissolved gasesQuantity: number of samples = 45
Description: Underway NMHC (non-methyl hydrocarbons) CTD bottle
Other dissolved gasesQuantity: number of samples = 39
Description: Methane (CTD bottle samples)
Other dissolved gasesQuantity: number of samples = 50
Description: Underway NMHC on non-toxic/clean pump samples
Other dissolved gasesQuantity: number of samples = 8
Description: Underway methane on non-toxic samples
PhosphateQuantity: number of samples = 44
Description: CTD bottle and underway discrete nutrients
NitrateQuantity: number of samples = 44
Description: CTD bottle and underway discrete nutrients
AmmoniaQuantity: number of samples = 44
Description: CTD bottle and underway discrete nutrients
SilicateQuantity: number of samples = 44
Description: CTD bottle and underway discrete nutrients
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 8
Description: Underway methane on non-toxic samples
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 50
Description: Underway NMHC on non-toxic/clean pump samples
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 12
Description: Continuous SF6 tracer monitoring
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 45
Description: Underway NMHC (non-methyl hydrocarbons) CTD bottle
Other chemical oceanographic measurementsQuantity: number of samples = 39
Description: Methane (CTD bottle samples)
Contamination 
Suspended matterQuantity: number of samples = 14
Description: SPM discretes for calibration of transmissometer
Suspended matterQuantity: number of samples = 17
Description: SPM gravimetrics
Biology and fisheries 
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of profiles = 37
Description: Fluorometer attached to CTD frame
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 73
Description: Underwater discrete chlorophylls for fluorometer calibration
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: number of samples = 56
Description: Discrete chlorophyll and phaeopigments on CTD bottles
Phytoplankton pigs (eg chlorophyll, fluorescence)Quantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Fluorometer
PhytoplanktonQuantity: number of samples = 150
Description: Phytoplankton counts/biomass
PhytoplanktonQuantity: number of samples = 45
Description: Phytoplankton counts/biomass (Non-toxic supply)
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of samples = 3
Description: Samples from non-toxic spores
Pelagic bacteria/micro-organismsQuantity: number of samples = 33
Description: Samples from CTD bottles for spore incubations
Meteorology 
Incident radiationQuantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Solar, 1 II PAR, planar PAR met. light meters
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of deployments = 1
Description: Tracer release of Rhodamine, 3He, SF6, spores
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of samples = 210
Description: CTD bottle: Rhodamine, 3He, SF6 measurements
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of samples = 13
Description: Atmospheric NMHCs
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of samples = 92
Description: Discrete atmospheric CO in air
Atmospheric chemistryQuantity: number of samples = 530
Description: Underway, CO analyses from non-toxic pump
Other meteorological measurementsQuantity: activity duration in days = 15
Description: Atmos. pressure, wind velocity, wet/dry bulb temperatures
Data held at BODC Get data
Series/Profiles 
13  Bottle station
Reference numbers
Vertical spatial coordinates
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Quality control flags
Reference numbers
Vertical spatial coordinates
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Quality control flags

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
18690521996-10-24 09:26 52° 14' 26" N  3° 59' 22" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869052
18690641996-10-24 19:52 52° 19' 40" N  4° 7' 49" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869064
18690391996-10-21 18:45 52° 18' 31" N  4° 5' 4" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869039
18691071996-10-26 07:58 52° 26' 16" N  4° 15' 2" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869107
18690151996-10-20 13:48 52° 21' 0" N  4° 10' 41" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869015
18690271996-10-20 16:41 52° 15' 9" N  4° 20' 19" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869027
18690761996-10-25 05:22 52° 23' 38" N  4° 11' 25" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869076
18690401996-10-22 09:37 52° 18' 29" N  4° 3' 54" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869040
18690881996-10-25 17:23 52° 25' 36" N  4° 13' 29" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869088
18691191996-10-29 17:11 52° 21' 4" N  2° 2' 9" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869119
18690031996-10-19 19:24 52° 15' 28" N  4° 2' 56" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869003
18691201996-10-30 11:18 52° 35' 18" N  4° 9' 31" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869120
18691321996-10-30 13:01 52° 36' 2" N  4° 13' 14" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1869132
1  Multiple instrument types
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Air pressure
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere
Date and time
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Air temperature
Wind strength and direction
Solar Radiation
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Atmospheric humidity
Bathymetry and Elevation
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Transmittance and attenuance of the water column
Air pressure
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere
Date and time
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Salinity of the water column
Temperature of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Air temperature
Wind strength and direction
Solar Radiation
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
Atmospheric humidity
Bathymetry and Elevation

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
6100981996-10-16 16:00  — 1996-10-31 17:46:30 50° 15' 25" N  2° 26' 14" W — 52° 39' 23" N  4° 27' 14" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 610098
1  Pumped water sample
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Date and time
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Horizontal spatial co-ordinates
Date and time
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column

BODC idDate/TimeLocationDoc.
18500031996-10-17 12:12  — 1996-10-30 16:25 51° 18' 28" N  1° 43' 4" E — 52° 37' 34" N  4° 25' 35" E  View metadata report for BODC series reference number 1850003
Discrete samples 
51  All plastic clean surface pumped supplyConcentration of alkenes and alkynes in the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Concentration of alkanes in the water column
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
37  CTD frame plus rosette samplerTransmittance and attenuance of the water column
Concentration of alkenes and alkynes in the water column
Temperature of the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Salinity of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Concentration of alkanes in the water column
Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column
Density of the water column
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies
12  Pressurised air bottle sampleConcentration of alkenes and alkynes in the atmosphere
Concentration of other hydrocarbons in the atmosphere
Concentration of alkanes in the atmosphere
172  Sample taken from ship's non-toxic supplyConcentration of alkenes and alkynes in the atmosphere
Concentration of alkenes and alkynes in the water column
Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column
Concentration of other hydrocarbons in the atmosphere
Salinity of the water column
Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column
Concentration of alkanes in the water column
Concentration of alkanes in the atmosphere
Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column
Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies