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Ocean Margin Exchange Phase I (OMEX I) Project Data Set (1993-1995)

Data set information

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General  
Data holding centreBritish Oceanographic Data Centre
CountryUnited Kingdom  United Kingdom
ProjectOcean margin exchange I(OMEX-I)
Time periodData collected from April 1993 to December 1995
OngoingNo
Geographical area

Three field sites on the eastern Atlantic margin. The primary site was in the region of the Goban Spur, with secondary sites on the Iberian Margin and the Norwegian Margin off Tromsoe

Observations 
Parameters

Concentration of alkanes in the atmosphere; Concentration of nitrogen species in the atmosphere; Concentration of alkanamines (amines) in the water column; Carbon monoxide and dioxide concentrations in the atmosphere; Horizontal spatial co-ordinates; Ammonium and ammonia concentration parameters in water bodies; Atmospheric particulates; Transmittance and attenuance of the water column; Bacteria generic abundance in water bodies; Air pressure; Carbonate chemistry in sediment pore waters; Air temperature; Atmospheric humidity; Particulate inorganic carbon concentrations in the water column; Mineralogical composition; Variable fluorescence parameters; Particulate total and organic carbon concentrations in the water column; Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in sediment; Chlorophyll pigment concentrations in water bodies; Dissolved oxygen parameters for sediments; Organosulphur and organoselenium species concentration parameters in water bodies; Dissolved organic carbon concentration in the water column; Dissolved oxygen parameters in the water column; Wind strength and direction; Sediment microfossil morphology parameters; Amino acids in sediment; Stable isotopes in biota; Lagrangian currents and transport rates in the water column; Vertical velocity of the water column (currents); Zoobenthos non taxonomy-related wet weight biomass per unit area of the bed; Sedimentation flux of metallic and metalloid elements and isotopes in water bodies; Sediment grain size parameters; Sedimentation flux quantification in the water column; Metal concentrations in sediment pore waters; Microzooplankton non taxonomy-related biomass expressed as carbon per unit volume of the water column; Microzooplankton generic abundance in water bodies; Microzooplankton grazing; Particulate total and organic nitrogen concentrations in the water column; Nutrient concentrations in sediment pore waters; Nitrate concentration parameters in the water column; Phytoplankton taxonomic abundance in water bodies; Partial pressure (pCO2) and fugacity (fCO2) of carbon dioxide in the water column; Phosphate concentration parameters in the water column; Primary production in the water column; Salinity of the water column; Ocean colour and earth-leaving visible waveband spectral radiation; Horizontal velocity of the water column (currents); Other fluxes between the bed and the water column; Stable isotopes in sediment; Bacterial production in the water column; Urea concentration parameters in the water column; Ultra-violet (UV) radiation; Radioactivity in water bodies; Stable isotopes in water bodies; Geological sample magnetic, electrical and acoustic properties; Zooplankton taxonomy-related abundance per unit volume of the water column; Zoobenthos taxonomic abundance; Zoobenthos taxonomy-related wet weight biomass per unit area of the bed; Phaeopigment concentrations in the water column; Phytoplankton generic abundance in water bodies; Skin temperature of the water column; Dissolved amino acid concentrations in the water column; Concentration of carbohydrates, phenols, alkanols (alcohols), aldehydes and ketones in water bodies; Particulate total and organic phosphorus concentrations in the water column; Concentration of suspended particulate material in the water column; Nitrite concentration parameters in the water column; Horizontal platform movement; Acoustic backscatter in the water column; Concentration of inorganic sulphur species in sediment pore water; Geological sample radioactivity; Solar Radiation; Turbulence in the water column; Sulphur species concentrations in the atmosphere; Sedimentation flux of carbon, nitrogen or organic matter in the water column; Total dissolved inorganic carbon (TCO2) concentration in the water column; Alkalinity, acidity and pH of the water column; Heat fluxes between the water column and the atmosphere; Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the atmosphere; Visible waveband radiance and irradiance measurements in the water column; Water column photography; Sediment water content, porosity and surface area; Dissolved trace metalloid and inorganic selenium concentrations in water bodies; Particulate trace metalloid and inorganic selenium concentrations in water bodies; Zoobenthos generic abundance; Nitrogen concentrations in sediment; Dissolved organic carbon concentrations in sediment pore waters; Concentration of other hydrocarbons in the atmosphere; Silicate concentration parameters in the water column; Microzooplankton taxonomy-related biomass expressed as carbon per unit volume of the water column; Bathymetry and Elevation; Carotenoid and flavenoid pigment concentrations in water bodies; Phytoplankton taxonomic biomass in water bodies; Carbon concentrations in sediment; Water body lipid concentrations; Dissolved total or organic phosphorus concentration in the water column; Temperature of the water column; Inorganic chemical composition of sediment or rocks; Gas fluxes between the water column and the atmosphere

Instruments

Anemometers; meteorological packages; fluorometers; current meters; satellite tracking system; radiometers; optical backscatter sensors; bathythermographs; thermosalinographs; single-beam echosounders; underwater cameras; plankton recorders; plankton nets; benthos samplers; discrete water samplers; ocean colour radiometers; continuous water samplers; sediment traps; salinity sensor; unconsolidated sediment corers; centrifuges; elemental analysers; gas chromatographs; autoanalysers; optical microscopes; electron microscopes; high performance liquid chromatographs; titrators; inductively-coupled plasma mass spectrometers; spectrophotometers; liquid scintillation counters; gamma-ray spectrometers; bench fluorometers; X-ray fluorescence analysers; X-ray diffractometers; acoustic backscatter sensors; CTD undulators; transmissometers; aerosol samplers; CTD; current profilers; thermistor chains; dissolved gas sensors; pH sensors; continuous air samplers; shipboard incubators; discrete air samplers

Description 
Summary

The data set comprises a diverse collection of physical, chemical and biological measurements, encompassing over 1000 parameters. There are data from over 1650 conductivity-temperature-depth (CTD)/rosette stations, over 300 core profiles, over 370 sediment trap samples and much, much more. Most of this effort was directed at the region of the east Atlantic margin between La Chapelle Bank and the Goban Spur (between France and Ireland). In addition, there were two secondary areas of interest: the Norwegian Shelf Break just off Tromso and the Iberian Margin, either off Vigo or in the vicinity of the Tagus estuary. Measurements were collected from April 1993 until the end of December 1995 during 55 research cruise legs. Data were collected using a variety of equipment and techniques, including expendable bathythermography (XBTs), CTDs and oceanographic undulators with auxiliary sensors. These hydrographic profiles were accompanied by net hauls, plankton recorder deployments, sediment cores and comprehensive water and air sampling programmes during which a wide variety of chemical and biological parameters were measured. The station data were supplemented by underway measurements of oceanographic and meteorological properties. Results from production and trace metal experiments are also included in the dataset, as are bathymetric data from the British Oceanographic Data Centre (BODC) GEBCO digital Atlas, air-sea flux measurements and data from moored instruments and benthic landers that were deployed for periods from a few weeks to a year. The dataset also includes imagery from satellites, water column and seabed photography, scanning electron micrographs and X-ray photographs. FORTRAN source code for biogeochemical models developed during OMEX I is also included. The aim of the project was to study biogeochemical processes at the shelf break and to quantify the fluxes of material between the shelf and the open ocean. OMEX I involved scientists from 30 institutions in 10 countries. BODC is assembling the data sets collected during OMEX I into its database system and the data are also available on CD-ROM.

OriginatorsCEA, Service Mixte De Surveillance Radiologique Et Biologique
CNRS-CEA Centre des Faibles Radioactivités
CSIC, Institute of Marine Research
Central Marine Services Ltd
Christian Albrechts University of Kiel, Leibniz Laboratory for Radiometric Dating and Isotope Research
Defence Research Agency
EPOC, Geology and Oceanography Department
Ecole Normale Superieure, Laboratory of Geology
GEOMAR Research Centre for Marine Geosciences
Ghent University, Faculty of Sciences, Department of Biology
Hydrographic Institute
Ifremer Head Office
Institute for Marine Science, University of Kiel
Leibniz Institute for Baltic Sea Research Warnemünde
Max Planck Institute for Chemistry (Mainz)
Netherlands Institute for Ecology, Centre for Estuarine and Marine Ecology
Netherlands Organisation for Applied Scientific Research, Physics and Electronics Laboratory
Norwegian College of Fishery and Science, University of Tromsø
Oviedo University
Plymouth Marine Laboratory
Proudman Oceanographic Laboratory
Risoe National Laboratory, Technical University of Denmark, Wind Energy Department
Royal Belgian Institute of Natural Sciences, Management Unit of North Sea and Scheldt Estuary Mathematical Models, Ostend
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research
Ryan Institute, University of Galway.
Sir Alister Hardy Foundation for Ocean Science
Southampton Oceanography Centre
State Oceanographic Institute
TNO
University of A Coruna, Department of animals, plants and ecological biology
University of Algarve, Aquatic Resources Science and Technology Unit
University of Bremen
University of Cambridge Department of Earth Sciences
University of East Anglia, School of Environmental Sciences
University of Galway
University of Hamburg, Department of Chemistry
University of Liège, Laboratory of Oceanology
University of Plymouth School of Earth, Ocean and Environmental Sciences
University of Wales, School of Ocean Sciences
Université Libre de Bruxelles, Laboratory of Chemical Oceanography and Water Geochemistry
Data web sitehttps://www.bodc.ac.uk/resources/products/data/bodc_products/omex_1/
Availability 
OrganisationBritish Oceanographic Data Centre
AvailabilityLicence
ContactPolly Hadžiabdić (Head of the BODC Requests Team)
Address

British Oceanographic Data Centre
Joseph Proudman Building 6 Brownlow Street
Liverpool
Merseyside
L3 5DA
United Kingdom

Telephone+44 (0)782 512 0946
Emailenquiries@bodc.ac.uk
Administration 
Collating centreBritish Oceanographic Data Centre
Local identifier1048008
Global identifier153
Last revised2021-04-21