Scottish coastal waters, central and northern North Sea, Rockall, north east Atlantic

Electrical conductivity of the water column; Salinity of the water column; Temperature of the water column

CTD

This data set of CTD and/or STD profiles has been collected on many cruises under many different projects and programmes in which the Laboratory has been involved. Over the years, the instrumentation has changed (see above list) and different groups of workers within the Laboratory favour different instruments. In general, the data are logged as either pressure, temperature and conductivity or as depth, temperature and salinity. The individual sub-sets of CTD/STD profiles are grouped in files relating to the particular cruise on which they were collected. Each file has a header block defining the instrument used, sounding at the sampling location, date and time of sampling and the number of observations at that location. The stored temperature and conductivity (salinity) data have been screened for spikes and other erroneous values which have been removed. During the course of a cruise, frequent salinity samples for calibration purposes are collected. These are analyzed back at the Laboratory on a Guildline 'Autosal' salinometer and the calibration of the CTD/STD checked. The data set up to the end of 2004 currently comprises some 10800 CTD/STD profiles. All data were collected by research vessels operated by or on behalf of the Marine Laboratory, Aberdeen.

Fisheries Research Services, Aberdeen Marine Laboratory
PO Box 101 Victoria Road
Aberdeen
Aberdeenshire
AB11 9DB
United Kingdom