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Database Title	9.7 Salinity and temperature data
Keywords Type1. Type 11.	New Zealand EEZ; temperature; salinity
Abstract	Salinity and temperature data is stored in a variety of sources rather than in a centralised database. It is, however, a long term dataset.
Geographical Coverage	Various locations from throughout the New Zealand EEZ.
Dataset start date.	1874 with substantial data from 1950's.
Dataset end date.	Current
Status/currency.	In progress
Update frequency.	Unknown
Maintenance.	NIWA

 

Technical Evaluation
Parameters- what is measured	Conductivity Temperature Dissolved oxygen (more recent records)
Parameters- what is calculated	Salinity
Methods used to measure parameters	Manual spot measurements (early years) Use of a conductivity/temperature/depth instrument from ships to measure salinity and temperature through the water column. XBT's on ships provide temperature profile to 800m. These are used on some vessels using the major shipping lanes. Information can be extrapolated to a wider area in some cases , especially for the Tasman Sea. Argo Floats (future method) sponsored by the USA National Science Foundation and Office of Naval Research, Argo will be a global network of 3,000 profiling floats, spaced about 300km apart. When deployed at the surface, each float will sink to a typical depth of 2,000m. After drifting with the ocean current at that depth for 10 days, it will rise to the surface, measuring the temperature and salinity of the layers through which it rises. On the surface, the float will transmit its data and position to an orbiting satellite before returning to depth and continuing another cycle. Floats will continue cycling throughout their design life of four to five years. Satellites will relay the float data to land-based receiving stations.
Scale of use.	N/A
Number of records	N/A
GIS compatibility.	As long as station locations are spatially referenced for methods 1-3. Method 4 results will be spatially referenced.
Available formats for users.	Stored with the research vessel voyage data
Access constraints.	Database owned by NIWA. Data is not freely available.
Measurement Accuracy	To be completed by database manager.
Completeness of dataset	To be completed by database manager.
Positional accuracy	To be completed by database manager.
Database custodian	NIWA
Database custodian contact person	Matt Walkington
Database custodian Contact Address Phone Fax Email	P.O.Box 14 901 Kilbirnie Wellington +64 4 386 0300 +64 4 386 2153 m.walkington@niwa.co.nz
References	Wilson, S. (ed). (undated). Observing the ocean in real time. Argo - a global array of profiling faults to understand and forecast climate. Woods Hole Oceanographic Insitution. 12p
Date metadata record prepared.	June 2000
Author of metadata record.	Victoria Froude

 

Management Evaluation
Original purpose.	Oceanography research
Relationships with classification systems.	N/A
Relationships with other databases	Used with other data to help to determine ocean currents.
Known relationships with proposed EPIP indicators.	Not known.
Database uses?	Contributes to oceanography research, including understanding climate.
Public awareness of the database	None
Database strengths.	Long term dataset.
Database limitations.	Spot records Not a systematic collection of data Much of the data hard to access because it is stored in research voyage reports

 

What are the Current and Emerging Uses of the Database for:
Assisting with determining historic state/baseline.	Yes where there are records (spot records rather than continuous)
Assisting with determining current state/baseline.	Where there is data
Assisting with modeling possible future outcomes.	The data from Argo Floats will contribute to world climate models.
Risk assessment.	The climate models can be used to identify risk areas from various climatic trends/phenomena.
Monitoring site selection and sample design.	N/A
Aggregating and reporting data locally, regionally or nationally.	Spot data may limit this.