I. Data Set Descriptors A. Title: Samantha B. Joye. 2009. Long-term water quality monitoring on the Altamaha River and major tributaries from September 2000 through April 2009. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Catalog (data set NUT-GCEM-0909b; http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/app/dataset_details.asp?accession=NUT-GCEM-0909b) B. Accession Number: NUT-GCEM-0909b C. Description 1. Originator(s): Name: Samantha B. Joye Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: mjoye@uga.edu 2. Abstract: Water samples were collected from the Altamaha River (approximately weekly) and several tributaries (bimonthly) from September 2000 through September 2001. Samples were then collected at less frequent intervals from September 2001 through April 2009. The concentration of dissolved nutrients (ammonium, nitrate+nitrite, phosphate, silicate), dissolved organics (DOC, DON, DOP) and total suspended solids were measured using standard methods. The concentrations of 20 elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Si, Sr and Zn) were also determined using elemental analysis by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS). Total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) was measured using a custom automated DIC analyzer. Total alkalinity (TA)was determined by Gran titration and pH of surface water was measured using a glass electrode. 3. Study Type: Monitoring 4. Study Themes: General Nutrient Chemistry, Chemistry 5. LTER Core Areas: Inorganic Nutrients 6. Georeferences: none 7. Submission Date: Sep 17, 2009 D. Keywords: Altamaha River, ammonium, biogeochemistry, calcium, carbon, estuaries, fluxes, GCE, Georgia, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Inorganic Nutrients, LTER, magnesium, nitrate, nitrogen, nutrient cycles, nutrients, organic, phosphate, phosphorus, potassium, rivers, Sapelo Island, silicon, sodium, strontium, USA, water column, water quality II. Research Origin Descriptors A. Overall Project Description 1. Project Title: Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Project II 2. Principal Investigators: Name: Merryl Alber Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: malber@uga.edu 3. Funding Period: May 01, 2006 to Jan 01, 2013 4. Objectives: To understand the mechanisms by which variation in the quality, source and amount of both fresh and salt water create temporal and spatial variability in estuarine habitats and processes, in order to predict directional changes that will occur in response to long-term shifts in estuarine salinity patterns 5. Abstract: The Georgia Coastal Ecosystems (GCE) LTER program, located on the central Georgia coast, was established in 2000. The study domain encompasses three adjacent sounds (Altamaha, Doboy, Sapelo) and includes upland (mainland, barrier islands, marsh hammocks), intertidal (fresh, brackish and salt marsh) and submerged (river, estuary, continental shelf) habitats. Patterns and processes in this complex landscape vary spatially within and between sites, and temporally on multiple scales (tidal, diurnal, seasonal, and interannual). Overlain on this spatial and temporal variation are long-term trends caused by climate change, sea level rise, and human alterations of the landscape. These long-term trends are likely to manifest in many ways, including changes in water quality, river discharge, runoff and tidal inundation patterns throughout the estuarine landscape. The overarching goal of the GCE program is to understand the mechanisms by which variation in the quality, source and amount of both fresh and salt water create temporal and spatial variability in estuarine habitats and processes, in order to predict directional changes that will occur in response to long-term shifts in estuarine salinity patterns. The objectives of the current funding cycle are 1) to continue to document long-term patterns of environmental forcing to the coastal zone, 2) to link environmental forcing to observed spatial and temporal patterns of biogeochemical processes, primary production, community dynamics, decomposition and disturbance, 3) to investigate the underlying mechanisms by which environmental gradients along the longitudinal (freshwater-saltwater) and 4) lateral (upland-subtidal) axes of estuaries drive ecosystem change, and 5) to explore the relative importance of larval transport and the conditions of the adult environment in determining community and genetic structure across both the longitudinal and vertical gradients of the estuary. To meet these objectives, we utilize a suite of approaches including long-term monitoring of abiotic drivers and ecosystem responses; manipulative and natural experiments designed to enable us to examine the importance of key ecosystem drivers; and modeling. 6. Funding Source: NSF OCE 0620959 B. Sub-project Description 1. Site Description a. Geographic Location: GCE-AL -- Altamaha River, Georgia, USA ALT-BASIN -- Altamaha River basin, Georgia, USA Coordinates: GCE-AL -- NW: 081 34 56.32 W, 31 24 05.05 N NE: 081 14 16.57 W, 31 24 05.05 N SE: 081 14 16.57 W, 31 17 45.72 N SW: 081 34 56.32 W, 31 17 45.72 N ALT-BASIN -- NW: 084 26 18.00 W, 34 23 07.98 N NE: 081 30 21.87 W, 34 23 07.98 N SE: 081 30 21.87 W, 31 18 56.03 N SW: 084 26 18.00 W, 31 18 56.03 N b. Physiographic Region: GCE-AL -- Estuary and tidal marsh ALT-BASIN -- unspecified c. Landform Components: GCE-AL -- Intertidal marsh bordering sounds, tidal channels and creeks ALT-BASIN -- unspecified d. Hydrographic Characteristics: GCE-AL -- Site encompasses the Altamaha River estuary and nearby tidal creeks, and is subject to 2-3.4m semi-diurnal tides. High freshwater input from the Altamaha River, one of the largest rivers in the Southeastern United States. ALT-BASIN -- unspecified e. Topographic Attributes: GCE-AL -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3.4m above mean low tide ALT-BASIN -- unspecified f. Geology, Lithology and Soils: GCE-AL -- unspecified ALT-BASIN -- unspecified g. Vegetation Communities: GCE-AL -- unspecified ALT-BASIN -- Juncus spp. and various freshwater riparian vegetation h. History of Land Use and Disturbance: none recorded i. Climate: Climate summary for Sapelo Island, Georgia, based on NWS data from 1980-2010: Daily-aggregated Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) mean air temperature: 20.09°C (7.28°C) minimum air temperature: 15.02°C (7.96°C) maximum air temperature: 24.82°C (6.98°C) total precipitation: 3.26mm (10.3mm) Yearly-aggregated Daily Values: Mean (sample standard deviation) total precipitation (1980-2010): 1124mm (266mm) 2. Experimental or Sampling Design a. Design Characteristics: Water samples were collected over time from fixed locations in the Altamaha, Ohoopee, Oconee, Ocmulgee and Oconee Rivers to study temporal changes in the concentration of nutrients, dissolved organics, DIC, and six elements. b. Permanent Plots: none c. Data Collection Duration and Frequency: Samples were collected at weekly intervals from the Altamaha River and bimonthly from the tributaries for one year, then at reduced frequency for the remainder of the study period. DIC and total alkalinity samples were taken in 125 ml acid-cleaned glass bottles, and 10 µl of saturated HgCl2 solution was added for preservation. The sampling bottles for DIC and TA were allowed to overflow for at least twice their volumes to allow minimal contact of water with the air. These samples were stored at 7°C until laboratory analysis within 1-3 weeks. pH samples were collected in a 50 ml plastic or glass syringe for immediate measurement. Beginning of Observations: Sep 28, 2000 End of Observations: Apr 07, 2009 3. Research Methods a. Field and Laboratory Methods: Method 1: pH Measurement -- pH was measured at a constant temperature (25°C) using a flow cell and a Ross glass pH electrode. The calibration was conducted using standard buffer solutions (pH = 4, 7, 10) with NBS scale. The relative accuracy of pH measurement was 0.01 pH unit. Method 2: Total Alkalinity Titration -- Total alkalinity (TA) was determined in a 50-ml sample by Gran titration (Gran, 1952) to an endpoint pH of 3.2 using HCl solution. The titrations were carried out by an automatic device using a Kloehn digital syringe and drive modules. The HCl standard solution was calibrated with CRM. The precision of the titration was 0.1-0.15%. The results reported in µmol/kg instead of µeq/kg, which one may read as µmol HCl used for titration of 1 kg of sample solution. Method 3: Sample Preparation -- Water samples were filtered through ashed GF/F filters, then the filtrate was collected and stored in HDPE bottles at 4°C (or frozen) until analysis. Analysis of nutrients and dissolved organics was completed within two weeks, and ICP-MS analysis was completed within six months. Method 4: Ammonium Measurement -- Ammonium (NH4+) concentration was measured using the standard colorimetric phenolhypochlorite method (reference: Solorzano, L. 1969. Determination of ammonia in natural waters by the phenolhypochlorite method. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14: 799-801). Ammonium standards (0, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 uM) were made in 18 megaohm deionized water from ammonium chloride. 5 ml sample and standard volumes were reacted with the analysis reagents, allowed to incubate for 2 hours, and read at 640 nm on a Shimadzu spectrophotometer in a 1 cm cell blanked with deionized water. Method 5: Phosphate Measurement -- Phosphate (PO43-) concentration was measured using a standard autoanalyzer protocol (reference: Lachat Instruments FIA 8000 Autoanalyzer Method 31-115-01-1-H). Phosphate standards were prepared in 18 megaohm deionized water from potassium phosphate at 0, 0.1, 0.2, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 uM concentrations. Method 6: Nitrate+Nitrite Measurement -- Nitrate plus Nitrite (NO3- + NO2-) concentration was determined by cadmium reduction using a standard autoanalyzer protocol (reference: Lachat Instruments FIA 8000 Autoanalyzer Method 31-107-04-1-A). Nitrate (potassium nitrate) and nitrite (sodium nitrite) standards were prepared in 18 megaohm deionized water at 0, 0.5, 1, 2, 5, 10, 20, 40 and 80 uM concentrations. Cadmium column reduction efficiency was checked during every analysis. Method 7: Dissolved Organic Carbon Measurement -- Dissolved organic carbon concentration was measured by high-temperature catalytic oxidation using a Shimadzu Instruments TOC 5000 from September 2000 until October 2005 and a Shimadzu Instruments TOC-Vcsn thereafter. DOC standards were prepared in 18 megaohm deionized water with potassium hydrogen phthalate at concentrations of 0, 100, 250, 500, 1000 and 2000 uM C. Samples and standards (5 ml) were acidified with 25 ul of 6 N HCl and purged with CO2 free air for 15 minutes prior to injection. Triplicate injections were averaged. Method 8: Total Dissolved Nitrogen Measurement -- TDN concentration was measured by high temperature catalytic oxidation using a Shimadzu Instruments TOC 5000 from September 2000 until October 2005 and a Shimadzu Instruments TOC-Vcsn thereafter, coupled to an Antek Instruments model 7020 NO analyzer (reference: Alvarez-Salgado, X. A., and A. E. J. Miller. 1998. Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in seawater by high temperature catalytic oxidation: conditions for precise shipboard measurements. Mar. Chem. 62: 325-333). TDN standards were prepared in 18 megaohm deionized water from amino acetic acid at concentrations of 0, 25, 50, 100, 250 and 500 uM. Unacidified samples and standards were injected in triplicate. DON was calculated as the difference between the TDN and dissolved inorganic nitrogen (NH4 + NOx) on the same sample. Method recovery of several inorganic and organic nitrogen compounds (NH4+, NO3-, NO2-, Urea, Nicotonic acid) was checked periodically. Method 9: Total Dissolved Phosphorus Measurement -- TDP was measured by high temperature combustion and hydrolysis (reference: Monaghan, E. J., and K. C. Ruttenberg. 1999. Dissolved organic phosphorus in the coastal ocean: Reassessment of available methods and seasonal phosphorus profiles from the Eel River Shelf. Limnol. Oceanogr. 44: 1702-1714). Standards were prepared in 18 megaohm deionized water from potassium phosphate at 0, 0.1, 0.5, 1.0, 2.5, 5, 10 and 20 uM concentrations. Method recovery of organic phosphorus compounds was checked periodically using uracil tri-phosphate standards at the same concentrations. After evaporation, combustion and hydrolysis of samples and standards, TDP was determined as phosphate by standard colorimetric autoanalyzer assay (see phosphate analysis protocol). DOP was calculated as the difference between TDP and dissolved inorganic phosphorus (PO43-) on the same sample. Method 10: Total Suspended Solids (TSS) -- A well-mixed water sample is filtered through a pre-ashed GF/F glass fiber filter, and the residue retained on the filter is dried to constant weight at >100 ºC. The volume filtered is recorded and the TSS value is reported as mg dry sediment per L of water (EPA Method 340.2: http://www.epa.gov/glnpo/lmmb/methods/methd340.pdf or Methods for the Chemical Analysis of Water and Waster, U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, EPA 600/4-79-020, p. 160.2, (1979)) Method 11: Elemental Analysis -- The concentrations of 20 elements (Al, B, Ba, Ca, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, Mo, Na, Ni, P, Pb, Si, Sr and Zn) were measured using inductively-coupled argon plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) by the University of Georgia Chemical Analysis Laboratory, Athens, Georgia. Method 12: DIC Analysis -- DIC was measured through an automated DIC analyzer developed by Cais group. The system was calibrated using certified reference material (CRM) from A. G. Dickson of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA. The system used small-volume (0.1-1.0 ml) samples, and had rapid (less than 5 minutes per analysis) measuring time with a precision of 0.1 – 0.15%. The system consisted of a non-dispersive infrared CO2 analyzer (Li-Cor 6252), a precision digital syringe pump, a gas flow controller, and a CO2 stripping reactor. The syringe pump was used to pump the sample (normally 0.5 ml) and acid (1 ml of 10% H3PO4) into the reactor. CO2 was released from acidified samples in the reactor and was subsequently measured by the infrared CO2 analyzer. Finally, DIC was calculated by integrating the area under the CO2 curve over time (< 2 mins) in the CO2 analyzer. The entire procedure was controlled by a computer. b. Instrumentation: Method 1: pH Electrode Manufacturer: Orion Research, Inc. (Model: 8103) Parameter: pH (Accuracy: 0.01 pH unit, Readability: 0.001 pH unit, Range: 0 to 14 pH units) Protocol: Meter is calibrated before and after each measurement. Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: Spectrophotometer Manufacturer: Shimadzu Instruments (Model: UV-1601) Parameter: Ammonium concentration (Accuracy: 0.1 µM, Range: 0.2 to 80 µM) Protocol: Solorzano, L. 1969. Determination of ammonia in natural waters by the phenolhypochlorite method. Limnol. Oceanogr. 14: 799-801 Method 5: Flow Injection Autoanalyzer Manufacturer: Lachat Instruments (Model: FIA 8000) Parameter: Phosphate concentration (Accuracy: 0.05 µM, Readability: 0.03 µM, Range: 0.1 to 80 µM) Protocol: Lachat Instruments FIA 8000 Autoanalyzer Method 31-115-01-1-H Method 6: Flow Injection Autoanalyzer Manufacturer: Lachat Instruments (Model: FIA 8000) Parameter: Nitrate+Nitrite concentration (Accuracy: 0.2 µM, Readability: 0.009 0.2 µM, Range: 0.5 to 100 µM) Protocol: Lachat Instruments FIA 8000 Autoanalyzer Method 31-107-04-1-A Method 7: TOC analyzer Manufacturer: Shimadzu Instruments (Model: TOC 5000) Parameter: Non-purgable organic carbon concentration (Accuracy: 2 µM, Range: 10 to 2000 µM) Protocol: Instrument calibrated prior to each analysis Method 8: NO analyzer Manufacturer: Antek Instruments (Model: 7020) Parameter: Total dissolved nitrogen concentration (Accuracy: 2 µM, Range: 10 to 1000 µM) Protocol: Alvarez-Salgado, X. A., and A. E. J. Miller. 1998. Simultaneous determination of dissolved organic carbon and total dissolved nitrogen in seawater by high temperature catalytic oxidation: conditions for precise shipboard measurements. Mar. Chem. 62: 325-333. TOC analyzer Manufacturer: Shimadzu Instruments (Model: TOC 5000) Parameter: Non-purgable organic carbon concentration (Accuracy: 2 µM, Range: 10 to 2000 µM) Protocol: Instrument calibrated prior to each analysis Method 9: Spectrophotometer Manufacturer: Shimadzu Instruments (Model: UV-1601) Parameter: Phosphate (Readability: 0.3 µM, Range: 0.5-10 µg P/mg sediment) Protocol: Solorzano, L., and Sharp, J. H. 1980. Determination of total dissolved phosphorus and particulate phosphorus in natural waters. Limnol. Oceanogr. 25: 754-758. Zhou, Y., Zhang, F., Yang, H., Zhang, S., Ma, X. 2003. Comparison of effectiveness of different ashing auxiliaries for determination of phosphorus in natural waters, aquatic organisms and sediments by ignition method. Water Res. 37: 3875-3882. Method 10: Drying oven Manufacturer: Fisher Scientific (Model: Isotemp 516G) Electronic balance Manufacturer: Denver Instruments (Model: TR-203) Parameter: Mass (Accuracy: 0.001 g, Range: 0.001 to 210 g) Method 11: ICP-Mass Spectrometer Manufacturer: Thermo Jarrell-Ash (Model: 965 Inductively Coupled Argon Plasma) Parameter: Calcium concentration (Accuracy: 0.46 % Standard Error, Range: 2.25 to 4990 µM) Parameter: Magnesium concentration (Accuracy: 0.3 % Standard Error, Range: 0.41 to 4114 µM) Parameter: Potassium concentration (Accuracy: 2.61 % Standard Error, Range: 2.30 to 10230 µM) Parameter: Silicon concentration (Accuracy: 2.05 % Standard Error, Range: 35.61 to 21363 µM) Parameter: Sodium concentration (Accuracy: 0.79 % Standard Error, Range: 4.35 to 26098 µM) Parameter: Strotium concentration (Accuracy: 0.48 % Standard Error, Range: 0.57 to 21363 µM) Method 12: Automated DIC Analyzer Parameter: Total dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) (Accuracy: 0.1-0.15%, Range: 100 to 10000 µmol/kg) Protocol: The system is calibrated before and after each measurement using certified reference material (CRM) from A. G. Dickson of Scripps Institution of Oceanography, La Jolla, CA. c. Taxonomy and Systematics: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: not applicable Method 3: not applicable Method 4: not applicable Method 5: not applicable Method 6: not applicable Method 7: not applicable Method 8: not applicable Method 9: not applicable Method 10: not applicable Method 11: not applicable Method 12: not applicable d. Permit History: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: not applicable Method 3: not applicable Method 4: not applicable Method 5: not applicable Method 6: not applicable Method 7: not applicable Method 8: not applicable Method 9: not applicable Method 10: not applicable Method 11: not applicable Method 12: not applicable 4. Project Personnel a. Personnel: 1: Samantha B. Joye 2: Wei-Jun Cai 3: Jack T. Sandow, Jr. 4: Nathaniel B. Weston 5: Matthew Erickson 6: Steven Bell 7: Kimberley S. Hunter 8: Yongchen Wang b. Affiliations: 1: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 2: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 3: Aquatic Research South, Georgia 4: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 5: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 6: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 7: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 8: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia III. Data Set Status and Accessibility A. Status 1. Latest Update: 14-Nov-2014 2. Latest Archive Date: 14-Nov-2014 3. Latest Metadata Update: 14-Nov-2014 4. Data Verification Status: New Submission B. Accessibility 1. Storage Location and Medium: Stored at GCE-LTER Data Management Office Dept. of Marine Sciences Univ. of Georgia Athens, GA 30602-3636 USA on media: electronic data download (WWW) or compact disk 2. Contact Person: Name: Wade M. Sheldon, Jr. Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: sheldon@uga.edu 3. Copyright Restrictions: not copyrighted 4. Restrictions: All publications based on this data set must cite the contributor and Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER project, and two copies of the manuscript must be submitted to the GCE-LTER Information Management Office. a. Release Date: Affiliates: Sep 17, 2009, Public: Oct 09, 2009 b. Citation: Data provided by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project, supported by funds from NSF OCE 0620959 (data set NUT-GCEM-0909b) c. Disclaimer: The user assumes all responsibility for errors in judgement based on interpretation of data and analyses presented in this data set. 5. Costs: free electronic data download via WWW, distribution on CD may be subject to nominal processing and handling fee IV. Data Structural Descriptors A. Data Set File 1. File Name: NUT-GCEM-0909b_2_1.CSV 2. Size: 565 records 3. File Format: ASCII text (comma-separated value format) 3a. Delimiters: single comma 4. Header Information: 5 lines of ASCII text 5. Alphanumeric Attributes: 6. Quality Control Flag Codes: Q = unspecified, E = unspecified, I = invalid (out of range), Q = questionable value 7. Authentication Procedures: 8. Calculations: DIC Flux: DIC * 0.001 * Discharge * 86400 NUT-GCEM-0909b: DON_Conc: Difference between total dissolved nitrogen and dissolved inorganic nitrogen DOP_Conc: Difference between total dissolved phosphorus and dissolved inorganic phosphorus 9. Processing History: Software version: GCE Data Toolbox Version 3.8.0 (09-Nov-2013) Data structure version: GCE Data Structure 1.1 (29-Mar-2001) Original data files processed: test1.txt (354 records) NUT-GCEM-0909b.TXT (563 records) Data processing history: 27-Aug-2014: new GCE Data Structure 1.1 created ('newstruct') 27-Aug-2014: 354 rows imported from ASCII data file 'test1.txt' ('imp_ascii') 27-Aug-2014: 81 metadata fields in file header parsed ('parse_header') 27-Aug-2014: data structure validated ('gce_valid') 27-Aug-2014: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 27-Aug-2014: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 27-Aug-2014: manually edited QA/QC flags for column(s) Alkalinity, River, Temperature and pCO2 and reset criteria to prevent automatic recalculation ('ui_manual_qc') 27-Aug-2014: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 27-Aug-2014: manually edited QA/QC flags for column(s) Alkalinity and reset criteria to prevent automatic recalculation ('ui_manual_qc') 03-Oct-2014: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 03-Oct-2014: sorted by columns Year(ascending), Month(ascending), Day(ascending), River(ascending) ('sortdata') 03-Oct-2014: removed 1 row(s) with duplicate values in the column(s) Year, Month, Day and River ('cleardupes') 03-Oct-2014: performed a full outer join of columns Year, Month, Day and River on columns Year, Month, Day and River from NUT-GCEM-0909b_1_2.MAT, returning column(s) Time, Temperature, Specific Conductivity, Salinity, pH, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, Alkalinity, pCO2, Discharge and DIC Flux from the first structure and column(s) Location, Longitude, Latitude, NH4_Conc, NOx_Conc, PO4_Conc, DOC_Conc, DON_Conc, DOP_Conc, Silicate_Conc, TSS_Conc, Aluminum_Conc, Boron_Conc, Barium_Conc, Calcium_Conc, Cadmium_Conc, Cobalt_Conc, Chromium_Conc, Copper_Conc, Iron_Conc, Potassium_Conc, Magnesium_Conc, Manganese_Conc, Molybdenum_Conc, Sodium_Conc, Nickel_Conc, Phosphorus_Conc, Lead_Conc, Silicon_Conc, Strontium_Conc and Zinc_Conc from the second structure (565 rows) ('joindata') 03-Oct-2014: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 03-Oct-2014: copied/reordered columns Year, Month, Day, Time, River, Location, Longitude, Latitude, Temperature, Specific Conductivity, Salinity, pH, NH4_Conc, NOx_Conc, PO4_Conc, DOC_Conc, DON_Conc, DOP_Conc, Silicate_Conc, TSS_Conc, Aluminum_Conc, Boron_Conc, Barium_Conc, Calcium_Conc, Cadmium_Conc, Cobalt_Conc, Chromium_Conc, Copper_Conc, Iron_Conc, Potassium_Conc, Magnesium_Conc, Manganese_Conc, Molybdenum_Conc, Sodium_Conc, Nickel_Conc, Phosphorus_Conc, Lead_Conc, Silicon_Conc, Strontium_Conc, Zinc_Conc, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, Alkalinity, pCO2, Discharge and DIC Flux ('copycols') 14-Nov-2014: Units of column Dissolved Inorganic Carbon changed from 'um/L' to 'µM'; Units of column Alkalinity changed from 'um/L' to 'µM ('ui_editor') 14-Nov-2014: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 14-Nov-2014: updated 56 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 14-Nov-2014: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 14-Nov-2014: updated 6 metadata fields in the Data sections ('addmeta') 14-Nov-2014: updated 15 metadata fields in the Status, Data sections to reflect attribute metadata ('updatecols') 14-Nov-2014: parsed and formatted metadata ('listmeta') B. Variable Information 1. Variable Name: column 1. Year column 2. Month column 3. Day column 4. Time column 5. River column 6. Location column 7. Longitude column 8. Latitude column 9. Temperature column 10. Specific Conductivity column 11. Salinity column 12. pH column 13. NH4_Conc column 14. NOx_Conc column 15. PO4_Conc column 16. DOC_Conc column 17. DON_Conc column 18. DOP_Conc column 19. Silicate_Conc column 20. TSS_Conc column 21. Aluminum_Conc column 22. Boron_Conc column 23. Barium_Conc column 24. Calcium_Conc column 25. Cadmium_Conc column 26. Cobalt_Conc column 27. Chromium_Conc column 28. Copper_Conc column 29. Iron_Conc column 30. Potassium_Conc column 31. Magnesium_Conc column 32. Manganese_Conc column 33. Molybdenum_Conc column 34. Sodium_Conc column 35. Nickel_Conc column 36. Phosphorus_Conc column 37. Lead_Conc column 38. Silicon_Conc column 39. Strontium_Conc column 40. Zinc_Conc column 41. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon column 42. Alkalinity column 43. pCO2 column 44. Discharge column 45. DIC Flux 2. Variable Definition: column 1. Year sample was taken column 2. Month sample was taken column 3. Day sample was taken column 4. Time sample was taken column 5. 0 column 6. Sampling location (GCE location code) column 7. Geographic longitude of sampling location column 8. Geographic latitude of sampling location column 9. Temperature of water sample at collection column 10. Specific Conductivity of water sample at collection column 11. Salinity of water sample at collection column 12. Measured pH of water sample column 13. Ammonium concentration column 14. Nitrate + Nitrite concentration column 15. Phosphate concentration column 16. Dissolved organic carbon concentration column 17. Dissolved organic nitrogen concentration column 18. Dissolved organic phosphorus concentration column 19. Silicate concentration column 20. Total Suspended Solids Concentration column 21. Aluminum concentration column 22. Boron concentration column 23. Barium concentration column 24. Calcium concentration column 25. Cadmium concentration column 26. Cobalt concentration column 27. Chromium concentration column 28. Copper concentration column 29. Iron concentration column 30. Potassium concentration column 31. Magnesium concentration column 32. Manganese concentration column 33. Molybdenum concentration column 34. Sodium concentration column 35. Nickel concentration column 36. Phosphorus concentration column 37. Lead concentration column 38. Silicon concentration column 39. Strontium concentration column 40. Zinc concentration column 41. Dissolved Inorganic Carbon measured in water sample column 42. Total Alkalinity measured in water sample column 43. 0 column 44. 7-day moving average of river discharge column 45. 0 3. Units of Measurement: column 1. YYYY column 2. MM column 3. DD column 4. HH:MM column 5. none column 6. none column 7. degrees column 8. degrees column 9. degree C column 10. uS/cm column 11. PSU column 12. none column 13. µM column 14. µM column 15. µM column 16. µM column 17. µM column 18. µM column 19. µM column 20. mg dry sediment/L column 21. ppm column 22. ppm column 23. ppm column 24. ppm column 25. ppm column 26. ppm column 27. ppm column 28. ppm column 29. ppm column 30. ppm column 31. ppm column 32. ppm column 33. ppm column 34. ppm column 35. ppm column 36. ppm column 37. ppm column 38. ppm column 39. ppm column 40. ppm column 41. µM column 42. µM column 43. ppm column 44. m3/sec column 45. mol/day 4. Data Type a. Storage Type: column 1. integer column 2. integer column 3. integer column 4. string column 5. string column 6. string column 7. floating-point column 8. floating-point column 9. floating-point column 10. floating-point column 11. floating-point column 12. floating-point column 13. floating-point column 14. floating-point column 15. floating-point column 16. floating-point column 17. floating-point column 18. floating-point column 19. floating-point column 20. floating-point column 21. floating-point column 22. floating-point column 23. floating-point column 24. floating-point column 25. floating-point column 26. floating-point column 27. floating-point column 28. floating-point column 29. floating-point column 30. floating-point column 31. floating-point column 32. floating-point column 33. floating-point column 34. floating-point column 35. floating-point column 36. floating-point column 37. floating-point column 38. floating-point column 39. floating-point column 40. floating-point column 41. floating-point column 42. floating-point column 43. floating-point column 44. floating-point column 45. floating-point b. Variable Codes: Location: AltamahaWC1 = Altamaha River water quality sampling station 1, LittleOcmulgee = LittleOcmulgee water quality sampling station, Ocmulgee = Ocmulgee water quality sampling station, Oconee = Oconee River water quality sampling station, Ohoopee = Ohoopee water quality sampling station MFlag_Alkalinity: Q = unspecified MFlag_Salinity: Q = questionable value, Q = unspecified MFlag_Temperature: E = unspecified c. Numeric Range: column 1. 2000 to 2009 column 2. 1 to 12 column 3. 1 to 31 column 4. (none) column 5. (none) column 6. (none) column 7. -82.6755 to -81.8445 column 8. 31.6671 to 31.9813 column 9. 3.6667 to 32.2222 column 10. 9.2 to 504 column 11. 0 to 2.4 column 12. 5.795 to 8.1695 column 13. 0 to 17.22 column 14. 0 to 69.16 column 15. 0.01 to 7.36 column 16. 126 to 1792 column 17. 3.11 to 71.14 column 18. 0.01 to 4.99 column 19. 4 to 519 column 20. 0.87 to 476.68 column 21. 0 to 0.93 column 22. 0 to 0.07 column 23. 0 to 0.1 column 24. 2.75 to 19.82 column 25. 0 to 0.03 column 26. 0 to 0.01 column 27. 0 to 0.03 column 28. 0 to 0.02 column 29. 0 to 0.59 column 30. 0.88 to 3.2 column 31. 0.97 to 2.57 column 32. 0 to 0.08 column 33. 0 to 0.04 column 34. 2.64 to 34.86 column 35. 0 to 0.02 column 36. 0 to 0.2 column 37. 0 to 0.07 column 38. 0.91 to 6.55 column 39. 0 to 0.06 column 40. 0 to 0.07 column 41. 146.5442 to 1217.3224 column 42. 85.8 to 1580.7 column 43. 343.309 to 8398.0636 column 44. 53.8 to 2495.8 column 45. 3601264.653 to 91846121.21 d. Missing Value Code: 5. Data Format a. Column Type: column 1. numerical column 2. numerical column 3. numerical column 4. text column 5. text column 6. text column 7. numerical column 8. numerical column 9. numerical column 10. numerical column 11. numerical column 12. numerical column 13. numerical column 14. numerical column 15. numerical column 16. numerical column 17. numerical column 18. numerical column 19. numerical column 20. numerical column 21. numerical column 22. numerical column 23. numerical column 24. numerical column 25. numerical column 26. numerical column 27. numerical column 28. numerical column 29. numerical column 30. numerical column 31. numerical column 32. numerical column 33. numerical column 34. numerical column 35. numerical column 36. numerical column 37. numerical column 38. numerical column 39. numerical column 40. numerical column 41. numerical column 42. numerical column 43. numerical column 44. numerical column 45. numerical b. Number of Columns: 45 c. Decimal Places: column 1. 0 column 2. 0 column 3. 0 column 4. 0 column 5. 0 column 6. 0 column 7. 5 column 8. 5 column 9. 1 column 10. 1 column 11. 1 column 12. 3 column 13. 2 column 14. 2 column 15. 2 column 16. 2 column 17. 2 column 18. 2 column 19. 2 column 20. 2 column 21. 2 column 22. 2 column 23. 2 column 24. 2 column 25. 2 column 26. 2 column 27. 2 column 28. 2 column 29. 2 column 30. 2 column 31. 2 column 32. 2 column 33. 2 column 34. 2 column 35. 2 column 36. 2 column 37. 2 column 38. 2 column 39. 2 column 40. 2 column 41. 1 column 42. 1 column 43. 1 column 44. 1 column 45. 3 6. Logical Variable Type: column 1. datetime (discrete) column 2. datetime (discrete) column 3. datetime (discrete) column 4. datetime (none) column 5. nominal (none) column 6. coded value (none) column 7. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 8. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 9. data (continuous) column 10. data (continuous) column 11. data (continuous) column 12. data (continuous) column 13. data (continuous) column 14. data (continuous) column 15. data (continuous) column 16. data (continuous) column 17. calculation (continuous) column 18. calculation (continuous) column 19. data (continuous) column 20. data (continuous) column 21. data (continuous) column 22. data (continuous) column 23. data (continuous) column 24. data (continuous) column 25. data (continuous) column 26. data (continuous) column 27. data (continuous) column 28. data (continuous) column 29. data (continuous) column 30. data (continuous) column 31. data (continuous) column 32. data (continuous) column 33. data (continuous) column 34. data (continuous) column 35. data (continuous) column 36. data (continuous) column 37. data (continuous) column 38. data (continuous) column 39. data (continuous) column 40. data (continuous) column 41. data (continuous) column 42. data (continuous) column 43. data (continuous) column 44. data (continuous) column 45. calculation (continuous) 7. Flagging Criteria: column 1. x<2000="Q";x>2006="Q" column 2. x<1="I";x>12="I";x<1="Q";x>12="Q" column 3. x<1="I";x>31="I";x<1="Q";x>31="Q" column 4. none column 5. manually-assigned flags column 6. flag_notinlist(x,"AltamahaWC1,Oconee,Ohoopee,Ocmulgee,LittleOcmulgee")="Q" column 7. x<-83="Q";x>-81="Q" column 8. x<31="Q";x>32="Q" column 9. x<0="Q";x>35="Q";manually-assigned flags column 10. none column 11. x<0="Q";x>1="Q" column 12. x<0="I";x>14="I" column 13. x<0.1="Q";x<0="I" column 14. x<0.2="Q";x<0="I" column 15. x<0.05="Q";x<0="I" column 16. x<2="Q";x<0="I" column 17. x<2="Q";x<0="I" column 18. x<0.2="Q";x<0="I" column 19. x<0="I" column 20. x<0="I" column 21. x<0="I" column 22. x<0="I" column 23. x<0="I" column 24. x<0="I" column 25. x<0="I" column 26. x<0="I" column 27. x<0="I" column 28. x<0="I" column 29. x<0="I" column 30. x<0="I" column 31. x<0="I" column 32. x<0="I" column 33. x<0="I" column 34. x<0="I" column 35. x<0="I" column 36. x<0="I" column 37. x<0="I" column 38. x<0="I" column 39. x<0="I" column 40. x<0="I" column 41. none column 42. manually-assigned flags column 43. manually-assigned flags column 44. none column 45. none C. Data Anomalies: Temperature values flagged 'E' were estimated based on other temperature readings in the area. Alkalinity values of all samples from 2/16/2005 to 7/9/2005 were noted in the original spreadsheet with 'need to be confirmed that the acid for the first point was not over added.' These values were flagged as questionable 'Q'. Alkalinity from Little Ocmulgee on 3/30/2004 was noted in original spreadsheet as 'Seems too high' and has been flagged as questionable 'Q'. Alkalinity from Little Ocmulgee on 4/13/2005 was noted in orginial spreadsheet as 'Used SW mode, results not reliable!' and has been flagged as questionable 'Q'. NUT-GCEM-0909b: Values of 7 records in NH4_Conc were flagged as Q (questionable value) for dates: 08/18/2001, 04/09/2002, 07/24/2002, 09/25/2003, 12/20/2003, 07/03/2005. Values of 6 records in NH4_Conc are missing for dates: 03/30/2004, 09/29/2004, 01/15/2005, 02/16/2005, 06/04/2005. Values of 8 records in NOx_Conc were flagged as Q (questionable value) for dates: 06/10/2002, 11/24/2002, 09/16/2005, 06/13/2007, 06/24/2007, 07/07/2007, 07/08/2007. Values of 3 records in NOx_Conc are missing for dates: 10/16/2000, 10/26/2000, 03/30/2004. Values of 5 records in PO4_Conc were flagged as Q (questionable value) for dates: 11/17/2001, 06/10/2002, 08/17/2005, 09/17/2005, 10/10/2005. Values of 13 records in PO4_Conc are missing for dates: 04/13/2005, 06/04/2005, 07/03/2005, 07/09/2005, 07/19/2005-07/23/2005, 08/17/2005, 09/16/2005, 10/16/2005. Values of 5 records in DOC_Conc are missing for dates: 12/17/2000, 07/11/2001, 07/19/2005, 09/16/2005, 10/16/2005. Values of 13 records in DON_Conc are missing for dates: 10/13/2000-10/16/2000, 10/26/2000, 03/30/2004-05/02/2004, 09/29/2004, 01/15/2005, 02/16/2005, 06/04/2005, 09/04/2005, 06/30/2006. Values of 28 records in DOP_Conc were flagged as Q (questionable value) for dates: 10/09/2000-10/16/2000, 10/29/2000-11/05/2000, 11/19/2000, 12/10/2000, 01/10/2001, 01/14/2001, 02/03/2001, 03/07/2001, 03/26/2001, 05/25/2001-05/30/2001, 06/10/2002, 04/13/2005, 05/21/2005, 06/04/2005, 08/17/2005, 01/29/2006, 03/29/2006, 05/31/2006, 06/30/2006, 10/07/2006-10/21/2006, 11/03/2006. Values of 48 records in DOP_Conc are missing for dates: 10/08/2000, 10/22/2000, 10/26/2000, 11/12/2000, 03/26/2001, 07/11/2001, 01/09/2002, 07/24/2002, 09/18/2002, 07/13/2003-09/25/2003, 04/13/2005, 06/04/2005, 07/03/2005, 07/09/2005, 07/19/2005-07/23/2005, 08/17/2005, 09/16/2005, 10/16/2005, 12/27/2005, 01/29/2006, 04/24/2006-04/30/2006, 04/30/2006-05/28/2006, 09/02/2006. Values of 118 records in Silicate_Conc are missing for dates: 09/28/2000-11/30/2001, 01/09/2002, 06/21/2003-09/25/2003. Values of 157 records in TSS_Conc are missing for dates: 09/28/2000-11/05/2002, 08/02/2003, 06/04/2005, 05/06/2006, 09/30/2006, 01/11/2007-01/20/2007, 02/03/2007, 09/19/2007. Values of 460 records in Aluminum_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Boron_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Barium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Calcium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Cadmium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Cobalt_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Chromium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Copper_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Iron_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Potassium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Magnesium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Manganese_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Molybdenum_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Sodium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Nickel_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Phosphorus_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Lead_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Silicon_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Strontium_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. Values of 460 records in Zinc_Conc are missing for dates: 01/09/2002, 02/10/2002-04/07/2009. V. Supplemental Descriptors A. Data Acquisition 1. Data Forms: Detailed field data is recorded for each sample, and archived as paper logs and electronic files 2. Form Location: Office of Dr. Wei-Jun Cai, School of Marine Science and Policy, University of Deleware, Newark, DE 19716 NUT-GCEM-0909b: These data are kept in a notebook in the Joye lab (Room 142 Marine Sciences Bldg, Athens GA) 3. Data Entry Validation: unspecified B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: QA/QC flags are generated automatically according to domain criteria specified for each data column. A flag column is generated and appended to the data table if any flags are assigned to any value, listing the flags for each column on each row. C. Supplemental Materials: unspecified D. Computer Programs: Microsoft Excel E. Archival Practices: Data sets and documentation are stored in structured binary (Matlab 5.x files) and delimited ASCII text formats, and archived on magnetic tape and CD at the GCE LTER Information Management Office at the University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia, USA F. Publications: not specified G. History of Data Set Usage 1. Data Request History: not specified 2. Data Set Update History: none 3. Review History: none 4. Questions and Comments from Users: none