I. Data Set Descriptors A. Title: Daniela Di Iorio. 2008. Continuous salinity, temperature and depth measurements from moored hydrographic data loggers deployed at GCE1_Hydro (Sapelo River near Eulonia, Georgia) from 01-Jan-2008 through 31-Dec-2008. Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER Data Catalog (data set PHY-GCEM-0901a; http://gce-lter.marsci.uga.edu/public/app/dataset_details.asp?accession=PHY-GCEM-0901a) B. Accession Number: PHY-GCEM-0901a C. Description 1. Originator(s): Name: Daniela Di Iorio Address: Dept. of Marine Sciences University of Georgia Athens, Georgia 30602-3636 Country: USA Email: daniela@uga.edu 2. Abstract: Conductivity, temperature and pressure were measured continuously at Georgia Coastal Ecosystems LTER sampling location GCE1_Hydro (Sapelo River near Eulonia, Georgia) from 01-Jan-2008 through 31-Dec-2008. Observations were logged at 30 minute intervals by moored Sea-Bird Electronics MicroCAT 37-SM data loggers and downloaded approximately semi-monthly. Salinity, depth and sigma-t (density anomaly) were calculated from the measured parameters using standard UNESCO algorithms. This data set was collected as part of the GCE-LTER Project continuous salinity, temperature and water level monitoring program. 3. Study Type: Monitoring 4. Study Themes: Physical Oceanography 5. LTER Core Areas: Inorganic Fluxes 6. Georeferences: geographic coordinates as data columns 7. Submission Date: Jan 01, 2008 D. Keywords: conductivity, daily, density, depth, GCE, GCE1, Georgia, Georgia Coastal Ecosystems, Hydrographic Moorings, hydrography, Inorganic Fluxes, inorganic nutrients, LTER, monitoring, mooring, pressure, salinity, Sapelo Island, sonde, temperature, 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 Nov 01, 2012 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-SP -- Sapelo River, Georgia, USA GCE1_Hydro -- Eulonia hydrographic datalogger deployment Coordinates: GCE-SP -- NW: 081 25 55.13 W, 31 33 34.66 N NE: 081 09 14.84 W, 31 33 34.66 N SE: 081 09 14.84 W, 31 30 59.89 N SW: 081 25 55.13 W, 31 30 59.89 N GCE1_Hydro -- 81 25 26.3 W, 31 32 14.9 N b. Physiographic Region: GCE-SP -- Estuary and tidal marsh GCE1_Hydro -- Estuary and tidal marsh c. Landform Components: GCE-SP -- Intertidal marsh bordering sounds, tidal channels and creeks GCE1_Hydro -- Intertidal marsh bordering sounds, tidal channels and creeks d. Hydrographic Characteristics: GCE-SP -- Site includes the Sapelo River and Sapelo Sound, and is subject to 2-3.4m semi-diurnal tides. Sapelo Sound is a lagunal estuary system, with minimal freshwater stream or river input. GCE1_Hydro -- Site includes the Sapelo River and Sapelo Sound, and is subject to 2-3.4m semi-diurnal tides. Sapelo Sound is a lagunal estuary system, with minimal freshwater stream or river input. e. Topographic Attributes: GCE-SP -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3.4m above mean low tide GCE1_Hydro -- Flat, with elevations ranging from 0-3.4m above mean low tide f. Geology, Lithology and Soils: GCE-SP -- unspecified GCE1_Hydro -- unspecified g. Vegetation Communities: GCE-SP -- unspecified GCE1_Hydro -- unspecified 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: Conductivity, temperature and pressure were continuously monitored using an autonomous data-logging sensor package (sonde) that was moored to a piling and submerged 1-1.5m below mean low water. b. Permanent Plots: none c. Data Collection Duration and Frequency: The MicroCAT was programmed to autonomously measure and log conductivity, temperature and pressure at a sampling rate of 30 minutes (based on its internal chronometer). Upon retrieval the data was downloaded from the instrument via RS-232 serial communications and processed using custom Matlab(r) procedures to calculate depth (i.e. from pressure and latitude), salinity and sigma-t (i.e. from conductivity and temperature), and date and time components from sample time stamps. Beginning of Observations: Jan 01, 2008 End of Observations: Dec 31, 2008 3. Research Methods a. Field and Laboratory Methods: Method 1: Deployment -- The MicroCAT was mounted inside a protective PVC pipe enclosure and attached to a wooden piling (~12 inch diameter) that was driven firmly into the substrate. The enclosure was constructed from a 10-foot length of 6-inch (internal diameter) PVC pipe that was perforated all over by drilling 1.5-inch holes (at approximately 4-inch spacing); this permits proper water circulation within the enclosure. The bottom of the PVC pipe was submerged about 5 feet below the water surface at low tide and bolted (vertically) to the piling. The MicroCAT was deployed by lowering it into the enclosure on a 0.375-inch stainless steel cable, and bolting the cable to the piling, so that the bottom of the data logger was ~3 inches above the bottom of the PVC pipe. A weighted surveyor's tape was then used to measure the distance from the substrate to the pressure sensor on the MicroCAT for calculation of total water column depth from pressure readings. The mooring was inspected every 1-3 weeks, and any visible fouling of the enclosure or MicroCAT was removed with a brush or scaper. Method 2: Retrieval and Calibration -- At the end of each measurement period (approximately 2 months), the MicroCAT was unshackled from the cable and returned to the laboratory. The stored data was uploaded to a computer using a RS-232 serial cable and Sea-Bird Electronics SEATERM software. The MicroCAT was then cleaned to remove encrusting material and calibrated with a reference instrument at 4 to 5 salinity levels, generally ranging from 30 to 5 PSU. Method 3: Data Processing -- Data were processed after each retrieval using custom programs in the GCE Data Toolbox for MATLAB (parse_37sm and imp_gcesonde). Depth was calculated from recorded pressure and latitude values, and salinity and sigma-t were calculated from recorded conductivity and temperature values using standard UNESCO algorithms (reference: Unesco. 1983. Algorithms for computation of fundamental properties of seawater, 1983. Unesco Technical Papers in Marine Science No. 44, 53 pp.). Data were then plotted and visually inspected for evidence of biofouling of the conductivity sensor (i.e. prolonged periods of damped tidal oscillation in conductivity signal with no corresponding changes in temperature signal and no wind or rainfall events recorded at nearby monitoring stations, or periods of damped oscillation immediately followed by normal oscillation after instrument maintenance or replacement). Conductivity values recorded during periods of suspected biofouling were flagged as I (invalid) if visible fouling was noted in maintenance logs, and Q (questionable) if no visible fouling was noted. Method 4: Daily Aggregation -- The finalized 30-minute resolution data set was filtered to remove any remaining invalid values (i.e. assigned qualifier flags of 'I' = invalid value or 'X' = excise row), then padded with empty rows to produce a monotonic time series data set with even time steps. The data records were then aggregated (grouped) by Year, Month, Day, Site, Longitude and Latitude, and relevant summary statistics were calculated for each measured variable in each group and added as data columns. Quality control rules were defined for each calculated column to flag statistics based on days with more than 35% missing values as invalid, and more than 10% missing values or 35% flagged values as questionable. Columns listing the number and percentage of missing and flagged values in the original data set for each day were also added as data columns for reference by quality control rules. Following aggregation, summary statistics flagged as invalid were removed from the daily-aggregated data set and converted to missing (NaN). b. Protocols: Method 1: none Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none c. Instrumentation: Method 1: SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 2539, with pump) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Aug 19, 2002 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Prior to each timed measurement the conductivity cell is opened and water is pumped for 0.5 sec, then conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). The cell is closed between measurements and tributyl tin antifoulant is released into the tubing. Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 3342) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Mar 05, 2004 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Prior to each timed measurement the conductivity cell is opened and water is pumped for 0.5 sec, then conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). The cell is closed between measurements and tributyl tin antifoulant is released into the tubing. Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 1790) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Mar 31, 2006 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Water passively circulates through an open internal-field conductivity cell equipped with an external tributyl tin antifoulant dispenser, and conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 1791) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Aug 17, 2005 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Water passively circulates through an open internal-field conductivity cell equipped with an external tributyl tin antifoulant dispenser, and conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). SBE MicroCAT 37-SM (S/N 1794) Manufacturer: Sea-Bird Electronics (Model: 37-SM MicroCAT) Last Calibration: Apr 19, 2006 Parameter: Conductivity (Accuracy: 0.0003 S/m, Readability: 0.00001 S/m, Range: 0 to 7 S/m) Protocol: Water passively circulates through an open internal-field conductivity cell equipped with an external tributyl tin antifoulant dispenser, and conductivity is measured using an ultra-precision Wien-Bridge oscillator with frequency counted by a high-stability reference crystal (<2 ppm/year drift rate). Parameter: Pressure (water) (Accuracy: 0.2m, Readability: 0.0004m, Range: 0 to 20m) Protocol: Pressure is measured using a micro-machined silicon diaphragm with embedded strain elements, and temperature compensation is performed by the SBE MicroCAT onboard cpu. Parameter: Temperature (water) (Accuracy: 0.002°C, Readability: 0.0001°C, Range: -5 to 35°C) Protocol: Temperature is measured by applying an AC excitation to a hermetically-sealed VISHAY reference resistor and an ultra-stable aged thermistor (drift rate typically less than 0.002°C/year). Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none d. Taxonomy and Systematics: Method 1: not applicable Method 2: Method 3: Method 4: e. Speclies List: f. Permit History: Method 1: none Method 2: none Method 3: none Method 4: none 4. Project Personnel a. Personnel: 1: Daniela Di Iorio 2: Wade M. Sheldon, Jr. 3: Jacob Shalack 4: Daniel F. Saucedo b. Affiliations: 1: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 2: University of Georgia, Athens, Georgia 3: University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, Georgia 4: University of Georgia Marine Institute, Sapelo Island, Georgia III. Data Set Status and Accessibility A. Status 1. Latest Update: 29-Sep-2016 2. Latest Archive Date: 29-Sep-2016 3. Latest Metadata Update: 29-Sep-2016 4. Data Verification Status: Reviewed by GCE-LTER IM 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: Dec 31, 2008, Public: Dec 31, 2009 b. Citation: Data provided by the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Long Term Ecological Research Project, supported by funds from NSF OCE 0620959 (data set PHY-GCEM-0901a) 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: PHY-GCEM-0901a_2_0.CSV 2. Size: 17568 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: none 6. Quality Control Flag Codes: Q = questionable value, I = invalid value (out of range), S = spike/noise, X = excise row flag 7. Authentication Procedures: not specified 8. Calculations: Depth(m) = sw_dpth(Pressure(dbar),Latitude(deg)) -- sw_dpth (salt water depth from pressure) Matlab function, Revision: 1.3, Date: 10-Oct-1994 (C)1992 CSIRO, Phil Morgan (morgan@ml.csiro.au) [Salinity(psu),Sigma_t] = salsig2(Depth(m),Temperature(C),Conductivity(mmho/cm)) -- salsig2 (salinity and sigma-t from conductivity, temperature and depth) Matlab function Revision 06-May-1992 by V. Holliday, as modified by Tom Gross and Julie Amft (julie@skio.peachnet.edu) 9. Processing History: Software version: GCE Data Toolbox Version 3.9.6b (27-Aug-2016) Data structure version: GCE Data Structure 1.1 (29-Mar-2001) Original data files processed: 01080242.asc (5043 records) 01080590.asc (4080 records) 01080791.asc (3697 records) 01081139.asc (4698 records) 01090294.asc (5383 records) Data processing history: 19-Feb-2008: data uploaded from SBE 37-SM MicroCAT using SEATERM software version 1.50 22-Feb-2008: new GCE Data Structure 1.1 created ('newstruct') 22-Feb-2008: data imported from processed SBE SM-37 sonde data file '01080242.asc' (5043 records) ('imp_gcesonde') 22-Feb-2008: deleted column Second from the structure ('deletecols') 22-Feb-2008: calculated serial date from individual date component columns, added 'Date' column at position 1 ('add_datecol') 22-Feb-2008: added column 'Instrument' at position 1 ('addcol') 22-Feb-2008: added column 'Latitude' at position 1 ('addcol') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Latitude, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 22-Feb-2008: added column 'Longitude' at position 1 ('addcol') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Longitude, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 22-Feb-2008: added column 'Site' at position 1 ('addcol') 22-Feb-2008: added column 'Calibration' at position 17 ('addcol') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Calibration, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 22-Feb-2008: updated 22 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 22-Feb-2008: edited structure data ('ui_datagrid'): deleted record(s) 5041, 5042 and 5043 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria of columns Conductivity and Salinity edited ('ui_editor') 22-Feb-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Conductivity and Salinity, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 25-Sep-2008: 4076 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 25-Sep-2008: updated 14 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 25-Sep-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 25-Sep-2008: 3688 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 25-Sep-2008: updated 14 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 25-Sep-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 25-Sep-2008: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 25-Sep-2008: edited data set title in structure and metadata ('ui_editor') 25-Sep-2008: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 25-Sep-2008: documented flagged and missing values in columns Temperature, Conductivity, Pressure, Depth, Salinity, Sigma_t and Pump as data set anomalies in the metadata ('add_anomalies') 07-Nov-2008: 4696 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 07-Nov-2008: updated 20 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 07-Nov-2008: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 07-Nov-2008: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 07-Nov-2008: edited data set title in structure and metadata ('ui_editor') 07-Nov-2008: inserted 12 new records with date/time values and NaN/null data values (replicating common values in the non-data columns Site, Longitude, Latitude, Instrument, Calibration and Pump) to fill in date/time interval gaps in the data series ('fill_date_gaps') 07-Nov-2008: sorted by column Date(ascending) ('sortdata') 07-Nov-2008: deleted existing datetime columns Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute; updated Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute datetime columns added after column Date ('add_datepartcols') 07-Nov-2008: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 07-Nov-2008: documented flagged and missing values in columns Temperature, Conductivity, Pressure, Depth, Salinity and Sigma_t as data set anomalies in the metadata ('add_anomalies') 27-Feb-2009: 5377 rows added at the bottom of the data set ('datamerge') 27-Feb-2009: updated 20 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Project, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 27-Feb-2009: Q/C flagging criteria applied, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 27-Feb-2009: inserted 2 new records with date/time values and NaN/null data values (replicating common values in the non-data columns Site, Longitude, Latitude, Instrument, Calibration and Pump) to fill in date/time interval gaps in the data series ('fill_date_gaps') 27-Feb-2009: sorted by column Date(ascending) ('sortdata') 27-Feb-2009: deleted existing datetime columns Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute; updated Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute datetime columns added after column Date ('add_datepartcols') 27-Feb-2009: manually edited data set metadata ('ui_editmetadata') 27-Feb-2009: edited data set title in structure and metadata ('ui_editor') 27-Feb-2009: documented flagged and missing values in columns Temperature, Conductivity, Pressure, Depth, Salinity and Sigma_t as data set anomalies in the metadata ('add_anomalies') 05-Jun-2009: updated 4 metadata fields in the Dataset, Status, Study sections ('addmeta') 09-Dec-2009: deleted existing datetime columns Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute; updated Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute datetime columns added after column Date ('add_datepartcols') 11-Mar-2011: query 'Year == 2008' run, returned 17568 of 22891 data rows ('querydata') 11-Mar-2011: automatically assigned study date metadata descriptors based on the range of date values in date/time columns (add_studydates) 11-Mar-2011: updated title ('newtitle') 11-Mar-2011: updated 2 metadata fields in the Dataset, Status sections ('newtitle') 16-Nov-2011: matched 17568 out of 17568 geographic coordinates in columns Latitude and Longitude to coordinates for registered locations in the file 'geo_locations.mat' within a distance tolerance of 0.5km (add_locations) 16-Nov-2011: added column 'Station' at position 2 ('addcol') 16-Nov-2011: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Station, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 16-Nov-2011: added geographic metadata based on matching values in column Station to location and station names registered in 'geo_locations.mat' ('add_sitemetadata') 16-Nov-2011: updated 9 metadata fields in the Site, Status sections ('add_sitemetadata') 03-Jun-2015: query 'Year=2008' run, returned 17568 of 17568 data rows ('querydata') 03-Jun-2015: copied QA/QC flags from column(s) Conductivity and Temperature to column(s) Salinity and Sigma_t, merging copied flags with any existing flags, and set QA/QC criteria for destination column(s) to 'manual' ('copyflags') 03-Jun-2015: imported all documentation metadata from the template 'GCE_Sonde_GCE2', retaining existing attribute descriptors for all columns ('meta_template') 03-Jun-2015: updated 40 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 03-Jun-2015: updated title ('newtitle') 03-Jun-2015: added geographic metadata based on matching values in column Station to location and station names registered in 'geo_locations.mat' ('add_sitemetadata') 03-Jun-2015: updated 8 metadata fields in the Site sections ('addmeta') 03-Jun-2015: updated title ('newtitle') 03-Jun-2015: updated 1 metadata fields in the Dataset sections ('addmeta') 03-Jun-2015: deleted columns Calibration and Pump from the structure ('deletecols') 29-Sep-2016: Revised date/time values that differed from the specified interval of 30 minutes by up to 5 minutes ('adjust_time_interval') 29-Sep-2016: 1 value in 'Date' was updated with a new value ('adjust_time_interval'): changed record 10168 from 733619.812500 to 733619.812500 29-Sep-2016: Q/C flagging criteria applied for column(s) Date, 'flags' field updated ('dataflag') 29-Sep-2016: deleted existing datetime columns Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute; updated Year, Month, Day, Hour and Minute datetime columns added after column Date ('add_datepartcols') 29-Sep-2016: query 'Year=2008' run, returned 17568 of 17568 data rows ('querydata') 29-Sep-2016: copied QA/QC flags from column(s) Conductivity and Temperature to column(s) Salinity and Sigma_t, merging copied flags with any existing flags, and set QA/QC criteria for destination column(s) to 'manual' ('copyflags') 29-Sep-2016: imported all documentation metadata from the template 'GCE_Sonde_GCE2', retaining existing attribute descriptors for all columns ('meta_template') 29-Sep-2016: updated 40 metadata fields in the Data, Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 29-Sep-2016: updated title ('newtitle') 29-Sep-2016: added geographic metadata based on matching values in column Station to location and station names registered in 'geo_locations.mat' ('add_sitemetadata') 29-Sep-2016: updated 8 metadata fields in the Site sections ('addmeta') 29-Sep-2016: updated title ('newtitle') 29-Sep-2016: updated 1 metadata fields in the Dataset sections ('addmeta') 29-Sep-2016: imported Dataset, Project, Site, Study, Status, Supplement metadata descriptors from the GCE Metabase ('imp_gcemetadata') 29-Sep-2016: updated 57 metadata fields in the Dataset, Project, Site, Status, Study, Supplement sections ('addmeta') 29-Sep-2016: converted dates in column(s) Date to format yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS 29-Sep-2016: flags for columns Temperature, Conductivity, Pressure, Depth, Salinity and Sigma_t converted to data columns, flag codes updated in metadata ('flags2cols') 29-Sep-2016: updated 6 metadata fields in the Data sections ('addmeta') 29-Sep-2016: updated 15 metadata fields in the Status, Data sections to reflect attribute metadata ('updatecols') 29-Sep-2016: parsed and formatted metadata ('listmeta') B. Variable Information 1. Variable Name: column 1. Site column 2. Station column 3. Longitude column 4. Latitude column 5. Instrument column 6. Date column 7. Year column 8. Month column 9. Day column 10. Hour column 11. Minute column 12. Temperature column 13. Flag_Temperature column 14. Conductivity column 15. Flag_Conductivity column 16. Pressure column 17. Flag_Pressure column 18. Depth column 19. Flag_Depth column 20. Salinity column 21. Flag_Salinity column 22. Sigma_t column 23. Flag_Sigma_t 2. Variable Definition: column 1. Nearest nominal GCE-LTER sampling site column 2. Station determined by geographic lookup of coordinates in reference file 'geo_locations.mat' using a distance tolerance of 0.5km column 3. Geographic longitude in decimal degrees column 4. Geographic latitude in decimal degrees column 5. Serial number of the SBE 37-SM MicroCAT instrument used for the observations column 6. Calendar date and time of observation column 7. Calendar year column 8. Calendar month column 9. Calendar day column 10. Hours - GMT column 11. Minutes column 12. Water temperature column 13. QA/QC flags for Water temperature (flagging criteria, where "x" is Temperature: x<0="Q", x>35="Q", Depth<0.15="I", flag_valuechange(x,2,2,1,3)="Q", manual) column 14. Conductivity column 15. QA/QC flags for Conductivity (flagging criteria, where "x" is Conductivity: x<0="I", Depth<0.15="I", flag_valuechange(x,1,1,1,3)="Q", manual) column 16. Water pressure at sensor (approximately equivalent to water depth within 3% error) column 17. QA/QC flags for Water pressure at sensor (approximately equivalent to water depth within 3% error) (flagging criteria, where "x" is Pressure: x<0="I", x<0.05="X", x>10="Q") column 18. Water depth to the pressure sensor of the moored sonde column 19. QA/QC flags for Water depth to the pressure sensor of the moored sonde (flagging criteria, where "x" is Depth: x<0="I", x<0.05="X", x>10="Q") column 20. Salinity column 21. QA/QC flags for Salinity (flagging criteria, where "x" is Salinity: x<0="I", x>36="Q", Depth<0.15="I", flag_valuechange(x,6,6,1,3)="Q", manual) column 22. Sigma-t (i.e. Density-1) column 23. QA/QC flags for Sigma-t (i.e. Density-1) (flagging criteria, where "x" is Sigma_t: x<-5="Q", x>28="Q", Depth<0.15="I", flag_valuechange(x,5,5,1,3)="Q", manual) 3. Units of Measurement: column 1. none column 2. none column 3. degrees column 4. degrees column 5. none column 6. yyyy-mm-dd HH:MM:SS - GMT column 7. YYYY column 8. MM column 9. DD column 10. hr column 11. min column 12. °C column 13. none column 14. S/m column 15. none column 16. dbar column 17. none column 18. m column 19. none column 20. PSU column 21. none column 22. kg/m^3 column 23. none 4. Data Type a. Storage Type: column 1. integer column 2. string column 3. floating-point column 4. floating-point column 5. integer column 6. string column 7. integer column 8. integer column 9. integer column 10. integer column 11. integer column 12. floating-point column 13. string column 14. floating-point column 15. string column 16. floating-point column 17. string column 18. floating-point column 19. string column 20. floating-point column 21. string column 22. floating-point column 23. string b. Variable Codes: Flag_Temperature: Q = questionable value Flag_Conductivity: Q = questionable value Flag_Salinity: Q = questionable value Flag_Sigma_t: Q = questionable value c. Numeric Range: column 1. 1 to 1 column 2. (none) column 3. -81.424 to -81.424 column 4. 31.5375 to 31.5375 column 5. 1790 to 3342 column 6. (none) column 7. 2008 to 2008 column 8. 1 to 12 column 9. 1 to 31 column 10. 0 to 23 column 11. 0 to 30 column 12. 6.1183 to 32.8845 column 13. (none) column 14. 0.01302 to 5.0377 column 15. (none) column 16. 0.272 to 0.951 column 17. (none) column 18. 0.27012 to 0.94441 column 19. (none) column 20. 0.078805 to 32.3891 column 21. (none) column 22. -3.6712 to 23.1419 column 23. (none) d. Missing Value Code: 5. Data Format a. Column Type: column 1. numerical column 2. text column 3. numerical column 4. numerical column 5. numerical column 6. text column 7. numerical column 8. numerical column 9. numerical column 10. numerical column 11. numerical column 12. numerical column 13. text column 14. numerical column 15. text column 16. numerical column 17. text column 18. numerical column 19. text column 20. numerical column 21. text column 22. numerical column 23. text b. Number of Columns: 23 c. Decimal Places: column 1. 0 column 2. 0 column 3. 6 column 4. 6 column 5. 0 column 6. 0 column 7. 0 column 8. 0 column 9. 0 column 10. 0 column 11. 0 column 12. 3 column 13. 0 column 14. 3 column 15. 0 column 16. 3 column 17. 0 column 18. 3 column 19. 0 column 20. 3 column 21. 0 column 22. 3 column 23. 0 6. Logical Variable Type: column 1. nominal (discrete) column 2. nominal (none) column 3. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 4. geographic coordinate (continuous) column 5. nominal (discrete) column 6. datetime (none) column 7. datetime (discrete) column 8. datetime (discrete) column 9. datetime (discrete) column 10. datetime (discrete) column 11. datetime (discrete) column 12. data (continuous) column 13. coded value (none) column 14. data (continuous) column 15. coded value (none) column 16. data (continuous) column 17. coded value (none) column 18. calculation (continuous) column 19. coded value (none) column 20. calculation (continuous) column 21. coded value (none) column 22. calculation (continuous) column 23. coded value (none) 7. Flagging Criteria: column 1. none column 2. flag_locationcoords(x,col_Longitude,col_Latitude,0.25,"sensitive","geo_locations.mat")=" Q" column 3. x<-180="Q";x>180="Q" column 4. x<-90="Q";x>90="Q" column 5. none column 6. none column 7. none column 8. x<1="I";x>12="I" column 9. x<1="I";x>31="I" column 10. x<0="I";x>24="I" column 11. x<0="I";x>60="I" column 12. x<0="Q";x>35="Q";col_Depth<0.15="I";flag_valuechange(x,2,2,1,3)="Q";manually-assigned flags column 13. none column 14. x<0="I";col_Depth<0.15="I";flag_valuechange(x,1,1,1,3)="Q";manually-assigned flags column 15. none column 16. x<0="I";x<0.05="X";x>10="Q" column 17. none column 18. x<0="I";x<0.05="X";x>10="Q" column 19. none column 20. x<0="I";x>36="Q";col_Depth<0.15="I";flag_valuechange(x,6,6,1,3)="Q";manually-assigned flags column 21. none column 22. x<-5="Q";x>28="Q";col_Depth<0.15="I";flag_valuechange(x,5,5,1,3)="Q";manually-assigned flags column 23. none C. Data Anomalies: The value of one record in Temperature was flagged as Q (questionable value) for date 06/12/2008. Values of 21 records in Temperature are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. Values of 2 records in Conductivity were flagged as Q (questionable value) for date 06/12/2008. Values of 21 records in Conductivity are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. Values of 21 records in Pressure are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. Values of 21 records in Depth are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. Values of 3 records in Salinity were flagged as Q (questionable value) for dates: 05/14/2008, 06/12/2008. Values of 21 records in Salinity are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. The value of one record in Sigma_t was flagged as Q (questionable value) for date 06/12/2008. Values of 21 records in Sigma_t are missing for dates: 04/19/2008, 05/14/2008, 06/04/2008, 07/18/2008, 07/30/2008, 09/11/2008, 09/29/2008, 10/13/2008, 11/05/2008, 12/17/2008. V. Supplemental Descriptors A. Data Acquisition 1. Data Forms: Copies of CTD cast logs and raw data are maintained at the Georgia Coastal Ecosystems Information Management Office 2. Form Location: GCE-LTER Information Management Office, Dept. of Marine Sciences, University of Georgia, Athens, GA 30602 3. Data Entry Validation: not specified B. Quality Assurance/Quality Control Procedures: QA/QC flags are generated automatically according to domain criteria specified for each data column, then subsequently reviewed and revised as appropriate. Coded flag columns are generated for each data column, listing qualifier flags assigned to the data value on the corresponding row. C. Supplemental Materials: not applicable D. Computer Programs: Sea-Bird Electronics Sea-Soft version 4.246, MATLAB version 2013B 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