Hydrochemical Atlas of the Arctic Ocean

Peter McRoy
International Arctic Research Center
University of Alaska

The first phase of a joint project to compile hydrochemical data for the Arctic Ocean
and marginal seas into an atlas is now complete and is available as a CD ROM from
the IARC Frontier Program (rcolony@iarc.uaf.edu). The aim of the present atlas is a
description of hydrochemical conditions in the Arctic Ocean using up-to-date
methods of analysis and electonic forms of information presentation.

Data are primarily from Russian expeditions aboard icebreakers, drift ice camps, and 
research ships over the years 1948 to 2000. Included are water column parameters
of major nutrients--phosphate, nitrate, nitrite and silicate--dissolved oxygen, pH and
alkalinity. The atlas includes observations for 17,318 stations and 134,642 specific
depth measurements. The bulk of the data, present in both primary and gridded
format, is for the Arctic Basin and marginal seas of the Russian Arctic but limited
observations from all marginal seas are included. In general the scope is intended
to exclude the Barents and Bering seas. Of the present data, the largest number
recorded are dissolved oxygen, silicate and pH observations (greater than 10,000
stations each) with alkalinity and nutrient measurements numbering from 1,900 to
5,500 stations.

The atlas uses the Ocean Data View software (copy included on disk) for
visualization and analysis of data profiles and sections. The project is a joint effort
led by Leonid Timokhov of the Arctic and Antarctic Research Institute (AARI),
Russian Federal Service for Hydrometerology and Environmental Monitoring, and
Roger Colony of the International Arctic Research Center (IARC) at the University
of Alaska Fairbanks.

The present atlas is a prototype for the anticipated eventual product. The next phase
of the project is to expand the database to include data from expeditions to the
western Arctic and to fill other gaps. This effort now has the sponsorship of AOSB
and this insures that results will be available to all interested researchers.




