Ocean CTD Profiles From Jones Sound, Nunavut and Adjacent Waters Collected During The Ice2Ocean Project

This dataset contains a compilation of conductivity, temperature, and depth (CTD) profiles collected in Jones Sound and surrounding waterways by the collaborative Ice2Ocean project from 2019 onwards. The data were collected to support various research projects investigating the physical oceanography of Jones Sound, northern Baffin Bay, and surrounding waterways, with a focus on understanding changing coastal ocean conditions in the High Arctic, glacier-ocean interactions, and ocean biogeochemistry.

Profiles were collected year-round as part of a partnership with the community of Ausuittuq (Grise Fiord) through augered holes in the sea ice at sites accessed by snowmobiles, or from small vessels during the open water season, including numerous local vessels, the polar yacht Vagabond, and the Government of Nunavut research vessel Nuliajuk. Full depth profiles of the water column were obtained along repeat transects by lowering an RBR CTD from the surface to the sea floor using a manual winch. The CTD was outfitted with external sensors for dissolved oxygen, chlorophyll a, turbidity, and photosynthetically-active radiation (PAR) and these fields are included in the dataset. Raw temperature and salinity data were processed in MATLAB by applying a low-pass filter and all fields were binned to 0.5 m depth bins. The external sensors fields have not undergone extensive quality control and require further assessment. Only downcasts are included in the dataset. Water bottle samples were collected at various depths at many of the CTD stations (bottle data is not included here).

The CTD data included in this archive is part of an ongoing field program and will be updated annually.
Biogeochemistry data from Jones Sound and Nares Strait, 2021 are also available.

For further information on this dataset please contact Andrew K. Hamilton (akhamilton@ualberta.ca)