Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Database

Acceptance and utilization of LTER data requires that:

(1) The Principal Investigator be sent a notice stating reasons for acquiring any data and a description of the publication intentions.
(2) The Principal Investigator of the data set be sent a copy of the report or manuscript prior to submission and be adequately cited in any resultant publications.
(3) A copy of any resultant publications should be sent to:

Principal Investigator
Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Laboratory
7 MBL St.
Woods Hole, MA 02543

Dataset URLs:METADATA: HTML, Rich Text, XML(EML compliant)
DATA: Comma Delimited, Excel file with Metadata and data
Dataset ID:MON-PR-MBWatLevel2009.01
Dataset Title:Measurements of water column depth at 15 minute intervals in the upper Parker River Estuary at Middle Bridge, year 2009. Water depths are relative to the sonde pressure transducer and not associated with a datum.
Investigator 1: 
First Name:Joe
Last Name:Vallino
Address line 1:Ecosystems Center
Address line 2:MBL
Address line 3:7 MBLSt
City:Woods Hole
State:MA
Zip Code:02543
Country:USA
Associate Investigators:Hap Garritt
Keywords:PIE LTER, disturbance, Plum Island Ecosystems, Massachusetts, sea level, tide, water level, depth, Parker River, monitoring
Abstract:Measurements of water column depth at 15 minute intervals in the upper Parker River Estuary at Middle Bridge, year 2009. Water depths are relative to the sonde pressure transducer and not associated with a datum.
Contact: Plum Island Ecosystems LTER Information Manager
The Ecosystems Center
Marine Biological Lab
7 MBL St
Woods Hole, MA 02543
Phone (508) 289 7485
Email: pie_im@mbl.edu
Online URL: http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/
DATA FILE INFORMATION:
Data File URL http://ecosystems.mbl.edu/PIE/data/PHY/data/MON-PR-MBWatLevel2009.csv
Data File Name MON-PR-MBWatLevel2009
Beginning Date 5/12/2009
End Date 11/23/2009
Number of Data Records 18703
Other Files to Reference
Availability Status Type 1
Quality Control Information
Maintenance Description
Log of Changes: Version 01: March 5, 2012, updated data and metadata. Used MarcrosExportEML_HTML (working)pie_excel2007.xlsm 28/12 8:18 PM for QA/QC to EML 2.1.0
 
RESEARCH LOCATION: MON-PR-Middle Bridge WQ Site 2
Geographic Description Middle Road Bridge (Thurlow's Bridge, Byfield, Massachusetts)  
Location Bounding Box    
West Bounding Coordinate    
East Bounding Coordinate    
North Bounding Coordinate    
South Bounding Coordinate    
OR if single point location    
Latitude 42.758904  
Longitude -70.900941  
Elevation    
     
     
 
TAXONOMIC COVERAGE:
Taxonomic Protocols
Organisms studied
 
Methods:Measurements are made using a YSI 6600 water quality sonde. YSI Sonde water level sensor uses a non-vented** level depth sensor (stainless steel strain gauge).

**Depth values needed corrections factors applied due to using a non-vented cable with the YSI. Pressure/depth readings needed a post deployment correction to account for changes in ambient atmospheric pressure. Marshview Farm (MFM) weather station 15 minute barometric pressure data was used to compute correction factors at the same time intervals as the 6600 sonde time intervals.
Ambient pressure changes correspond to the following water level changes, 1 mb = 0.0102 meters of water.

To correct our non-vented sonde depth readings for atmospheric pressure effects, we correct the sonde to 1 standard atmosphere (1013 millibars or 760 mm Hg) when we calibrate it, then apply an offset to the depth data (post collection) based on simultaneous measures of barometric pressure

2009 Depth Correction factor calculations for Middle Rd
Sonde is calibrated in air at ambient pressure and should be calibrated to the corresponding depth at pressures relative to 1 ATM (760torr or 1013.25 mBar. 1mB = 0.0102 meters of water, 1 Torr = 1.333224 mB.

If ambient air is 1014.58 mB pressure then sonde should be calibrated to 0.0136 m.
Example table is below.

Ambient ATM (Torr)
Ambient ATM (mB)
Offset meters
755

1006.58

-.0.0680
756

1007.92

-0.0544
757

1009.25

-0.0408
758

1010.58

-0.0272
759

1011.92

-0.0136
760

1013.25

0.000
761

1014.58

0.0136

2009 Sonde Depth calib (m)

Offset (m)
Calib ATM (mB)

Date
0.000, should have been (0.0816m)
0.0816
1021.25

5/12/2009
0.014


0.000
1014.58

6/8/2009
-0.163


0.000
997.65

6/29/2009
0.082


0.000
1021.25

7/23/2009
0.0272


0.000
1015.92

8/18/2009
-0.150


0.000
998.58

9/28/2009
0.136


0.000
1026.58

10/26/2009

Using the table above and measured depth data for the corresponding time intervals with pressure units in mB
Corrected depth (m) = (Measured depth + Offset) - ((Measured BAR- std ATM or 1013) x 0.0102)

Data Table

Variable Name Variable Description Units Measurement Scale Code Information Number Type DateTime Format Missing Value Code Missing Value Code Explanation
Date Date of sampling   datetime     dd-mmm-yyyy   blank cell
Time Time of sampling (eastern standard time EST)   datetime     hh:mm:ss   blank cell
Station Name of sampling station   nominal         blank cell
Measured Depth Water column depth above non vented sonde pressure transducer meter ratio   real     blank cell
Depth Offset Depth correction offset depending on calibration meter ratio   real     blank cell
Measured BAR Barometric pressure from Marshview Farm (MFM) weather station (mbar) millibar ratio   real     blank cell
Corrected Depth Water column depth above non vented sonde pressure transducer, correction factor applied for ambient atmospheric pressure changes meter ratio   real     blank cell
Comments Comments about specific data   nominal         blank cell