4.3 Ommitted Cruises

Based on comprehensive comparisons, the DIC data for cruises A06, A07, and A23 are not included in the combined DIC data set. The following cruises are not included for TAlk: A06, A07, and A01E. The data from these cruises showed large offsets, large differences for different crossovers (see Table 4), and large scatter, limiting their use in this analysis. Omitting these data significantly decreases data coverage in the equatorial Atlantic.

There were several reoccupations of cruise lines during the decade. For interpretations where only a single cruise along the transect is needed, the repeat occupations later in time are recommended for use. These later cruises are believed to be of higher quality and may contain more parameters. They are also often closer in time to the other cruises. The recommended cruises are A05R (instead of A05), A01WR (instead of A01W), and A12BR (instead of A12B). In the case of A12B and A12BR, different cruise tracks were occupied, and there may be merit in retaining both, particularly because the data coverage is so sparse at high southern latitude.