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Marine Parameter Value RangesContents |
Background
- One of the most basic quality control methods for ocean data is to compare any measured value with an accepted range of values for the specific region, depth or season involved. Sets of acceptable values, known as range tables, have been developed for many projects and data archives, where they are useful for quality control.
- Global range tables are useful mainly for instruction and general discussions. The same can be said for annually averaged range tables, which can obscure seasonal differences in some variables. Both types of range tables have their value, but any specific project would greatly benefit from specially derived range tables for the location and timing of the data.
- Sets of value ranges are also quite necessary for visualization of data products, because the same minimum and maximum values must be used to specify color legends, in order to insure visual uniformity. Experience has shown that the value ranges in these tables must be kept as narrow as possible in order to emphasize data product differences.
Example Range Tables
- NASA Ocean Level-3 Standard Mapped Image Products - Includes a table of value ranges for common satellite-derived parameters
Generalized Global Range Table
For educational purposes, and possibly as a source of "first guess" information, the following very simplified global range table is offered. Particularly for the first seven parameters listed below, the user should consult the depth-specific tables of the US NODC (see links below). All values quoted for the first seven parameters are taken from the US NODC tables, unless otherwise cited. Other values are gross generalizations from the open literature and/or published range tables. The upper end of ranges for some coastal areas or areas strongly affected by upwelling, river input, etc. can be much higher.
| Parameter/Variable | Units | Minimum | Maximum | |
| Temperature, bulk | C |
-3 (Atlantic) -3 (Pacific) -1.5 (Indian) 0 (Mediterranean) 0 (Black Sea) -2 (Baltic) -3 (Persian Gulf) 10 (Red Sea) -1.5 (Sulu Sea) -3 (Arctic Area) -3 (Southern Sea) |
35 (Atlantic) 35 (Pacific 35 (Indian) 34 (Mediterranean) 30 (Black Sea) 25 (Baltic) 35 (Persian Gulf) 35 (Red Sea) 35 (Sulu Sea) 20 (Arctic Area) 15 (Southern Sea) | |
| Temperature, sea surface | C | -2 from US NASA | 45 from US NASA | |
| Salinity (not including near-shore and near-ice values of zero) | |
20 (Atlantic) 25 (Pacific) 26 (Indian) 12 (Mediterranean) 10 (Black Sea) 1 (Baltic) 20 (Persian Gulf) 20 (Red Sea) 20 (Sulu Sea) 26 (Arctic Area) 26 (Southern Ocean) |
40 (Atlantic) 40 (Pacific) 40 (Indian) 40 (Mediterranean) 40 (Black Sea) 35 (Baltic) 42 (Persian Gulf) 44 (Red Sea) 40 (Sulu Sea) 40 (Arctic Area) 40 (Southern Ocean) | |
| Oxygen | ml/dm3 |
0.01 |
12 | |
| Phosphate | umol/dm3 |
0 (Atlantic) 0 (Pacific) 0 (Indian) 0.2 (Southern Ocean) 0 (Arctic Ocean) |
3.6 (Atlantic) 3.8 (Pacific) 3.8 (Indian) 3.2 (Southern Ocean) 3.8 (Arctic Ocean) | |
| Nitrate | umol/dm3 |
0.01 (Atlantic) 0.01 (Pacific) 0.01 (Indian) 0.01 (Southern Ocean) 0.01 (Arctic Ocean) |
48 (Atlantic) 56 (Pacific) 54 (Indian) 50 (Southern Ocean) 54 (Arctic Ocean) | |
| Silicate | umol/dm3 |
0 (Atlantic) 0 (Pacific) 0 (Indian) 0 (Southern Ocean) 0 (Arctic Ocean) |
160 (Atlantic) 200 (Pacific) 180 (Indian) 160 (Southern Ocean) 120 (Arctic Ocean) | |
| Nitrite | umol/dm3 | Under study | Under study | |
| pH | | 7.0 | 9.1 | |
| Chlorophyll | ug/dm3 or mg/m3 | 0 from US NASA | 64 from US NASA | |
| Population | | 0 | 150 M | |
| Population density | persons/km2 | 1 | 300 | |
| Wind speed (climatologies only) | m/sec | 0 | 200 | |
| Precipitation, annual | mm | 0 | 3000 | |
| Temperature, air | C | 0 | 50 | |
| Humidity, relative | % | 0 | 100 | |
| Sediment thickness | m | 0 | 15000 | |
| Diffuse attenuation coefficient (K490) | m-1 | 0 from US NASA | 6.4 from US NASA | |
| Photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) | uEinsteins/m2/day | 0 from US NASA | 64 from US NASA | |
Other Resources
- Quality control and processing of historical oceanographic nutrient data. NOAA Technical Report NESDIS 79
- Quality control of oxygen, temperature and salinity data. NOAA Technical Report No. 81
Subsections of this Article
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Information about this article
Short title: Value Ranges
Description: none
Expertise level: beginner
Author: Murray.Brown
Approval status: approved
Approved by: Murray.Brown
Last change: 2011-8-6
Subsection of: Marine Data Quality Control
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