PAR_PROFILE English utf8 dataset McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Information Manager im@mcmlter.org pointOfContact 2019-06-20 ISO 19115-2 Geographic Information - North American Profile Metadata - Data with Biological Extensions ISO 19115-2:2009(E) Underwater photosynthetically active radiation (PAR) vertical profiles collected from lakes in the McMurdo Dry Valleys, Antarctica (1993-2025, ongoing) 2019-06-20 publication Cristina Takacs-Vesbach University of New Mexico https://www.unm.edu/ cvesbach@unm.edu http://www.wildmicrobiome.org pointOfContact John Priscu Montana State University http://www.montana.edu/ jpriscu@montana.edu pointOfContact documentDigital As part of the Long Term Ecological Research (LTER) project in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Antarctica, lakes are monitored for photosynthetic active radiation (PAR) levels. This data set exemplifies the vertical profile of underwater PAR profiles in perennial ice covered lakes and ambient PAR measured at the air-ice interface. Profile data can be used to calculate extinction coefficients for the water column and ice layer. Name: Jade Lawrence Role: field technician Name: Renée F. Brown Role: data manager Name: Amy Chiuchiolo Role: former field crew Name: Inigo San Gil Role: former data manager completed McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER Information Manager im@mcmlter.org pointOfContact unknown 2024-01-09: Several corrections, including depth adjustments, were made to profiles conducted during the 96-97 field season. See comments field for corrections specific to each limno run. 2023-07-11: An error was found in the 2019-2020 season data in which the wrong sensor multiplier was inadvertently used for the underwater sensor (i.e., the "multiplier in air" was used instead of the "multiplier in water"). This issue has been corrected and affected data have been replaced. Data and metadata ported into DEIMS by Inigo in 2015. Data from this table was submitted to INSTAAR by John Priscu's team at Montana State University. The raw data files listed under 'file name' are the names of the original files submitted. The 1993/94 and 1994/95 datasets are Microsoft Excel version 6.0 files, and the 1995/96, 1996/97 and 1997/98 datasets are ascii text files. Upon arrival at INSTAAR, the data manager fine-tuned the location codes and limno runs to match those provided in the "locations, dates, codes for lake chemistry, biology samples" file. The file was imported into Microsoft Access on INSTAAR's Unix system, and can currently be found there. The file was then exported in ascii, comma delimited text and MS-DOS text (table layout) to present on the MCM LTER web site. Both of these files are linked to this web page above. Information for the metadata was obtained from the lktemps.metadata.txt and Metaparprofile9697.rtf files. The files were called up using Microsoft Word version 6.0. Text from these files was used to create this page in html format. primary production theme LTER Core Areas English Lake Bonney is a saline lake with permanent ice cover at the western end of Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It is 7 kilometres or 4.3 mi long and up to 900 metres or 3,000 ft wide. A narrow channel only 50 metres or 160 ft wide. Lake Bonney at Narrows separates the lake into East Lake Bonney 3.32 square kilometres or 1.28 sq mi and West Lake Bonney, 0.99 square kilometres or 0.38 sq mi. The west lobe is flanked by Taylor glacier. Valley: Taylor Distance to Sea : 25 Maximum Length (km): 4.8 Maximum Width (km): 0.9 Maximum Depth (m): 37 Surface Area (km^2): 3.32 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 3 - 4.5 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 54.7 162.536209106445 162.353210449219 -77.724441528320 -77.697700500488 Lake Bonney is a saline lake with permanent ice cover at the western end of Taylor Valley in the McMurdo Dry Valleys of Victoria Land, Antarctica. It is 7 kilometres or 4.3 mi long and up to 900 metres or 3,000 ft wide. A narrow channel only 50 metres or 160 ft wide. Lake Bonney at Narrows separates the lake into East Lake Bonney 3.32 square kilometres or 1.28 sq mi and West Lake Bonney, 0.99 square kilometres or 0.38 sq mi. Valley: Taylor Distance to Sea : 28 Maximum Length (km): 2.6 Maximum Width (km): 0.9 Maximum Depth (m): 40 Surface Area (km^2): 0.99 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 2.8-4.5 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 10.1 162.354934692383 162.269104003906 -77.727287292480 -77.714805603027 The Lake Fryxell basin is formed by a moraine depression in a wider portion of the Taylor Valley. It has a number of moraine islands and shallower areas, as well as several relatively well developed deltas. The lake is fed by at least 10 meltwater streams with a total drainage catchment of 230 km2. The lake is dammed to the southwest by the Canada Glacier and is topographically closed. It is perennially ice covered; during summer months, an ice-free moat generally forms around much of the lake margin. Lake levels have risen ~2 m between 1971 and 1996. There are no surface outflows; the only known water loss is through ice ablation (evaporation, sublimation and physical scouring). Valley: Taylor Distance to Sea : 9 Maximum Length (km): 5.8 Maximum Width (km): 2.1 Maximum Depth (m): 20 Surface Area (km^2): 7.08 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 3.3 - 4.5 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 25.2 163.259582519531 163.048782348633 -77.622711181641 -77.597076416016 Lake Hoare occupies a narrower portion of the Taylor Valley, dammed by the Canada Glacier. It would drain almost completely without this dam. There are a number of islands which may be related to an old terminal of Canada Glacier. The lake is fed primarily from direct runoff from the glacier, as well as meltwater streams. (Lake level rose ~1.5 m between 1972 and 1996). There are no surface outflows; the only known water loss is through ice ablation (evaporation, sublimation and physical scouring). Valley: Taylor Distance to Sea : 15 Maximum Length (km): 4.2 Maximum Width (km): 1 Maximum Depth (m): 34 Surface Area (km^2): 1.94 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 3.1 - 5.5 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 17.5 162.935836791992 162.784423828125 -77.639259338379 -77.623085021973 Lake Joyce lies in the Pearse Valley against the Taylor Glacier.  Valley: Pearse  Distance to Sea : 44  Maximum Length (km): 1  Maximum Width (km): 1  Maximum Depth (m): 35  Surface Area (km^2): 0.83  Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 3.9 - 5.6  Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 4.9 161.662445068359 161.608886718750 -77.726486206055 -77.715972900391 Lake Miers lies in the Miers Valley. Valley: Miers Distance to Sea : 20 Maximum Length (km): 1.5 Maximum Width (km): 0.7 Maximum Depth (m): 21 Surface Area (km^2): 1.3 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 3.4 - 6 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 2.9 163.886840820313 163.812332153320 -78.101478576660 -78.094047546387 Lake Vanda is located in the Wright Valley, adjacent to the Taylor Valley. It is fed primarily by the Onyx River, which has its origin at Lake Brownworth, and ultimately at the Lower Wright Glacier located ~27 km east of the lake. The lake has no outflow. Valley: Wright Distance to Sea : 47 Maximum Length (km): 8 Maximum Width (km): 2 Maximum Depth (m): 75 Surface Area (km^2): 5.2 Ice Thickness Average Surface (m): 2.8 - 4.2 Volume (m^3 * 10^6): 160 161.691970825195 161.391906738281 -77.542304992676 -77.518882751465 ground condition 1993-10-28 2025-01-06 https://mcm.lternet.edu/sites/default/files/data/mcmlter-lake-par_profile-20250331.csv LIMNO_PAR_PROFILE eng; US McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER LIMNO_PAR_PROFILE Record Delimiter : \n Number of Header Lines : 1 Number of Footer Lines : 1 Orientation : Column Quote Character : "Field Delimiter : , false DATASET_CODE Code to ID the data table LOCATION NAME Name of lake where measurement was made LOCATION CODE Code for site where measurement was made LIMNO_RUN Code for lake's sampling location and date DATE_TIME Date on which sample was gathered Date Time Format: mm/dd/yyyy DEPTH (m) Distance below the piezometric water level at which measurement was taken. UwPAR (umol photons/m2/s) Underwater photosynthetically active radiation AMBIENT PAR umol photons/m2/s Ambient photosynthetically active radiation PAR COMMENTS (PROFILE) Helpful hints about the sample FILE NAME Name of file in which data was submitted DEPTH MASL Depth referred to the Sea level. Distance below Mean Average Sea Level DBF https://mcm.lternet.edu/sites/default/files/data/mcmlter-lake-par_profile-20250331.csv dataset A Licor LI-193 (formerly LI-193SA; it is not known when the sensor was upgraded) spherical quantum sensor and a LI-190/R (formerly LI-193SA; it is not known when the sensor was upgraded) flat sensor were attached to a Licor datalogger to record instantaneous under-ice PAR and PAR incident on the surface of the lake ice. Data were recorded in an outside incubation hole covered by an opaque tarp, unless otherwise noted. The upper 3-6 meters of each profile, depending upon ice thickness for each lake, represents conditions within the ice melt hole and is not representative of actual lake water. It is advised that users of the data review the MCM LTER Lake Ice Thickness data package to find where the liquid water column starts for each cast.Starting in the 23/24 season, the LI-1400 datalogger was replaced with a LI-1500 datalogger. Individual data points for both sensors are now logged simultaneously and stored in the datalogger. Previously, the LI-1400 would display instantaneous data which was recorded manually by the user. Metadata Access Constraints: none Metadata Use Constraints: none annually McMurdo Dry Valleys LTER http://mcmlter.org/ pointOfContact