In situ dataset for initialization and validation of the Copernicus Med-MFC biogeochemical model system (MedBGCins)

The biogeochemical model system in use by the Mediterranean Monitoring Forecasting Centre (Med-MFC) of the EU Copernicus Marine Service requires several observational datasets for data assimilation and model initialization and validation (Coppini et al., 2023; Cossarini et al., 2021; Salon et al., 2019). The present MedBGCins dataset consists of the in situ measurements, coming from selected platforms, on which the initialization and validation of the biogeochemical model system are built. The MedBGCins dataset collects in situ measurements along the Mediterranean Sea water column and during the 1995-2023 time period for nutrients (i.e., nitrate, nitrite, phosphate, silicate, ammonium), dissolved oxygen, dissolved inorganic carbon, total alkalinity, total scale pH at 25°C. The dataset also provides pCO2 and total scale pH at in situ conditions, reconstructed by using the PyCO2SYS Python toolbox (Humpreys et al., 2024). The complete list of variables is indicated in Table 1. The largest subset of the original data are from EMODnet Chemistry Mediterranean Sea - Eutrophication and Acidity aggregated datasets 1911/2022 v2023 (reference in Table 2), including both profiles and time series, plus other documented cruises (same table).

Additional information and references are included in the UserGuide file.