Sediment Trap Data from the CARIACO Ocean Time Series (1995-2010)

The Cariaco Basin is a 1400-m-deep depression approximately 160 km long by 70 km wide located off the central Venezuelan coast . It is connected to the Atlantic Ocean by a sill ~100-m-deep, and two slightly deeper channels that breech it; Canal Centinela (146-m-deep) and Canal de la Tortuge (135-m-deep). High surface production rates and restricted circulation result in anoxic waters below ca. 275 m. The depth of the oxycline varies between 250 and 320 m and is independent of density. Rather, fluctuations in oxycline depth appear to be due to lateral intrusions of Caribbean Sea water that are linked to eddies along the continental shelf. A mooring with five sediment traps (Z, A-D) is located in the eastern Cariaco Basin. Traps A-D have been in place since November 1995. Trap A is located in oxic waters at 226 ± 6 m. Trap B is located at 407 ± 3 m and Trap D is located at 1205 ± 3 m. Trap C was located at a depth of 880 ± 2 m from Jan. 1996 to Nov. 2000, and was moved to 807 ± 2 m in Nov. 2000. A fifth trap, Z, was added in November 2003 at 110 m for the first 6 months, and at 150 m thereafter. All five sediment traps are coneshaped with a 0.5 m**2 opening that is covered with a baffle top to reduce turbulence. The mooring is deployed for six-month intervals and each sample collection cup is filled with a buffered 3.2% formalin solution as a preservative for the accumulating organic matter. The cups are numbered 1-13, with cup 1 collecting for the two-week interval immediately following deployment, and cup 13 collecting for the 2 weeks immediately before recovery.

Plume-top altitude time-series during 2010 volcanic eruption of Eyjafjallajökull

The eruption of Eyjafjallajökull volcano in 2010 lasted for 39 days, 14 April-23 May. The eruption had two explosive phases separated by a phase with lava formation and reduced explosive activity. The height of the plume was monitored every 5 min with a C-band weather radar located in Keflavík International Airport, 155 km distance from the volcano. Furthermore, several web cameras were mounted with a view of the volcano, and their images saved every five seconds. Time series of the plume-top altitude were constructed from the radar observations and images from a web camera located in the village Hvolsvöllur at 34 km distance from the volcano. This paper presents the independent radar and web camera time series and performs cross validation.

Aboveground community and species-specific plant biomass from the Jena Experiment (Dominance Experiment, time series since 2002)

This data set comprises a time series of aboveground community plant biomass (Sown plant community, Weed plant community, Dead plant material, and Unidentified plant material; all measured in biomass as dry weight) and species-specific biomass from the sown species of the dominance experiment plots of a large grassland biodiversity experiment (the Jena Experiment; see further details below). In the dominance experiment, 206 grassland plots of 3.5 x 3.5 m were established from a pool of 9 species that can be dominant in semi-natural grassland communities of the study region. In May 2002, varying numbers of plant species from this species pool were sown into the plots to create a gradient of plant species richness (1, 2, 3, 4, 6, and 9 species). Plots were maintained by bi-annual weeding and mowing. Aboveground community biomass was harvested twice a year, generally in May and August (in 2002 only once in September) on all experimental plots of the dominance experiment. This was done by clipping the vegetation at 3 cm above ground in two rectangles of 0.2 x 0.5 m per experimental plot. The location of these rectangles was assigned by random selection of new coordinates every year within the central area of the plots (excluding an outer edge of 50cm). The positions of the rectangles within plots were identical for all plots. The harvested biomass was sorted into categories: individual species for the sown plant species, weed plant species (species not sown at the particular plot), detached dead plant material, and remaining plant material that could not be assigned to any category. Biomass was dried to constant weight (70°C, >= 48 h) and weighed. Sown plant community biomass was calculated as the sum of the biomass of the individual sown species. The mean of both samples per plot and the individual measurements are provided in the data file. Overall, analyses of the community biomass data have identified species richness and the presence of particular species as an important driver of a positive biodiversity-productivity relationship.