Dissolved organic matter characterization for seasonal synoptic sampling of 93 urban streams in Atlanta, Georgia (USA) from 2021-2022

This dataset contains dissolved organic matter (DOM) characteristics from surface water samples collected at 93 first- to fifth-order streams in the Altamaha, Chattahoochee, and Flint Watersheds draining a gradient of urban land use in the greater Atlanta, Georgia metropolitan area. Samples were collected four times (September 2021, December 2021, March 2022, and July 2022) to capture spatial and seasonal variation in DOM characteristics. Fluorescent optical properties were measured on filtered water samples to understand the chemical composition of DOM. Excitation-Emission Matrices (EEMs) were measured using a Horiba Aqualog spectrometer. DOM characteristics were quantified using both standard fluorescence and absorbance metrics as well as through parallel factor (PARAFAC) analysis. These data were collected as part of the Carbon in Urban Rivers Biogeochemistry (CURB) Project. Detailed field data and site data are published separately and can be linked using the “curbid” and “synoptic_event” columns in each dataset.