Over 15 chemical and physical variables, including dissolved inorganic carbon, alkalinity, and radium isotopes, were measured from discrete water samples and CTD profiles. Data were collected by researchers H. Göte Östlund and Minze Stuiver during the GEOSECS Atlantic, Indian, and Pacific oceanographic cruises aboard the R/V Melville between 1972 and 1978.
Use Cases
- Analyze DELTA CARBON-14 and Tritium to trace water mass age and circulation pathways in global oceans.
- Model ocean acidification trends by correlating DISSOLVED INORGANIC CARBON and TOTAL ALKALINITY with WATER TEMPERATURE and SALINITY.
- Study nutrient cycles by examining spatial distributions of NITRATE, PHOSPHATE, and SILICATE across ocean basins.
- Reconstruct historical ocean ventilation using DELTA HELIUM-3 and DISSOLVED OXYGEN profiles against HYDROSTATIC PRESSURE.
Strengths
- Includes 15+ measured variables per observation for multi-parameter analysis.
- Global spatial coverage across 14 major ocean basins and seas.
- Temporal coverage spans nearly 6 years from 1972-07-18 to 1978-04 -28.
Limitations
- Data is historical, with the last update in 1978, limiting analysis of modern ocean changes.
- Sample size and row count are unknown, potentially affecting statistical power.
- Geographic coverage, while broad, is limited to specific cruise tracks.
Provenance
- Source
- NOAA National Centers for Environmental Information (NCEI), originally from GEOSECS expeditions.
- Collection Method
- Discrete water samples and continuous profiles collected using CTD and bottle instruments.
- Time Range
- 1972-07-18 to 1978-04-28
- Freshness
- null
- Geography
- Arabian Sea, Bay of Bengal, Bering Sea, Gulf of Aden, Indian Ocean, Mediterranean Sea (Eastern and Western Basins), North Atlantic Ocean, North Greenland Sea, North Pacific Ocean, Norwegian Sea, Red Sea, South Atlantic Ocean, South Pacific Ocean.