Menu
Home
People
Places
Arts
History
Plants & Animals
Science
Life & Culture
Technology
Reference.org
Geochemical Ocean Sections Study
open-in-new
<p>The Geochemical Ocean Sections Study (GEOSECS) was a global survey of the three-dimensional distributions of chemical, <a href="/facts/Isotopic_tracer/Sqtr7c0G">isotopic</a>, and <a href="/facts/Radioactive_tracer/0210Jncn">radiochemical</a> <a href="/facts/Flow_tracer/ssA1CASQ">tracers</a> in the ocean. A key objective was to investigate the deep <a href="/facts/Thermohaline_circulation/GNXdegku">thermohaline circulation</a> of the ocean, using chemical tracers, including radiotracers, to establish the pathways taken by this. </p><p>Expeditions undertaken during GEOSECS took place in the <a href="/facts/Atlantic_Ocean/EI4uChIb">Atlantic Ocean</a> from July 1972 to May 1973, in the <a href="/facts/Pacific_Ocean/bdxgXRVM">Pacific Ocean</a> from August 1973 to June 1974, and in the <a href="/facts/Indian_Ocean/Kv0crwKG">Indian Ocean</a> from December 1977 to March 1978. </p><p>Measurements included those of physical oceanographic quantities such as <a href="/facts/Temperature/QyGe4gmj">temperature</a>, <a href="/facts/Salinity/X6mB1YAM">salinity</a>, <a href="/facts/Pressure/eyc37GRG">pressure</a> and <a href="/facts/Density/92p6hh9I">density</a>, chemical / biological quantities such as <a href="/facts/Total_inorganic_carbon/lQ3c5MyU">total inorganic carbon</a>, <a href="/facts/Alkalinity/qWjbkx33">alkalinity</a>, <a href="/facts/Nitrate/5AnVlYnL">nitrate</a>, <a href="/facts/Phosphate/FDGVCxUG">phosphate</a>, <a href="/facts/Silicic_acid/vrXPqNhF">silicic acid</a>, <a href="/facts/Oxygen/acyn6o8r">oxygen</a> and <a href="/facts/Apparent_oxygen_utilisation/66n5odc5">apparent oxygen utilisation</a> (AOU), and radiochemical / isotopic quantities such as <a href="/facts/Carbon-13/Iho4LUtW">carbon-13</a>, <a href="/facts/Carbon-14/Ut8SBNNa">carbon-14</a> and <a href="/facts/Tritium/HWSa6EHy">tritium</a>. </p>