ORCID

0000-0001-6744-6718 (Cutter)

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2024

DOI

10.5670/oceanog.2024.404

Publication Title

Oceanography

Volume

37

Issue

2

Pages

21-24

Abstract

The international GEOTRACES program was developed to enhance knowledge about the distribution of trace elements and their isotopes (TEIs) in the ocean and to reduce the uncertainty about their sources, sinks, and internal cycling. Recognizing the importance of intercalibration from the outset, GEOTRACES implemented intercalibration efforts early in the program, and consensus materials were generated that included the full range of TEIs dissolved in seawater, in suspended particles, and from aerosols. The GEOTRACES section cruises include “crossover station(s)” that are occupied by two or more sections and whereby all aspects of sample collection, preservation, and processing can be compared and intercalibrated. Once datasets are generated, an international intercalibration committee reviews intercalibration reports and works with the community to address issues and provide intercalibrated data for intermediate data products. This process has resulted in a highly cooperative community that shares advances in protocols to strengthen capacity building and GEOTRACES outcomes, including an unprecedented oceanic atlas of TEIs, with data quality that is state-of-the-art. This article outlines the development and implementation of the successful GEOTRACES intercalibration process.

Rights

© 2024 The Authors.

This is an open access article made available under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License (https://creativcommons.org/licenses/by/4.0), which permits use, sharing, adaptation, distribution, and reproduction in any medium or format as long as users cite the materials appropriately, provide a link to the Creative Commons license, and indicate the changes that were made to the original content. Images, animations, videos, or other third-party material used in articles are included in the Creative Commons license unless indicated otherwise in a credit line to the material. If the material is not included in the article’s Creative Commons license, users will need to obtain permission directly from the license holder to reproduce the material.

Original Publication Citation

Aguilar-Islas, A., Planquette, H., Lohan, M. C., Geibert, W., & Cutter, G. (2024). Intercalibration: A cornerstone of the success of the GEOTRACES program. Oceanography, 37(2), 21-24. https://doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2024.404

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