National Oceanic and
Atmospheric Administration
United States Department of Commerce

Tracer Data Uses

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Tracer Data Uses

  • To determine the rates and pathways of ocean circulation and mixing processes
  • To estimate water mass formation rates (and determine long-term changes in these rates)
  • To estimate the rates of key biogeochemical processes in the ocean
  • To improve estimates of the rates of uptake and storage of anthropogenic CO2 in the ocean
  • To provide a unique way to test numerical ocean model simulations, evaluate strengths and weaknesses in the models, and suggest ways to improve the models