N. J. Jenkins et al.: A comprehensive global oceanic dataset of helium isotope and tritium measurements 451
Figure 11. H. Göte Östlund preparing a gas sample for low-level
counting analysis (mid-1960s)
He played a key role in the creation and execution of early
global ocean survey programs. He developed electrolytic
enrichment techniques for low-level environmental tritium
measurements by gas proportional counting (see Fig. 11).
Östlund was a member of the scientific steering commit-
tee for the Geochemical Ocean Sections Study (GEOSECS),
which was the first global-scale survey of chemical, isotopic,
and radiochemical tracers in the ocean (1972-1978). He pro-
duced the first large-scale, high-quality mapping of the dis-
tribution of tritium in the oceans, which opened oceanogra-
phers’ eyes to the dynamic and rapid penetration of bomb-
produced tracers into the deep ocean.
Östlund published over 100 papers in peer-reviewed jour-
nals on a wide range of subjects. Although his early interests
focused on many areas including atmospheric transport, they
quickly extended to the hydrologic cycle and the ocean for
which he applied radioactive tracers to a spectrum of scien-
tific problems. As a student, he participation in the discovery
of the anaesthetic Xylocain. Soon after coming to Miami,
he used tritium to show that evaporation from the ocean is
the major energy source for hurricanes. To collect samples
he even flew into the eye of a hurricane. He and a colleague
were the first to use tritium data to show that vertical mixing
in the upper layers of the open ocean was an order of magni-
tude smaller than predicted by mass balance and theory. This
was corroborated 20 years later by other investigators using
new techniques. A major interest of his was the Arctic Ocean.
There he quantified the contributions from ice melt, runoff,
and precipitation to the freshwater budget. This budget plays
a eritical role in the global overturning circulation, which is
Wwww.earth-syst-sci-data.net/11/441/20 14
the leading candidate for modulating decadal to centennial
climate.
Östlund was involved in the planning and implementa-
tion and served on the scientific steering committees of
early global change programs: Geochemical Ocean Sec-
tions (GEOSECS), which was the first global-scale survey
of chemical, isotopic, and radiochemical tracers in the ocean
(1972-1978), followed in the 1980s by Transient Tracers in
the Oceans (TTO). The data his laboratory produced and col-
lected under the auspices of these programs have furthered
our understanding of the timescales of ocean processes. For
example, the data have been used to estimate the flux of an-
thropogenic carbon dioxide into the ocean, the rate of ex-
change between the atmosphere and ocean, and rates of deep-
water formation. He produced the first large-scale, high-
quality mapping of the distribution of tritium in the ocean,
which opened a new vista on the dynamic and rapid penetra-
ion of bomb-produced tracers into the deep western North
Atlantic Ocean. Östlund’s leadership as a member and coor-
dinator of the scientific advisory committee for GEOSECS
and TTO and his vision and credibility in seeing that an ac-
celerator mass spectrometry facility for !*C analysis was es-
tablished in the USA — had a large influence on ocean sci-
ence. The big oceanographic programs of the past 50 years
(GEOSECS through WOCE, CLIVAR, and GO-SHIP) have
provided platforms for obtaining large quantities of high-
quality tracer data.
Östlund was soft-spoken and gentle in demeanor and gen-
erous with his time, advice, and data. He set an example and
benchmark for subsequent generations of tracer geochemists
for responsibility, honesty, and fairness.
Author contributions. WJJ is responsible for most of the writ-
ing of this article, along with preparation of the figures and assem-
bly and quality control of the data in various formats. Numerous
co-authors provided useful ideas, discussion, and critical review of
ıhe manuscript, including SCD, RK, WR, and RN. Several authors
pointed out and provided missing data, including PJB, RK, BK, and
MR. MF provided early compilations of the data. RF provided help-
ful background information on H. Göte Östlund.
Competing interests. The authors declare that they have no con-
fliet of interest.
Acknowledgements. This synthesis work was funded under the
auspices of a U.S. National Science Foundation grant number OCE-
1434000. Financial support for the actual measurements came from
a wide variety of different research grants from many agencies in
many countries, far too numerous to list here. William J. Jenkins
is grateful to a number of US funding sources, most notably the
National Science Foundation. NOAA, DOE. and ONR.
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 11, 441-454, 2019
