Pacific Ocean

Section map

The GEOTRACES Scientific Steering Committee discussed and proposed these cruise tracks in June 2007 at the Pacific Basin Planning Workshop held in Honolulu, Hawaii. More information about each cruise is available — please click on the map labels below. Yellow lines indicate completed cruises, black lines indicate International Polar Year cruises, and red lines indicate planned cruises.

GEOTRACES cruise sections in the Pacific Ocean

Pacific Ocean GEOTRACES cruise sections ©

Cruise details

Section	Country	Cruise Dates (completed cruises/ approved future cruises)	Information
GP01	—	—	To be planned in the Sea of Okhotsk (Dr. Jing Zhang).
GP02	Japan	GP02: 23-08-2012 — 03-10-2012 - GP02 bis: 23-06-2017 — 07-08-2012	Cruise KH12-04 (GP02) on RV Hakuho Maru took place along 47^oN in the Northen Pacific Ocean between 23 August and 03 October 2012, leaving from Tokyo, Japan and terminating in Vancouver, Canada. The key objective of the cruise was to investigate biogeochemical cycles of trace elements and isotopes, contributing to the International GEOTRACES program. 33 Scientists and students took part in this cruise, including 2 graduates from Korea and Indonesia. The Chief Scientist and GEOTRACES Scientist onboard was Dr Toshitaka Gamo from the University of Tokyo, Atmosphere and Ocean Research Institute. Please consult the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form and the cruise summary report for further information. Cruise KH17-03 (gp02 BIS) on RV Hakuho Maru followed KH12-04 track took place between 23 June and 07 August 2017, leaving from Tokyo, Japan and terminating in Vancouver, Canada.
GP03	Japan	11-06-2010 — 23-07-2010	The RV Hakuho Maru cruise KH10-02 took place in the western North Pacific and the Sea of Japan from 11 June to 23 July 2010, aiming to contribute to the international GEOTRACES project by implementing interdisciplinary studies on marine biogeochemistry and clarifying environmental change in this region. Participating on the cruise were a total of 53 staff from 22 universities/institutions, with 18 foreign Scientists (including students) from Korea, Russia, China and Vietnam. The onboard Chief Scientist and GEOTRACES Scientist was Professor Jing Zhang (Graduate School of Science and Engineering for Science, University of Toyama). Information regarding this cruise can be sourced from here. Further details can also be sourced form the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form.
GP04	Canada	—	Not planned yet.
GP05	US	—	Not planned yet.
GP06	Japan	2015-10-14 — 2015-11-02	More details on the cruise can be found here.
GP08	China and Taiwan	—	To be planned in the South China Sea (Dr. Haojia Abby Ren).
GP09	China	2019-04-25 — 2019-06-10	KK1903 departed from Xiamen, on board the R/V “TAN KAH KEE” (Jia-Geng) and scheduled from April 25th 2019 to June 10th 2019. The major objectives of the cruise are: (1) to investigate the horizontal and vertical distribution of trace elements and their isotopes (e.g., Fe, Cu, Ni, REEs, etc) in the wNP; (2) to identify the source/sink and internal cycle of trace elements/micro-nutrients in the wNP and their coupling with macro-nutrients; and (3) to examine the relation of trace element cycling in the wNP to the oceanic carbon cycle and global environmental and climatic change. Further details can also be sourced form the GEOTRACES cruise metadata form. Cruise chief scientists: Yihua Cai and Kuanbo Zhou (Xiamen University) GEOTRACES researchers: Zhimian Cao, Minhan Dai (Xiamen University) and Liping Zhou (Peking University).
GP10	—	—	Not available.
GP11	Germany	07-2021 — 08-2021	Equatorial Pacific transect, scheduled for July-Aug 2021, and will run from Papua New Guinea to Peru (Lima) on board the RV Sonne (decision pending). Cruise Pis will be Dr Achterberg Eric and Dr Koschinsky Frank.
GP12	France	27-06-2012 — 04-08-2012	Pandora mobilised on 27 June 2012 from Noumea, New Caledonia and docked in Lae, Papua New Guinea on 4 August 2012. The Chief Scientist was Dr Gerard Eldin and the GEOTRACES contact Dr Catherine Jeandel. For further information please contact Dr Catherine Jeandel.
GP13	New Zealand and Australia	Leg 1: 14-05-2011 — 05-06-2011 Leg 2: 06-06-2011 — 30-06-2011	The joint Australia-New Zealand GP13 cruise was successfully completed in June 2011. This cruise undertook a 61 station (38 by Australia and 23 by New Zealand) transect along ~30^oS East of Australia into the South Pacific and terminated at 32.5^oS 150^oW (i.e. South of Tahiti). The sampling included three crossover inter-calibration stations (at 172, 171 and 170^oW), those of which were sampled on both legs. Additionally, 14 aerosol samples were collected on both legs along the transect. Please see the Voyage Summary for more information on leg 1 (the Australian leg - Chief Scientist: Dr Andrew Bowie, GEOTRACES Scientist: Dr Christel Hassler) and the Voyage Report for details on leg 2 (the New Zealand leg - Chief Scientist and GEOTRACES Scientist: Professor Philip Boyd). For further details on parameters sampled on leg 1 of the GP13 cruise and other relevant metadata please see the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form. Information on leg 2 of the GP13 cruise can also be found here.
GP14	—	—	Not available.
GP15	US	2018-09-18 — 2018-11-24	From Kodiak (Alaska) to Papeete (Tahiti) through Hilo (Hawaii) onboard the RV Roger Revelle. Chief sientists of GP15 are Professor Cutter Gregory, Dr Casciotti Karen and Dr Lam Phoebe. More information can be found in the cruise report here.
GP16	US	26-10-2013 — 25-12-2013	Details of the two US GEOTRACES sections can be found in the US Pacific Implementation Workshop report from October 2008. This particular cruise departed from Bahia De Manta, Ecuador on 26 October 2013 and returned to Papeete in the French Polynesia on 20 December 2013. This East Pacific Zonal Transect (EPZT), consisted of rosette/CTD casts, McLane in situ pump and 7Be pump casts, as well as a variety of underway measurements. A sea-going science team gathered from 15 oceanographic institutions participated. The Chief Scientist on board this cruise was Professor Christopher German, and the GEOTRACES Scientist Professor James Moffett of whom can be contacted for further information. The cruise report can also be consulted for further details.
GP17	US	—	The cruise will focus on the Amundsen Sea sector of the Southern Ocean, and include stations over the Antarctic continental shelf and slope, as well as stations in the ACC that including crossover stations with a complementary cruise, GP17-OCE, which has also been recommended for funding. The GP17-ANT cruise was initially proposed for January-March 2022, but now expected to be delayed until the austral summer season of 2022-2023 or 2023-2024.
GP18	Japan	16-07-2011 — 04-08-2011	The Japanese research vessel RV Hakuho Maru, cruise KH11-07 took place in the North West Pacific Ocean from 16 July to 4 August 2011, departing from and returning to Tokyo, Japan with Professor Jing Zhang as the Chief Scientist and GEOTRACES Scientist. The intial objectives of this cruise were to assess the impact and risks associated with earthquake source regions modified as a consequence of the March 2011 earthquake and tsunami. The cruise also undertook part of the GP18 section which included studies focusing on cold seep biogeochemistry and earthquake mechanisms/radionuclide impact studies of NE Japan and the Fukushima area. Please access the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form for further information regarding this cruise.
GP19	Japan	02-12-2014 — 26-02-2015	The RV Hakuho Maru (KH14-06) set sail from Tokyo, Japan on 2 December 2014 and returned to the same port on 26 February 2015, sampling in the South West Pacific Ocean and Antarctic Sea with Dr Toshitaka Gamo as Chief Scientist onboard. The GEOTRACES Scientist was Dr Hajime Obata. For further details on parameters sampled and other relevant metadata please see the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form.
GP21	Germany	—	To be planned for 2020 or 2021 over WOCE line P6 (Dr. E. Achterberg, Dr. M. Frank and Dr. A. Koschinsky).
GP22	Japan	31-05-2021 — 19-08-2021	Section cruise at 155°E planned on board the RV Hakuho Maru. The PI of this cruise is Dr Obata Hajime.
GIPY01	New Zealand	12-07-2006 — 01-08-2006	Tasman Boundary Conditions Voyage TAN0609 was a NIWA (New Zealand) led cruise focusing on the Tasman Sea, departing and returning from Wellington port, New Zealand with Dr Philip Sutton as the Chief Scientist. Professor Philip Boyd was the GEOTRACES Scientist. More information can be found in the cruise report. For further details on parameters sampled on the cruise and other relevant metadata please see the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form.
GIPY02	Australia	17-01-2007 — 20-02-2007	SAZ-SENSE is a study of the sensitivity of Sub-Antarctic Zone waters to global change. A 32-day oceanographic voyage onboard Australia’s ice-breaker, Aurora Australis, was undertaken in mid-summer 17 January - 20 February 2007 to examine biogeochemical processes in SAZ waters west and east of Tasmania, and also in the Polar Frontal Zone south of the SAZ with Dr Brian Griffiths as the Chief Scientist and Dr Andrew Bowie as the GEOTRACES Scientist. The strategy was to compare low productivity waters west of Tasmania (areas with little phytoplankton) with higher productivity waters to the east, with a focus on the role of iron as a limiting micro-nutrient. This cruise was part of the GEOTRACES IPY programme. See GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form for more information on the parameters sampled.
GIPY03	Australia	03-09-2007 — 17-10-2007	The Sea Ice Physics and Ecosystem eXperiment (SIPEX) is one of Australia's major contributions to the International Polar Year (IPY). The expedition explored the sea ice zone around Antarctica from September to October 2007 and investigated the relationships between the physical sea ice environment and the structure of Southern Ocean ecosystems. The Chief Scientist on board was Dr Anthony Worby and the GEOTRACES Scientist Dr Andrew Bowie. Please see the cruise report and GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form for more information.
GIPY06	Australia	22-03-2008 — 17-04-2008	Australian-led voyage aboard Aurora Australis, organised by the Antarctic Climate and Ecosystems Cooperative Research Centre, followed the 'SR3' transect approximately 140°E between Tasmania and the coast of Antarctica. This transect has been well characterised oceanographically in the past two decades. The results of this work will yield the first synoptic, circumpolar measurements of micronutrient trace elements in the Southern Ocean. Dissolved iron data along the SR3 transect represent an order of magnitude improvement in sampling resolution and show widespread iron limitation in upper ocean waters along the transect. The Chief Scientist was Dr Stephen Rintoul and the GEOTRACES Scientist Dr Edward Butler. Please see the Voyage Report for further information. For more details on parameters to be sampled and other relevant metadata please see the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form.
GIPY09	Japan	13-08-2006 — 12-09-2006	Over a two year period two cruises aboard the RV Professor Khromov were carried out as a collaborative research activity between the following 4 institutes, Far Eastern Regional Hydrometeorological Research Institute (FERHRI), Research Institute of Humanity and Nature (RIHN), Institute of Low Temperature Science, Hokkaido University (ILTS) and Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo (ORI). The purpose for this cruise was to quantitatively clarify the physical, chemical and biological processes which occur in the Sea of Okhotsk. This expedition especially focused on sedimentary iron transport processes from the northwestern continental shelf of the Sea of Okhotsk to the western subarctic Pacific. Please see the cruise report and GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form, or contact Professor Jun Nishioka (Chief Scientist and GEOTRACES Scientist) for further details.
GN01	US	07-08-2015 — 10-10-2015	Details of the US GEOTRACES cruise, HLY1502 can be found in the Arctic Implementation Workshop report from May 2012. This cruise departed on 07 August and returned on 10 October 2015, both leaving and arriving at Dutch Harbour in the US. The onboard Chief Scientist was Dr David Kadko and the GEOTRACES Scientist Professor William Landing. For further details on parameters sampled and other relevant metadata please see the GEOTRACES post-cruise metadata form.

View more maps for the