The marine geochemistry of dissolved gallium: A comparison with dissolved aluminum

Journal Article · Thu Dec 01 04:00:00 EST 1988 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(88)90160-3· OSTI ID:5097773

Orians, K J; Bruland, K W ^[1]

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1. Univ. of California, Santa Cruz (USA)

Dissolved Ga concentrations in the pacific Ocean range from 2 to 30 picomolar: they are low in surface waters (2-12 pM), with a subsurface maximum at 150-300 m (6-17 pM), a mid-depth minimum from 500 to 1,000 m (4-10 pM) and increasing values with depth to a maximum in the bottom waters (12-30 pM). The highest concentrations are in the central gyre, with lower values toward the north and east where productivity and particle scavenging increase. Dissolved Ga concentrations in the surface waters of the northwest Atlantic are nearly an order of magnitude higher than in the central North pacific, with higher values in the Gulf Stream than in the continental slope boundary region. The vertical distributions and horizontal transects indicate three sources of dissolved Ga to the oceans. The surface distribution reflects an eolian source with no net fluvial input to the open ocean; the subsurface maximum (a feature not seen for North Pacific dissolved Al) is attributed to vertical exchange processes; the source for the deep waters of the North Pacific is from a sediment surface remineralization process or a pore water flux. Scavenging removal throughout the water column is evident in the vertical profiles for both dissolved Ga and Al, with intensified removal in the boundary regions where productivity and particle scavenging are at a maximum. Residence times of dissolved Ga in surface waters are nearly an order of magnitude longer than the corresponding values for Al.

• OSTI ID: 5097773
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (USA) Vol. 52:12; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ATLANTIC OCEAN
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
COMPARATIVE EVALUATIONS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
CURRENTS
DISSOLUTION
ECOLOGICAL CONCENTRATION
ELEMENTS
GALLIUM
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERFACES
INTERSTITIAL WATER
METALS
OCEANIC CIRCULATION
ORIGIN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
SEAS
SEAWATER
SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACES
SEDIMENTS
SURFACE WATERS
WATER
WATER CURRENTS