Trace and rare earth elemental variation in Arabian sea sediments through a transect across the oxygen minimum zone
- National Institute of Oceanography, Goa (India)
- GeoForschungsZentrum Potsdam (Germany)
We have determined the calcium carbonate (CaCO{sub 3}), organic carbon (C{sub org}), trace element, and rare earth element (REE) composition of surface sediments collected from a transect on the central western continental shelf and slope of India in the Eastern Arabian Sea. The transect samples across the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) allows us to compare the relative abundances of trace elements and REEs in the sediments beneath and beyond the OMZ. Shale-normalized REE patterns, La{sub n}/Yb{sub n} ratios, and Eu/Eu* anamolies indicate that the sediments in the study area are either derived from the adjoining Archaean land masses or from distal Indus source. Sediment deposited in the OMZ have high U values from 3.6 to 8.1 ppm, with their U{sub excess} (of that can be supplied by continental particles) values ranging between 82-91% of the total U, indicating that the U may be precipitated as U{sup +4} in the reducing conditions of OMZ. Sediments deposited beneath the intense OMZ (<0.2 mL/L) and away from the OMZ (1-2 mL/L) show slight negative Ce anomalies, with no significant differences between these two sets of sediments. The Ce/Ce*{sub shale} values are poorly related to U and C{sub org} which are indicators of suboxic bottom waters. Normative calculations suggest that two sources, namely, terrestrial and seawater (terrestrial > seawater) contribute to the total Ce anomaly of the sediments. The Ce anomaly values of the calculated seawater derived component are similar to the anomalies reported for other coastal waters and the oxygenated surface waters of the Arabian Sea and do not show any correspondence to the lowered redox state of the overlying water, probably due to the redirection of dissolved Ce into the oxic deeper water. 103 refs., 6 figs., 3 tabs.
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE
- OSTI ID:
- 576320
- Journal Information:
- Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, Vol. 61, Issue 12; Other Information: PBD: Jun 1997
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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