Dissolved zirconium in the north Pacific Ocean

Journal Article · Sun Aug 01 04:00:00 EDT 1993 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(93)90157-R· OSTI ID:6059529

McKelvey, B A; Orians, K J ^[1]

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1. Univ. of British Columbia, Vancouver (Canada)

Picomolar levels of dissolved Zr in seawater were measured using an analytical technique developed with a Chelex-100 extraction/concentration step and subsequent detection by isotope-dilution inductively-coupled-plasma mass spectrometry (ID-ICP-MS). Here the authors present the first vertical profile of Zr in the oceans, from the central-North Pacific, and a horizontal surface transect across the western Pacific. Dissolved Zr ranges from 12--95 pmol/kg in the surface waters then increases linearly with depth to a maximum of 300 pmol/kg in the deep water. The vertical profile shows a strong correlation with Si in the mid-waters, with higher Zr/Si ratios in the surface and bottom waters. There is evidence of both a bottom source and a coastal source of dissolved Zr to the oceans. A comparison with dissolved Ti and Be shows similar depth dependence, but an enrichment in Zr/Ti and a depletion in Zr/Be ratios in seawater relative to average crustal materials. Zirconium appears to have a reactivity intermediate between these two elements. 24 refs., 4 figs., 1 tab.

• OSTI ID: 6059529
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States) Vol. 57:15; ISSN GCACAK; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

37 INORGANIC, ORGANIC, PHYSICAL, AND ANALYTICAL CHEMISTRY
400102 -- Chemical & Spectral Procedures
54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540310* -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
BERYLLIUM
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CONCENTRATION RATIO
ELEMENTS
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
ISOTOPE APPLICATIONS
ISOTOPE DILUTION
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
METALS
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PLASMA
QUANTITATIVE CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
SEAS
SEAWATER
SEMIMETALS
SILICON
SPECTROSCOPY
SURFACE WATERS
TITANIUM
TRACER TECHNIQUES
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER
ZIRCONIUM