Interoceanic variation in the rare earth, major, and trace element depositional chemistry of chert: Perspectives gained from the DSDP and ODP record

Journal Article · Fri May 01 04:00:00 EDT 1992 · Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States)

DOI:https://doi.org/10.1016/0016-7037(92)90319-E· OSTI ID:7049636

Murray, R W; Jones, D L ^[1]; Buchholtz Ten Brink, M R; Gerlach, D C; Russ, III, G P ^[2]

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1. Univ. of California, Berkeley (United States)
2. Lawrence Livermore National Lab., CA (United States)

Rare earth element (REE), major, and trace element abundances and relative fractionations in forty nodular cherts sampled by the Deep Sea Drilling Project (DSDP) and Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) indicate that the REE composition of chert records the interplay between terrigenous sources and scavenging from the local seawater. Chert from the large Pacific Ocean, where deposition occurs relatively removed from significant terrigenous input, records a depositional REE signal dominated by adsorption of dissolved REEs from sea water. Chert from the Atlantic basin, a moderately sized ocean basin lined by passive margins and with more terrigenous input than the Pacific, records a mix of adsorptive and terrigenous REE signals, with moderately negative Ce anomalies and La{sub n}/YB{sub n} ratios intermediate to those of the Pacific and those of terrigenous input. Chert from the southern high latitude region is dominated by the large terrigenous input on the Antarctic passive margin, with inherited Ce/Ce{sup *} {approximately} 1 and inherited La{sub n}/Yb{sub n} values of {approximately} 1.2-1.4. This and previous studies of the large-scale controlling parameters of sedimentary REEs across ocean basins collectively indicate that REE indices of depositional regime (e.g., Ce/Ce{sup *}, La{sub n}/Yb{sub n}, La{sub ex}) are reproducible in a variety of sediment and rock lithologies, ages, and ocean basins, and present a coherent tool for paleoceanographic and tectonic basin reconstructions.

• DOE Contract Number: W-7405-ENG-48
• OSTI ID: 7049636
• Journal Information: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States), Journal Name: Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta; (United States) Vol. 56:5; ISSN GCACA; ISSN 0016-7037
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

54 ENVIRONMENTAL SCIENCES
540210 -- Environment
Terrestrial-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
540310 -- Environment
Aquatic-- Basic Studies-- (1990-)
58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ADSORPTION
ALKALI METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALI METALS
ALKALINE EARTH METAL COMPOUNDS
ALKALINE EARTH METALS
ALUMINIUM COMPOUNDS
ALUMINIUM OXIDES
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BARIUM
CALCIUM COMPOUNDS
CALCIUM OXIDES
CERIUM
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL ANALYSIS
CHEMICAL COMPOSITION
CHEMISTRY
CHERT
CHROMIUM
DATA
DEPOSITION
DIAGENESIS
DYSPROSIUM
ELEMENTS
ERBIUM
EUROPIUM
EXPERIMENTAL DATA
GADOLINIUM
GEOCHEMISTRY
GEOLOGIC HISTORY
HOLMIUM
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INFORMATION
IRON COMPOUNDS
IRON OXIDES
LANTHANUM
LITHOLOGY
LUTETIUM
MAGNESIUM COMPOUNDS
MAGNESIUM OXIDES
MANGANESE COMPOUNDS
MANGANESE OXIDES
MASS SPECTROSCOPY
METALS
NEODYMIUM
NIOBIUM
NONDESTRUCTIVE ANALYSIS
NUMERICAL DATA
OXIDES
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PHOSPHORUS COMPOUNDS
PHOSPHORUS OXIDES
POTASSIUM COMPOUNDS
POTASSIUM OXIDES
PRASEODYMIUM
RARE EARTHS
ROCKS
RUBIDIUM
SAMARIUM
SAMPLING
SEAS
SEAWATER
SEDIMENTARY ROCKS
SEDIMENTS
SILICON COMPOUNDS
SILICON OXIDES
SODIUM COMPOUNDS
SODIUM OXIDES
SORPTION
SPECTROSCOPY
STRONTIUM
SURFACE WATERS
TERBIUM
THULIUM
TITANIUM COMPOUNDS
TITANIUM OXIDES
TRANSITION ELEMENT COMPOUNDS
TRANSITION ELEMENTS
WATER
X-RAY EMISSION ANALYSIS
X-RAY FLUORESCENCE ANALYSIS
YTTERBIUM
YTTRIUM
ZIRCONIUM