Trace element geochemistry of marine biogenic particulate matter
type: CreativeWork
description: Plankton samples have been carefully collected from a variety of marine environments under the rigorous conditions necessary to prevent contamination for major and trace-chemical analysis. Immediately after collection, the samples were subjected to a series of physical and chemical leaching-decomposition experiments designed to identify the major and trace element composition of particulate carrier phases. Elements examined through some or all of these experiments were: C, N, P, Mg, Ca, Si, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Al, Ba, and Zn. Emphasis was placed on the identification of trace element/major element ratios in the biogenic materials. The majority of the trace elements in the samples were directly associated with the non-skeletal organic phases of the plankton. These associations included a very labile fraction which was rapidly released into seawater and a more refractory fraction which involved specific metal-organic binding. Calcium carbonate and opal were not significant carriers for any of the trace elements studied. A refractory phase containing Al and Fe in terrigenous ratios was present in all samples, even from the more remote marine locations. The concentration of this carrier phase within the plankton samples varied in proportion to the estimated rate of supply of terrigenous matter and in opposition to the rate of production of the biogenic particulate matter. The aluminosilicates contributed insignificant amounts to the other trace elements studied. A trace concentration of particulate Al was identified which was more labile and associated with the organic fractions of the samples. Variations in the surface water concentrations of dissolved Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn with respect to P are compared to the ratios measured in the plankton samples and their regeneration products. The trace element/major element ratios ,in the residual plankton materials can be combined with estimates of the carrier fluxes to account for the transport of trace elements required to maint…
abstract: Plankton samples have been carefully collected from a variety of marine environments under the rigorous conditions necessary to prevent contamination for major and trace-chemical analysis. Immediately after collection, the samples were subjected to a series of physical and chemical leaching-decomposition experiments designed to identify the major and trace element composition of particulate carrier phases. Elements examined through some or all of these experiments were: C, N, P, Mg, Ca, Si, Fe, Mn, Ni, Cu, Cd, Al, Ba, and Zn. Emphasis was placed on the identification of trace element/major element ratios in the biogenic materials. The majority of the trace elements in the samples were directly associated with the non-skeletal organic phases of the plankton. These associations included a very labile fraction which was rapidly released into seawater and a more refractory fraction which involved specific metal-organic binding. Calcium carbonate and opal were not significant carriers for any of the trace elements studied. A refractory phase containing Al and Fe in terrigenous ratios was present in all samples, even from the more remote marine locations. The concentration of this carrier phase within the plankton samples varied in proportion to the estimated rate of supply of terrigenous matter and in opposition to the rate of production of the biogenic particulate matter. The aluminosilicates contributed insignificant amounts to the other trace elements studied. A trace concentration of particulate Al was identified which was more labile and associated with the organic fractions of the samples. Variations in the surface water concentrations of dissolved Cu, Ni, Cd, and Zn with respect to P are compared to the ratios measured in the plankton samples and their regeneration products. The trace element/major element ratios ,in the residual plankton materials can be combined with estimates of the carrier fluxes to account for the transport of trace elements required to maint…
author: Collier, Robert William
language: en_US
keywords: Geochemistry, Chemical oceanography, Trace elements in water, Atlantis II (Ship : 1963-) Cruise AII93-4, Knorr (Ship : 1970-) Cruise KN64-02
date published: 1980-11
date modified: 2026-07-27T22:05:04Z
provider: Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute
publisher: Networked Digital Library of Theses and Dissertations
type: WebPage
source organization: Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution

PropertyValue
property ID: Handle
value: https://hdl.handle.net/1912/2208

PropertyValue
property ID: DOI
value: 10.1575/1912/2208