Tracking particle-associated processes in nearshore environments by use of ²³⁴Th/²³⁸U disequilibrium     

Robert C. Aller  Larry K. Benninger  J. Kirk Cochran 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,47(2):161-175

Measurement of excess ²³⁴Th (t_1/2 = 24.1 days) in surface sediment from 12 stations throughout Long Island Sound, U.S.A., demonstrates: (1) a mean (summer) sediment inventory of 3.6 dpm/cm² consistent with complete, nearly instantaneous removal of ²³⁴Th from the overlying water and capture within the estuary, and (2) preferential association of excess ²³⁴Th with small particles and inventory build-ups in muddy bottom areas. There may also be a tendency for higher inventories in areas of high physical or biogenic reworking of surface sediments. A range of particle reworking rates (0–5 cm) from <0.01 × 10^?6 to 1.6 × 10^?6 cm²/s is found in the Sound with most values ～0.2?0.5 × 10^?6 cm²/s. The inventory and reworking patterns demonstrate the high mobility, both horizontal and vertical, of particles in the estuary on ²³⁴Th decay time scales and are unequivocal evidence for control of reactive element distribution in the water column by the muddy regions of the basin.  相似文献   

Atmospherically-derived radionuclides as tracers of sediment mixing and accumulation in near-shore marine and lake sediments: Evidence from⁷Be,²¹⁰Pb,and^239,240Pu     

S. Krishnaswami  L.K. Benninger  R.C. Aller  K.L. Von Damm 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,47(3):307-318

Cosmogenic⁷Be(t_1/2 = 53.3days) has been used to estimate particle-mixing rates in the upper layers of lacustrine and near-shore marine sediments. Excess²¹⁰Pb and/or^239,240Pu have provided limits on rates of sediment accumulation in these environments and indices of the efficiency of the sediments as collectors of reactive nuclides over longer time scale.In sediment cores from Long Island Sound (marine) and Lake Whitney (fresh-water)⁷Be was measurable in the top 2–3 cm. Diffusion-analog particle-mixing coefficients calculated from these data are in the range of 10^?7 cm²/s. For Long Island Sound the coefficients are lower by factors of 3–6 than those estimated from the depth distributions of excess²³⁴Th at the same stations [14]. For Lake Whitney the calculated mixing coefficient is an upper limit because of the possibility of a sampling artifact.Measurements of total (wet + dry) atmospheric deposition of⁷Be in New Haven give an average flux of 0.07 dpm/cm² day during March-November, 1977; this is equivalent to a steady-state inventory of 5.4 dpm/cm² in a perfect collector. Sediment cores from Long Island Sound contain about half this⁷Be inventory, consistent with either a mean residence time for⁷Be in the water column of about one half-life or with post-depositional loss of⁷Be from Long Island Sound sediments. The Lake Whitney cores contain about 5 dpm/cm², much nearer the atmospheric delivery. A higher inventory of⁷Be in fresh-water, as compared to marine, sediments could be due either to a shorter mean residence time for⁷Be in fresh water or to lateral transport processes in the lake or its catchment. High inventories of excess²¹⁰Pb and^239,240Pu in Lake Whitney sediments demonstrate the importance of lateral transport on longer time scales at least.  相似文献   

Removal of ²³⁰Th and ²³¹Pa at ocean margins     

Robert F. Anderson  Michael P. Bacon  Peter G. Brewer 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1983

Uranium, thorium and protactinium isotopes were measured in particulate matter collected by sediment traps deployed in the Panama Basin and by in-situ filtration of large volumes of seawater in the Panama and Guatemala Basins. Concentrations of dissolved Th and Pa isotopes were determined by extraction onto MnO₂ adsorbers placed in line behind the filters in the in-situ pumping systems.Concentrations of dissolved ²³⁰Th and ²³¹Pa in the Panama and Guatemala Basins are lower than in the open ocean, whereas dissolved ²³⁰Th/²³¹Pa ratios are equal to, or slightly greater than, ratios in the open ocean. Particulate ²³⁰Th/²³¹Pa ratios in the sediment trap samples ranged from 4 to 8, in contrast to ratios of 30 or more at the open ocean sites previously studied. Particles collected by filtration in the Panama Basin and nearest to the continental margin in the Guatemala Basin contained ²³⁰Th/²³¹Pa ratios similar to the ratios in the sediment trap samples. The ratios increased with distance away from the continent.Suspended particles near the margin show no preference for adsorption of Th or Pa and therefore must be chemically different from particles in the open ocean, which show a strong preference for adsorption of Th. Ocean margins, as typified by the Panama and Guatemala Basins, are preferential sinks for ²³¹Pa relative to ²³⁰Th. Furthermore, the margins are sinks for ²³⁰Th and, to a greater extent, ²³¹Pa transported by horizontal mixing from the open ocean.  相似文献   

Sedimentary processes in the inner New York Bight: Evidence from excess²¹⁰Pb and^239,240Pu     

Larry K. Benninger  S. Krishnaswami 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1981,53(2):158-174

Particle-reactive radionuclides were determined in sediments from the inner New York Bight to trace transport and storage of fine-grained sediments and associated reactive materials. Seven sediment ? cores 20–50 cm in length were analyzed for water content, loss on ignition (LOI) and excess²¹⁰Pb; three of these were also analyzed for^239,240Pu. Excepting some depth horizons in a core from a dredge-spoil dumpsite, every sample analyzed contained excess²¹⁰Pb. Variations in the concentration of excess²¹⁰Pb with depth in the sediment at all stations correlated strongly with LOI, which apparently traces that fraction of the sediment which is active in removing reactive elements from the water column. In the cores analyzed for^239,240Pu, every sample contained finite Pu, and Pu concentrations correlated strongly with excess²¹⁰Pb.The radionuclide distributions may be simply viewed as products of steady-state sediment accumulation or of mixing. Geochemically reasonable accumulation rates are very high (0.5–2.6 g/cm² y) and could probably only be sustained by offshore transport of dumped materials. At the other extreme the relationships between excess²¹⁰Pb and LOI are compatible with rapid mixing of a²¹⁰Pb carrier phase (traced by LOI) into the pre-existing substrate with little or no actual accumulation. Other non-steady-state processes, such as sediment gravity flow, could also explain the observed distributions.Measured sediment inventories (dpm/cm²) of excess²¹⁰Pb and Pu at these stations are greatly in excess of those supportable by direct atmospheric deposition: lateral supply is required. Incorporation of sedimentary fines into the sand substrate could make the inner New York Bight an important repository of reactive materials.  相似文献   

Fine scale distributions of porosity and particulate excessPb, organic carbon and CaCO₃ in surface sediments of the deep equatorial Pacific     

Richard A. Jahnke  Steven R. Emerson  J. Kirk Cochran  David J. Hirschberg 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1986,77(1)

Sediment samples were recovered from the central equatorial Pacific Ocean, sectioned at 1-mm intervals, and analyzed for porosity, organic carbon, excess²¹⁰Pb and CaCO₃. Steep porosity gradients were measured in the upper 1 cm of the sediment column with extremely high values observed near the sediment surface. Similarly, particulate organic carbon contents are highest at the sediment surface, decrease sharply in the upper 1 cm, and are relatively constant between 1 and 5 cm. CaCO₃ values, on the other hand, are lowest at the sediment surface and increase to a constant value below 5–10 mm depth. At the carbonate ooze sites, excess²¹⁰Pb is present throughout the upper 5 cm of the sediments suggesting relatively rapid particle mixing rates. However, extremely high excess²¹⁰Pb activities (> 100 dpm/g) are observed at the sediment surface with sharp gradients present in the upper 1 cm which would suggest slow rates of mixing. This apparent contradiction along with the major features of the CaCO₃ and particulate organic carbon profiles can be explained by a particle-selective feeding mechanism in which organic carbon, excess²¹⁰Pb-enriched particles are preferentially maintained at the sediment surface via ingestion and defecation by benthic organisms.  相似文献   

²³⁰Th,²²⁶Ra and²²²Rn in abyssal sediments     

David Kadko 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,49(2):360-380

A model that predicts the flux of²²²Rn out of deep-sea sediment is presented. The radon is ultimately generated by²³⁰Th which is stripped from the overlying water into the sediment. Data from many authors are compared with the model predictions. It is shown that the continental contribution of ionium is not significant, and that at low sedimentation rates, biological mixing and erosional processes strongly affect the surface concentration of the ionium. Two cores from areas of slow sediment accumulation, one from a manganese nodule region of the central Pacific and one from the Rio Grande Rise in the Atlantic were analyzed at closely spaced intervals for²³⁰Th,²²⁶Ra, and²¹⁰Pb. The Pacific core displayed evidence of biological mixing down to 12 cm and had a sedimentation rate of only 0.04 cm/kyr. The Atlantic core seemed to be mixed to 8 cm and had a sedimentation rate of 0.07 cm/kyr. Both cores had less total excess²³⁰Th than predicted.Radium sediment profiles are generated from the²³⁰Th model. Adsorbed, dissolved, and solid-phase radium is considered. According to the model, diffusional losses of radium are especially important at low sedimentation rates. Any particulate, or excess radium input is ignored in this model. The model fits the two analyzed cores if the fraction of total radium available for adsorption-desorption is about 0.5–0.7, and ifK, the distribution coefficient, is about 1000.Finally, the flux of radon out of the sediments is derived from the model-generated radium profiles. It is shown that the resulting standing crop of²²²Rn in the overlying water may be considered as an added constraint in budgeting²³⁰Th and²²⁶Ra in deep-sea sediments.  相似文献   

High-frequency time-series of the dynamic sedimentation processes on the western shelf of the Mississippi River Delta     

《Continental Shelf Research》2007,27(10-11):1600-1615

Multiple box cores were collected on the continental shelf in the Mississippi Deltaic Region adjacent to Southwest Pass and analyzed for particle reactive radionuclides ²³⁴Th and ⁷Be to examine seasonal sediment dynamics associated with variations of river discharge and hydrodynamics. Three stations located along a line west of Southwest Pass were cored and reoccupied in October, November, and December of 2003 and March, April, and May of 2004. High-frequency sampling (∼monthly) comparable to the short half-life of the radiotracers (²³⁴Th t_1/2=24.1 d; ⁷Be t_1/2=53.3) enabled us to isolate the relative influence that various forcing agents (river discharge, waves, currents) had on sediment inventories of ⁷Be and ²³⁴Th. In addition, the primary source of ⁷Be (fluvial) differs from ²³⁴Th (marine), providing further insight into processes affecting sediment transport and supply. Monthly ⁷Be inventories showed a significant positive relationship to river discharge (P=0.03) proximal to Southwest Pass. Sites further from Southwest Pass exhibited little to no relationship between ⁷Be inventories and river flow. At these sites, monthly ⁷Be inventories demonstrated a significant positive relationship with average wave orbital velocity (P<0.01). During our sampling period, the transport of ⁷Be-rich sediments to sites located on the middle to outer shelf were dependent on sea conditions not river discharge. Relatively high wave orbital velocities potentially allow particles to remain in suspension longer and travel further distances before initial deposition. In addition, ²³⁴Th inventories showed evidence of sediment focusing during periods of high wave orbital velocities.  相似文献   

The flux of²²⁶Ra from deep-sea sediments     

J. Kirk Cochran 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,49(2):381-392

The flux of²²⁶Ra from bottom sediments has been determined from patterns of²²⁶Ra/²³⁰Th disequilibrium in ten deep-sea cores from the world oceans. Values range from ? 0.0015 dpm/cm² yr (in the Atlantic) to 0.21 dpm/cm² yr (in the north equatorial Pacific). The flux is poorly related to sediment type, but is inversely correlated in a non-linear fashion with sediment accumulation rate. There is a direct relationship between the production rate of²²⁶Ra near the sediment-water interface (i.e. the integrated²³⁰Th activity in the biologically mixed zone) and the²²⁶Ra flux. The²²⁶Ra concentration in near-bottom water follows the geographic variation in the²²⁶Ra flux. The high flux from north equatorial Pacific sediments especially is reflected in the high bottom water²²⁶Ra concentrations in that area. The data suggest that both rate of circulation and the magnitude of the radium flux influence the near-bottom²²⁶Ra concentration.  相似文献   

Removal of²³⁰Th and²³¹Pa from the open ocean     

R.F. Anderson  M.P. Bacon  P.G. Brewer 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1983,62(1):7-23

Concentrations of²³⁰Th and²³¹Pa were measured in particulate matter collected by sediment traps deployed in the Sargasso Sea (Site S₂), the north equatorial Atlantic (site E), and the north equatorial Pacific (Site P) as well as in particles collected by in situ filtration at Site E. Concentrations of dissolved Th and Pa were determined by extraction onto manganese dioxide adsorbers at Site P and at a second site in the Sargasso Sea (site D).Dissolved²³⁰Th/²³¹Pa activity ratios were 3–6 at Sites P and D. In contrast, for all sediment trap samples from greater than 2000 m, unsupported²³⁰Th/²³¹Pa ratios were 22–35 (average 29.7). Ratios were lower in particulate matter sampled at shallower depths. Particles filtered at 3600 m and 5000 m at Site E had ratios of 50 and 40. Results show that suspended particulate matter in the open ocean preferentially scavenges Th relative to Pa. Most of the²³⁰Th produced by decay of²³⁴U in the open ocean is removed by adsorption to settling particulate matter. In contrast, less than 50% of the²³¹Pa produced by decay of²³⁵U is removed from the water column by this mechanism. Mixing processes transport the remainder to other sinks.  相似文献   

Removal of²³⁴Th from a coastal sea: Funka Bay,Japan     

Masao Minagawa  Shizuo Tsunogai 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,47(1):51-64

In Funka Bay of Hokkaido, Japan, seawater, suspended matter and settling matter were collected once every month in the summer of 1974. These samples were analyzed for²³⁴Th, a short-lived daughter of dissolved²³⁸U. A pronounced disequilibrium between²³⁴Th and²³⁸U, and a highly variable concentration of²³⁴Th were found. Positive correlation, however, exist among the deficiency of²³⁴Th relative to²³⁸U in seawater, the concentration of particulate²³⁴Th, the fraction of particulate²³⁴Th to total²³⁴Th in seawater, the total dry weight of suspended matter, and the primary productivity during the month previous to sampling. The specific activity of²³⁴Th for the settling particles (620 ± 170 dpm/g) was nearly equal to that for suspended particles (720 ± 600 dpm/g) but much greater than that for plankton (47 ± 24 dpm/g). These facts suggest that suspended particles are somehow closely related to the removal of heavy metals from seawater, in spite of the negligibly small settling flux of suspended matter. The residence time of thorium in Funka Bay (mean depth: 60 m) is found to be about 60 days, which is nearly equal to those of²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po.  相似文献   

Cosmic-ray-produced ⁵⁹Ni in marine sediments     

Kazuo Yamakoshi  Shohei Yanagita 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1981,52(2):259-263

⁵⁹Ni in 0.4 g of nickel from deep-sea sediments was measured with an extremely low-level X-ray spectrometer. The obtained specific activity was (5.9 ± 1.8) × 10^?2 dpm/kg sediments. The⁵⁹Ni activity induced by proton and alpha particle irradiation in outer space can be estimated as 300 dpm/kg dust. Hence, the content of extraterrestrial dust in deep-sea sediments was not more than 200 ppm.  相似文献   

Effects of biological sediment mixing on the²¹⁰Pb chronology and trace metal distribution in a Long Island Sound sediment core     

L.K. Benninger  R.C. Aller  J.K. Cochran  K.K. Turekian 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1979,43(2):241-259

An experiment was designed to assess the relative importance of sediment accumulation and bioturbation in determining the vertical distribution of nuclides in estuarine sediments. A diver-collected core, 120 cm long, was raised from central Long Island Sound and analyzed down its length for:²¹⁰Pb and²²⁶Ra;^{239, 240}Pu; and Mn, Zn, Cu, and Pb. Sampling for chemical analysis was guided by X-radiography of the core. Excess²¹⁰Pb (relative to²²⁶Ra) is roughly homogeneous in the top 2–4 cm of the core, then decreases quasi-exponentially to zero at (or above) 15 cm.^{239, 240}Pu and excess Zn, Cu, and Pb, relative to background values at greater depths in the core, are distributed like excess²¹⁰Pb in the top 10–15 cm. The absence of Mn enrichment at the top of the core, in contrast to other cores raised from this station, suggests that 1–3 cm of sediment was lost by erosion at the site of this core sometime prior to sampling. Below 15 cm excess²¹⁰Pb and excess Zn, Cu, and Pb are found only in the bulk sample from 25 to 30 cm and in clearly identifiable burrow fillings dissected from 70 cm and 115 cm depth. Infilling of large burrows, excavated and then abandoned by crustaceans, is therefore a mechanism for transfer of surficial material to depth in these sediments.The bioturbation rate in the top several centimeters at this station has been determined previously using²³⁴Th (24-day half-life). The distribution of^{239, 240}Pu can be used to estimate a bioturbation rate for the underlying layer (to ～10 cm depth); this rate is found to be 1–3% of the maximum mixing rate for the top 2–3 cm. Using these two mixing rates in a composite-layer, mixing + sedimentation model, the distribution of excess²¹⁰Pb in the top 15 cm was used to constrain the sediment accumulation rate, ω. While the apparent rate of sediment accumulation (assuming no mixing below 2–4 cm) is 0.11 cm/yr, the model requires ω < 0.05 cm/yr. Thus in an area of slow sediment accumulation, a low rate of bioturbation below the surficial zone of rapid mixing causes an increase of at least a factor of two in apparent accumulation rate.  相似文献   

Spatial variation of U-Th series radionuclides and trace metals in deep-sea manganese encrustations     

P. Sharma Rama  W.S. Moore 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1984,67(3):319-326

A series of measurements to assess the spatial variability on a scale of a few centimeters of UTh series nuclides and trace metals in surface layers of deep-sea ferromanganese encrustations are reported here. Two samples, one from an Atlantic seamount and another from MANOP site S in the Pacific are reported.The inventories of²³⁰Th_exc cm^?2 and²³¹Pa_exc cm^?2 as well as the ratios of the inventories are seen to vary by large amounts in samples only a few centimeters apart. These observations infer that the fluxes of these radionuclides to small areas on the ferromanganese crust may also vary with time. No strong correlation between the radioisotope inventories and concentrations of various elements has been observed.  相似文献   

Pu in coastal marine environments     

Peter H. Santschi  Yuan-Hui Li  Joy J. Bell  Robert M. Trier  Kathy Kawtaluk 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1980,51(2):248-265

Analysis of water samples from the New York Bight area and Narragansett Bay reveals that a small fraction of the total Pu (probably Pu (III + IV) species) is continuously removed to the sediments at a rate similar to that of the particle-reactive isotope²²⁸Th. A more “soluble” Pu species appears to be released at times from the sediments to the water column in these nearshore regions. Sediments in shallow areas of the New York Bight south of Rhode Island and Narragansett Bay have high Pu inventories and relatively deep penetration of this element, although the net sediment accumulation rate is generally low (<0.03 g/cm² yr). The high Pu inventories can be explained if both sediment resuspension and sediment mixing are assumed to be the major controlling factors for the effective transfer of Pu from the water column to the sediments. By simultaneous modelling of the depth distribution of three tracers which operate on vastly different time scales:²³⁴Th (half-life 24 days),²¹⁰Pb (half-life 22 years) and^239,240Pu (introduced into the environment during the past 30 years), bioturbation rates ranging from 4 to 32 cm²/yr in the surface mixed layer (5–10 cm thick) and from 0.3 to 2.5 cm²/yr in the layer below (up to 40 cm thick) and net sediment accumulation rates of approximately zero to 0.14 g/cm² yr were calculated for these areas.  相似文献   

The use of²³⁴Th/²³⁸ disequilibrium to examine the fate of particle-reactive species on the Yangtze continental shelf     

Brent A. McKee  David J. DeMaster  Charles A. Nittrouer 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1984,68(3):431-442

  相似文献   

Southern California inner basin sediment trap calibration     

Kenneth W. Bruland  Robert P. Franks  William M. Landing  Andrew Soutar 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1981,53(3):400-408

The deployment of particle interceptor traps (PITs) in the three inner basins of the Southern California Bight (Santa Barbara, Santa Monica, and San Pedro) where preserved, laminated, bottom sediments occur, provides a natural calibration between the parameters determined with the PITs and those derived from the historical sedimentary deposits. The accumulation rates and chemical composition of the PIT materials compare favorably with these recently deposited bottom sediments. The ratio of the measured particle collection rate to the sediment accumulation rate for these three basins averaged0.93±0.20. Radionuclide (²¹⁰Pb,²²⁸Th/²³²Th) and trace element (Fe, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb) compositions of the PIT materials and surface sediments agree within, generally, 30% in each basin.An application of PITs as a sampling system in an outer basin (San Nicolas) where the sedimentary record has been obscured by bioturbation is also presented to further demonstrate the utility of PITs for spatial and temporal studies of various aspects of particle transport and sediment deposition. Based on the calibration of the PITs in the three inner basins we conclude from the comparison of the radionuclide and trace element compositions between the PIT materials and surface sediments from the San Nicolas Basin that recently deposited sedimentary material has been mixed by bioturbation with older material from the last several hundred years. Excess²¹⁰Pb and the²²⁸Th/²³²Th activity ratio in the PIT material are 6 and 15 times higher than in the surface sediment. Total Pb and1N HNO₃-leachable Pb are 4- and 8-fold higher in the PIT material.  相似文献   

Paleomagnetism and radiochemical age estimates for Late Brunhes polarity episodes     

Charles R. Denham  Robert F. Anderson  Michael P. Bacon 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1977,35(3):384-397

Several reversed polarity magnetozones occur within deep-sea sediment core CH57-8 from the Greater Antilles Outer Ridge, within sediment of latest Pleistocene/Late Brunhes age. The uppermost reversed interval spanning 31 data points coincides with the X faunal zone of the Last Interglacial Period. Radiochemical dating of cores CH57-8 and KN25-4 has shown that all the reversed polarity magnetozones are significantly younger than the Brunhes/Matuyama boundary at 0.7 m.y. B.P. A variation of the excess²³⁰Th method was used, in which²¹⁰Po and²³⁸U were the actual radionuclides measured. In a third core from the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, our²¹⁰Po results were similar to those which others obtained earlier by direct²³⁰Th measurements.  相似文献   

Fluxes of uranium and thorium series isotopes in the Santa Barbara Basin     

Willard S. Moore  Kenneth W. Bruland  Jacqueline Michel 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1981,53(3):391-399

Samples from the MANOP Santa Barbara Basin sediment trap intercomparison were analyzed for the isotopes of uranium, thorium, radium, lead, and polonium. All of the traps showed approximately the same compositions and isotopic ratios, indicating that they trapped similar materials. The²³⁴Th flux via falling particles was very close to the flux predicted from the production and scavenging rates of²³⁴Th from the water column. The²¹⁰Pb content of the trapped particles and the surface sediments were the same, however, the measured flux of²¹⁰Pb was seven times greater than the predicted flux. Predicted and measured fluxes of²²⁸Th and²¹⁰Po were similarly out of balance. To explain this apparent inconsistency, we suggest (as others have done) that the Santa Barbara Basin is an area where scavenging from the water column is intensified and where sediments deposited initially on the margins may be physically remobilized on a short time scale. These two effects increase the apparent area from which the basin derives the longer-lived isotopes but does not increase significantly the supply of the short-lived²³⁴Th.  相似文献   

The behaviour of short-lived radiogenic lead isotopes (²¹⁴Pb and²¹²Pb) in groundwaters and laboratory leaching experiments     

N. Hussain  S. Krishnaswami 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1982,58(3):430-438

The concentrations of²¹⁴Pb (half-life=26.4minutes) and²²Rn (half-life=3.84days) have been measured in deep groundwaters of Gujarat, India. The results show that the abundance of²¹⁴Pb in the water is only ～25% of that expected from its production through the radioactive decay of dissolved²²²Rn. This deficiency if modelled in terms of a first-order removal, yields a residence time of ～10 minutes for²¹⁴Pb in these waters. The estimated residence time for²¹⁴Pb is the shortest observed for any nuclide in natural water systems and suggests that reactive nuclides lead like could be removed from aqueous phases to adjoining solid surfaces on extremely short time scales. Results of laboratory experiments using the²¹²Pb-²²⁴Ra pair are compatible with the observed fast removal of²¹⁴Pb from groundwaters.Re-evaluation of²³⁴Th residence times in these waters using a model with a recoil flux of²³⁴Th into aqueous phase, the same as that of²²²Rn, yields values in the range of 23 to<176 minutes, very similar to that of²¹⁴Pb. This “concordancy” in the residence times seems to suggest that the geochemical behaviour of²³⁴Th and²¹⁴Pb in these waters is quite similar.  相似文献   

Uranium and thorium series nuclides in oriented ferromanganese nodules: growth rates,turnover times and nuclide behavior     

S. Krishnaswami  J. Kirk Cochran 《Earth and Planetary Science Letters》1978,40(1):45-62

Three ferromanganese nodules handpicked from the tops of 2500 cm² area box cores taken from the north equatorial Pacific have been analysed for their U-Th series nuclides.²³⁰Th_exc concentrations in the surface 1–2 mm of the top side of the nodules indicate growth rates of 1.8–4.6 mm/10⁶ yr. In two of the nodules a significant discontinuity in the²³⁰Th_exc depth profile has been observed at ～0.3 m.y. ago, suggesting that the nodule growth has been episodic. The concentration profiles of²³¹Pa_exc (measured via²²⁷Th) yield growth rates similar to the²³⁰Th_exc data. The bottom sides of the nodules display exponential decrease of²³⁰Th_exc/²³²Th activity ratio with depth, yielding growth rates of 1.5–3.3 mm/10⁶ yr.The²³⁰Th_exc and²³¹Pa_exc concentrations in the outermost layer of the bottom face are significantly lower than in the outermost layer of the top face. Comparison of the extrapolated²³⁰Th_exc/²³²Th and²³⁰Th_exc/²³¹Pa_exc activity ratios for the top and bottom surfaces yields an “age” of (5?15) × 10⁴ yr for the bottom relative to the top. This “age” most probably represents the time elapsed since the nodules have attained the present orientation.The²¹⁰Pb concentration in the surface ～0.1 mm of the top side is in large excess over its parent²²⁶Ra. Elsewhere in the nodule, up to ～1 mm depth in both top and bottom sides,²¹⁰Pb is deficient relative to²²⁶Ra, probably due to²²²Rn loss. The absence of²¹⁰Pb_exc below the outermost layer of the top face rules out the possibility of a sampling artifact as the cause of the observed exponentially decreasing²³⁰Th_exc and²³¹Pa_exc concentration profiles. The flux of²¹⁰Pb_exc to the nodules ranges between 0.31 and 0.58 dpm/cm² yr. The exhalation rate of²²²Rn, estimated from the²²⁶Ra-²¹⁰Pb disequilibrium is ～570 dpm/cm² yr from the top side and >2000 dpm/cm² yr from the bottom side.²²⁶Ra is deficient in the top side relative to²³⁰Th up to ～0.5–1 mm and is in large excess throughout the bottom. The data indicate a net gain of²²⁶Ra into the nodule, corresponding to a flux of (24?46) × 10^?3 dpm/cm² yr. On a total area basis the gain of²²⁶Ra into the nodules is <20% of the²²⁶Ra escaping from the sediments. A similar gain of²²⁸Ra into the bottom side of the nodules is reflected by the high²²⁸Th/²³²Th activity ratios observed in the outermost layer in contact with sediments.  相似文献