210Pb in the Pacific: the GEOSECS measurements of particulate and dissolved concentrations |
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| Authors: | Y Chung H Craig |
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| Institution: | Isotope Laboratory, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California at San Diego, La Jolla, CA 92093 U.S.A. |
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| Abstract: | We report here on particulate and dissolved210Pb profiles at 16 stations, and on total210Pb profiles at 3 stations, all occupied during the Pacific GEOSECS expedition. Comparison with measurements at Yale on GEOSECS library samples indicates that during separation of particulate lead from dissolved lead, our filtered water samples suffered some loss of210Pb in the filtration system; this effect appears to have reduced the dissolved210Pb activities by ～ 20% in stations where the water was filtered. However, for these first Pacific data on the210Pb distribution between the two phases, this effect does not significantly interfere with our recognition of the major features of both particulate and dissolved210Pb distributions.The dissolved210Pb profiles in general vary geographically, following the226Ra profiles. In deep water,226Ra increases northward and eastward from the southwest Pacific, from ～ 22dpm/100kg, to over 40 dpm/100 kg in the northeast Pacific. Our dissolved210Pb profiles show a similar increase in deep water, varying from about 10 to 20 dpm/100 kg along this line, and are commonly characterized by a mid-depth maximum. This210Pb maximum reflects the mid-depth226Ra maximum of the Pacific Deep Water observed along the western boundary current.In surface water at low latitudes there is a significant210Pb flux from the atmosphere, which produces a210Pb/226Ra activity ratio generally greater than unity. This flux penetrates as deep as 600 m, as indicated by an “induced”210Pb minimum caused by the surface maximum. The surface water210Pb excess decreases toward high southern latitudes and vanishes in the Circumpolar region.The particulate210Pb profiles show a general increase with depth, from ～ 0.3dpm/100kg in subsurface water to ～ 1.5dpm/100kg in bottom water, with or without a mid-depth maximum that reflects the226Ra or dissolved210Pb maximum. The particulate210Pb normally comprises about 2% of the total210Pb in subsurface water, and this fraction increases to about 10% near the bottom. As the filtration loss is not taken into account, the fraction of particulate210Pb quoted here is an upper limit. Since the particulate matter concentrations are quite uniform in the water column below a few hundred meters, the210Pb activity of the particulate matter also increases with depth. The particulate matter has a210Pb concentration of ～ 100dpm/g in subsurface water, but the concentration increases to ～ 500dpm/g or more toward the bottom. This indicates that there is a cumulative adsorption of Pb onto the suspended particles as they are sinking through the water column. |
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