210Pb and226Ra distributions in the Circumpolar waters

²¹⁰Pb and²²⁶Ra profiles have been measured at five GEOSECS stations in the Circumpolar region. These profiles show that²²⁶Ra is quite uniformly distributed throughout the Circumpolar region, with slightly lower activities in surface waters, while²¹⁰Pb varies with depth as well as location or area. There is a subsurface²¹⁰Pb maximum which matches the oxygen minimum in depth and roughly correlates with the temperature and salinity maxima. This²¹⁰Pb maximum has its highest concentrations in the Atlantic sector and appears to originate near the South Sandwich Islands northeast of the Weddell Sea. Concentrations in this maximum decrease toward the Indian Ocean sector and then become fairly constant along the easterly Circumpolar Current.Relative to²²⁶Ra, the activity of²¹⁰Pb is deficient in the entire water column of the Circumpolar waters. The deficiency increases from the depth of the²¹⁰Pb maximum toward the bottom, and the²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra activity ratio is lowest in the Antarctic Bottom Water, indicating a rapid removal of Pb by particulate scavenging in the bottom layer and/or a short mean residence time of the Antarctic Bottom Water in the Circumpolar region.²²⁶Ra is essentially linearly correlated with silica and barium in the Circumpolar waters. However, close examination of the vertical profiles reveals that Ba and Si are more variable than²²⁶Ra in this region.     

226Ra,210Pb and210Po in the Red Sea

Profiles of²²⁶Ra and dissolved²¹⁰Pb have been measured at several stations in the Red Sea. At one station in the central Red Sea an expanded profile was measured including²²⁶Ra and dissolved and particulate²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po. These profiles show several distinct features: (1)²²⁶Ra displays a mid-depth maximum of about 13 dpm/100 kg at about 500 m; (2) dissolved²¹⁰Pb concentrations are uniformly low at about 2 dpm/100 kg with little lateral or vertical variation; (3) the surface-water²¹⁰Pb excess which is commonly observed in low-latitude open ocean regions is entirely lacking; (4)²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po activities are essentially identical to each other in both particulate and dissolved phases although²¹⁰Po activities appear somewhat lower; (5) about 20% of the²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po in the water column residues on particulate matter.Assuming the atmospheric²¹⁰Pb flux to be in the dissolved form and at the lower level of the normal range i.e. 0.5 dpm/cm² yr, the residence time of the dissolved Pb is about 1.5 years. However, if the same atmospheric flux is entirely in particulate form, then the residence time of the dissolved Pb is about 5 years. The residence time of Pb in the particulate phase is less than 0.4 years if all the Pb is removed only by sinking particles.     

210Pb in the Pacific: the GEOSECS measurements of particulate and dissolved concentrations

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.     

226Ra distribution in the Antarctic Ocean

²²⁶Ra data on eleven vertical profiles taken during the GEOSECS program from the Antarctic Ocean and its vicinity in both the Atlantic and the Pacific are presented. Replicate measurements were made on each sample using the Rn-emanation method. The precision (1 σ) based on triplicate analyses averages about ±2.5%. Waters all around the Antarctic continent below 2 km depth appear to exhibit a uniform²²⁶Ra concentration of 21.5 ± 1dpm/100kg, except perhaps locally such as the Ross Sea and the Drake Passage where small variations may be present. Higher in the water column, the²²⁶Ra contents decrease toward the surface with gradients which vary as a function of the influence exerted by the Antarctic Convergence. Across this oceanic front, a north-to-south increase of²²⁶Ra occurs (the increase being the largest near the surface: from 8 to 18 dpm/100 kg), reflecting the combining effect of deep-water upwelling and meridional water mixing. The core layer of the Antarctic Intermediate Water contains about 14 dpm/100 kg of²²⁶Ra and that of the Circumpolar Intermediate Water (O₂ minimum and local T maximum) about 18 dpm/100 kg. To a first approximation,²²⁶Ra covaries with Si in the circumpolar waters.     

The distribution of 226Ra in the Atlantic Ocean

Based on results obtained during the GEOSECS program the primary features of the distribution of²²⁶Ra in the Atlantic Ocean can be defined. Outside the Antarctic no significant variation has been found in the²²⁶Ra content of surface waters. Eighty samples yield an average of 7.4 dpm/100 kg (normalized to a salinity of 35.00‰). Deep waters in the central Atlantic have²²⁶Ra contents several dpm/100 kg higher than expected from the mixing of Antarctic Bottom Water (21.3 dpm/100 kg) and basal North Atlantic Deep Water (10.3 dpm/100 kg). These excesses correlate well with deficiencies in O₂ and excesses in SiO₂. The intermediate water²²⁶Ra maximum in the South Atlantic is associated with the inflow of low-oxygen Circumpolar Intermediate Water beneath the Antarctic Intermediate Water.     

210Po and210Pb distributions in the central and eastern Indian Ocean

Disequilibrium between²¹⁰Po and²¹⁰Pb and between²¹⁰Pb and²²⁶Ra has been mapped in the eastern and central Indian Ocean based on stations from Legs 3 and 4 of the GEOSECS Indian Ocean expedition.²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratios are less than 1.0 in the surface mixed layer and indicate a residence time for Po of 0.6 years.²¹⁰Po and²¹⁰Pb are generally in radioactive equilibrium elsewhere in the water column except at depths of 100–500 m, where Po may be returned to solution after removal from the surface water, and in samples taken near the bottom at a few stations.²¹⁰Pb excesses relative to²²⁶Ra are observed in the surface water but these excesses are not as pronounced as in the North Pacific and North Atlantic. The difference is attributable to a lower flux of²¹⁰Pb from the atmosphere to the Indian Ocean. Below the main thermocline,²¹⁰Pb activities increase with depth to a broad maximum before decreasing to lower values near the bottom. Departures from this pattern are especially evident at stations taken in the Bay of Bengal (where²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra activity ratios as low as 0.16 are observed) and near the Mid-Indian Ridge. The data suggest that removal of²¹⁰Pb at oceanic boundaries, coupled with eddy diffusion along isopycnals, can explain gradients in²¹⁰Pb near the boundary. Application of a simple model including isopycnal diffusion, chemical removal, production and radioactive decay produces fits the observed²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra gradients for eddy diffusion coeffients of ～ 10⁷ cm²/s. High productivity in surface waters of the Bay of Bengal makes this region a sink for reactive nuclides in the northern Indian Ocean.     

210Pb and210Po during the destruction of stratification in the Dead Sea

The progressive weakening and final disappearance (in 1979) of the long-term meromictic structure of the Dead Sea are clearly reflected in the depth profiles of²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po. In 1977/78, prior to overturn, dissolved²¹⁰Pb (35–50 dpm kg^?1) predominated over particulate²¹⁰Pb (1–2 dpm kg^?1) in the oxic upper waters, whereas the reverse was true in the anoxic deep waters (16–20 dpm kg^?1 particulate vs. 2–5 dpm kg^?1 dissolved). The exact extent of the disequilibrium between²¹⁰Pb and²²⁶Ra is hard to evaluate in the upper oxic layers, because the progressive deepenings resulted in mixing with deep waters. By contrast, one can estimate the residence time of dissolved²¹⁰Pb in the unperturbed anoxic deepest layers, because these remained isolated, at about 3 years. Following the overturn of 1979, dissolved²¹⁰Pb exceeded particulate²¹⁰Pb at all depths. The²¹⁰Po profiles of the stratified lake resembled in shape those of its grandparent²¹⁰Pb, but with distinct characteristics of their own in the oxic upper waters where particulate²¹⁰Po (8–12 dpm kg^?1) was greatly in excess over particulate²¹⁰Pb, while dissolved²¹⁰Po (25–40 dpm kg^?1) was slightly deficient. Immediately following the overturn, dissolved and particulate²¹⁰Po were similar (about 15 dpm kg^?1), at all depths. The destruction of the lake's meromictic structure was accompanied by a reduction of its²¹⁰Pb inventory, while that of²¹⁰Po was almost unaffected. Thus, at overturn a transient state was created with the inventory of²¹⁰Po exceeding that of²¹⁰Pb.     

210Pb/226Ra and 210Po/210Pb disequilibria in seawater and suspended particulate matter

The distribution of²¹⁰Po and²¹⁰Po in dissolved (<0.4 μm) and particulate (>0.4 μm) phases has been measured at ten stations in the tropical and eastern North Atlantic and at two stations in the Pacific. Both radionuclides occur principally in the dissolved phase. Unsupported²¹⁰Pb activities, maintained by flux from the atmosphere, are present in the surface mixed layer and penetrate into the thermocline to depths of about 500 m. Dissolved²¹⁰Po is ordinarily present in the mixed layer at less than equilibrium concentrations, suggesting rapid biological removal of this nuclide. Particulate matter is enriched in²¹⁰Po, with²¹⁰Po/²¹⁰Pb activity ratios greater than 1.0, similar to those reported for phytoplankton. Box-model calculations yield a 2.5-year residence time for²¹⁰Pb and a 0.6-year residence time for²¹⁰Po in the mixed layer. These residence times are considerably longer than the time calculated for turnover of particles in the mixed layer (about 0.1 year). At depths of 100–300 m,²¹⁰Po maxima occur and unsupported²¹⁰Po is frequently present. Calculations indicate that at least 50% of the²¹⁰Po removed from the mixed layer is recycled within the thermocline. Similar calculations for²¹⁰Pb suggest much lower recycling efficiencies.Comparison of the²¹⁰Pb distribution with the reported distribution of²²⁶Ra at nearby GEOSECS stations has confirmed the widespread existence of a²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra disequilibrium in the deep sea. Vertical profiles of particulate²¹⁰Pb were used to test the hypothesis that²¹⁰Pb is removed from deep water by in-situ scavenging. With the exception of one profile taken near the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, significant vertical gradients in particulate²¹⁰Pb concentration were not observed, and it is necessary to invoke exceptionally high particle sinking velocities to account for the inferred²¹⁰Pb flux. It is proposed instead that an additional sink for²¹⁰Pb in the deep sea must be sought. Estimates of the dissolved²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra activity ratio at depths greater than 1000 m range from 0.2 to 0.8 and reveal a systematic increase, in both vertical and horizontal directions, with increasing distance from the sea floor. This observation implies rapid scavenging of²¹⁰Pb at the sediment-water interface and is consistent with a horizontal eddy diffusivity of 3?6 × 10⁷ cm²/sec. The more reactive element Po, on the other hand, shows evidence of rapid in-situ scavenging. In filtered seawater,²¹⁰Po is deficient, on the average, by ca. 10% relative to²¹⁰Pb; a corresponding enrichment is found in the particulate phase. Total inventories of²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po over the entire water column, however, show no significant departure from secular equilibrium.     

Radium in the near-surface Caribbean Sea

Recent radium measurements from the near-surface Caribbean Sea are presented. The surface horizontal and vertical distributions of²²⁶Ra are essentially the same as reported by Szabo et al. (1967) for the early 1960's. The²²⁶Ra activity at the surface is relatively uniform across the Caribbean, with an average of8.2±0.4dpm/100kg. The subsurface distribution to ～200 m averages7.8±0.4dpm/100kg and increases slowly below 200 m. reaching ～9.5 dpm/100 kg at 560 m. In contrast to²²⁶Ra, the surface concentration of²²⁸Ra was much more variable in both time and space. An average increase of 33% was found between 1968 and 1976 in the western Caribbean and during both years an anomalously high²²⁸Ra activity was found in the eastern Caribbean. These data support previous hypotheses that water entering the eastern Caribbean has been enriched in²²⁸Ra prior to entry and that variable mixing of the Atlantic water masses found to the northeast and southeast of the Lesser Antilles may produce temporal variations in the near-surface²²⁸Ra activity. Scatter plots of²²⁸Ra vs. salinity and sigma-t indicate that the near-surface vertical distribution of²²⁸Ra in the Caribbean Sea is predominantly influenced by advection. Thus²²⁸Ra cannot be used to study near-surface vertical mixing rates in this region.     

A226Ra section across the East Pacific Rise

Four vertical Ra profiles have been measured across the East Pacific Rise (EPR) from Callao to Tahiti. These profiles show that Ra in the deep water (below 2 km depth) increases toward the EPR. However, this increase does not necessarily indicate a Ra source on the EPR. The increase from Tahiti toward the EPR reflects the general trend of the Pacific Ra distribution. The decrease from the EPR eastward to the Peru Basin is probably due to the continental effect with higher sedimentation rates.The hydrography, especially potential temperature and oxygen, indicates significant differences below about 3 km depth between the east and west flanks of the EPR indicating the effect of the cold bottom water to the west of the EPR. The benthic front is identified at 3.9 km depth at the westernmost station near Tahiti. Silicate and salinity data are by no means unique and reflect a complicated local circulation and mixing pattern with a minor intrusion of the Antarctic Bottom Water from the south into the Peru Basin.The θ-Ra and Ra-Si relationships both indicate an enrichment of Ra in the deep water below 2 km depth probably due to input from the underlying sediments. Above 2 km depth, Ra covaries almost linearly with θ as well as Si, mimicking a stable conservative property. This suggests that the radiodecay rate is nearly balanced by the input rate within the water column between 1 and 2 km depth in which θ is linearly correlated withS.Simple vertical model calculations show that the in-situ production of Ra by particulate dissolution in the deep water is negligible within a reasonable range of upwelling rates from 2 to 12 m/yr. Thus the Ra profiles show a net decay effect and so the θ-Ra relations are not linear in the deep water. In fact, the composite θ-Ra plots show a break at 25 dpm/100 kg (at 2 km depth) rather than a smooth curve, while theθ-S plots are essentially linear. A maximum Ra production rate of about 8 × 10^?3 (dpm/100 kg) yr^?1 is obtained from all the profiles with minimum upwelling rates between 0.7 and 3.5 m/yr.     

210Po and 210Pb distributions in ocean water profiles from the Eastern South Pacific

Two ocean profiles from the Peru Basin from regions with different surface productivities were analyzed for total²¹⁰Pb and²⁰¹Po to evaluate the influence of particulates in the water column on their distribution. Comparison with a published²²⁶Ra profile for the region was made. The profile closest to the coast, where upwelling and productivity are high, shows depletion of²¹⁰Pb relative to²²⁶Ra at all depths, with particularly marked excursions from radioactive equilibrium at the surface and in the bottom water.²¹⁰Po appears to be deficient relative to²¹⁰Pb at depth as well. Mean residence times in the deep water, relative to particulate removal from the water column to the sediments, of about 100 years for²¹⁰Pb and about two years for²¹⁰Po are indicated. The profile northwest of the upwelling region shows the²²⁶Ra²¹⁰Pb²¹⁰Po system close to equilibrium at all depths to 1500 m (except for the effect of atmospheric²¹⁰Pb input seen at the surface.     

226Ra, 210Pb and 210Po disequilibria in the Western North Pacific

²²⁶Ra,²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po were measured in oceanic profiles at two stations near the Bonin and Kurile trenches.²¹⁰Po is depleted by 50% on average relative to²¹⁰Pb in the surface water. In the deep water,²¹⁰Pb is about 25% deficient relative to²²⁶Ra. Based on the deficiency,²¹⁰Pb residence time with respect to removal by particulate matter was estimated to be less than 96 years in the deep water.²¹⁰Pb deficiency in the bottom water was significantly greater than that of the adjacent deep water, indicating more effective removal near or at the bottom interface.²¹⁰Pb,²¹⁰Po and Th appear to have similar overall rate constants of particulate removal throughout the water column.     

A dynamically consistent analysis of circulation and transports in the southwestern Weddell Sea

An inverse model is applied for the analysis of hydrographic and current meter data collected on the repeat WOCE section SR4 in the Weddell Sea in 1989–1992. The section crosses the Weddell Sea cyclonic gyre from Kapp Norvegia to the northern end of the Antarctic Peninsula. The concepts of geostrophy, conservation of planetary vorticity and hydrostatics are combined with advective balances of active and passive properties to provide a dynamically consistent circulation pattern. Our variational assimilation scheme allows the calculation of three-dimensional velocities in the section plane. Current speeds are small except along the coasts where they reach up to 12 cm/s. We diagnose a gyre transport of 34 Sverdrup which is associated with a poleward heat transport of 28 × 10¹² W corresponding to an average heat flux of 15 Wm^–2 in the Weddell Sea south of the transect. This exceeds the estimated local flux on the transect of 2 Wm^–2. As the transect is located mostly in the open ocean, we conclude that the shelf areas contribute significantly to the ocean-atmosphere exchange and are consequently key areas for the contribution of the Weddell Sea to global ocean ventilation. Conversion of water masses occuring south of the section transform 6.6 ± 1.1 Sv of the inflowing warm deep water into approximately equal amounts of Weddell Sea deep water and Weddell Sea bottom water. The volume transport of surface water equals in the in-and outflow. This means that almost all newly formed surface water is involved in the deep and bottom water formation. Comparison with the results obtained by pure velocity interpolation combined with a hydrographic data subset indicates major differences in the derived salt transports and the water mass conversion of the surface water. The differences can be explained by deviations in the structure of the upper ocean currents to which shelf areas contribute significantly. Additionally a rigorous variance analysis is performed. When only hydrographic data are used for the inversion both the gyre transport and the poleward heat transport are substantially lower. They amount to less than 40% of our best estimate while the standard deviations of both quantities are 6.5 Sv and 37 × 10¹² W, respectively. With the help of long-term current meter measurements these errors can be reduced to 2 Sv and 8 × 10¹² W. Our result underlines the importance of velocity data or equivalent information that helps to estimate the absolute velocities.     

210Pb/226Ra disequilibrium in the Santa Barbara Basin

The vertical distributions of²¹⁰Pb and²²⁶Ra in the Santa Barbara Basin have been measured. The²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra activity ratio is close to unity in surface water, but ranges from 0.2 to 0.6 in deep water with a mean value of 0.3 (d > 250m), suggesting rapid removal of²¹⁰Pb from the water column. The²¹⁰Pb concentrations in the particulate phase at different water depths indicate that the removal of²¹⁰Pb is due to adsorption on settling particles.It is estimated that the particulate²¹⁰Pb contributes about 50–70% of the total²¹⁰Pb measured on unfiltered water samples of the Santa Barbara Basin. The fate of²¹⁰Pb (and Pb) in the water column is thus strongly controlled by the settling particles, which have a mean residence time of one year or less in the basin. Material balance calculation for²¹⁰Pb in the basin suggests that there is an external source supplying about 70–80% of the²¹⁰Pb observed in particulate material or sediments. This excess²¹⁰Pb is most likely provided by particles entering the basin loaded already with²¹⁰Pb.     

Lead-210 in the North Pacific and the transport of terrestrial material through the atmosphere

²¹⁰Pb in the surface water of the North Pacific was extensively determined. The results showed that the highest concentrations of²¹⁰Pb of 19 ± 3dpm/100kg were found in the northern mid-latitudes around 30°N, but longitudinal variation across the North Pacific was not observed. The mean residence time of²¹⁰Pb in the surface water up to 100 m in depth is calculated to be 230 days. In the mid-latitudes of the northern hemisphere,²¹⁰Pb may be transported by the prevailing westerly wind of a higher speed than 15 m/sec, likely the jet stream.     

Radial growth rates and Pb ages of hydrothermal massive sulfides from the Juan de Fuca Ridge

Activities of ²³⁸U, ²²⁸Ra, ²²⁶Ra and ²¹⁰Pb were determined in submarine hydrothermal massive sulfides by nondestructive, gamma-ray spectrometry. The samples were collected by the manned submersible DSRV “Alvin” from active hydrothermal fields on the Endeavour Segment and Axial Seamount of the Juan de Fuca Ridge. ²¹⁰Pb activities are mostly below the equilibrium level with ²²⁶Ra, which is linearly correlated with the concentration of Ba, Sr and Ca in the deposits. The ratios of²²⁶Ra to the alkaline earth elements indicate that hydrothermal alteration of the underlying oceanic crust is the dominant source of Ra in the sulfide deposits.The ²¹⁰Pb/Pb ratios measured in many of the sulfides are higher than the ratio obtained for a basalt source of ²¹⁰Pb, probably because of ²¹⁰Pb ingrowth from ²²⁶Ra within the sulfide deposits. An isochron approach employing ratios of ²¹⁰Pb/Pb and ²²⁶Ra/Pb yielded an initial ²¹⁰Pb/Pb ratio in the range of 0–0.57 dpm/μg Pb, implying that the crustal residence time of the hydrothermal fluid in the Endeavour Segment is very short ( < 10 years) and that basalt alteration is the only source of the ²¹⁰Pb and Pb. For the hydrothermal fluid in Axial Seamount, a residence time of 10–20 years is estimated on the basis of the initial ²¹⁰Pb/Pb and ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra ratios of a sulfide chimney. Both residence time estimates are consistent with the results of previous studies. We have estimated the upper limits of sample ages ranging from tens to a hundred years for 12 samples, with the remaining seven samples indicating ages close to or older than 150 years, the practical limit of the ²¹⁰Pb/Pb dating technique.A concentrically sectioned sulfide chimney from Axial Seamount yielded mean radial growth rates ranging from a few tenths to a few mm/year based on gradients of ²¹⁰Pb/Pb and ²²⁸Ra/²²⁶Ra activity ratios, whereas a similarly sectioned chimney from the Endeavour Segment, although collected from the top of an active “black smoker” vent, displayed no ²¹⁰Pb or ²²⁸Ra activity. Our results have implications for the duration and periodicity of hydrothermal circulation and associated mineral deposition at mid-ocean ridges.     

Disequilibria between 210Po and 210Pb in surface waters of the southern South China Sea and their implications

Activities of the naturally occurring radionuclides, ²¹⁰Pb and ²¹⁰Po, were measured in both dissolved (<0.45 μm) and particulate (>0.45 μm) phases from surface waters of the southern South China Sea. The average activity of particulate ²¹⁰Pb, 0.23 Bq/m³ (n=23), accounted for about 12% of the total ²¹⁰Pb, which corresponds with values of open oceans. Particulate ²¹⁰Po, with an average activity of 0.43 Bq/m³, accounted for about 40% of the total ²¹⁰Po, which was much higher than those of open and eutrophic oceans. The residence times of total ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in surface waters estimated from an irreversible steady-state model were 0.82 a and 1.16 a, respectively. The consistently high fractionation factor calculated either by scavenging rate constants (5.42) or K_d values (6.69) suggested that a significant fractionation occurred between ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb during their removal from solution to particles and that the two radionuclides had different biogeochemical cycling pathways in the oligotrophic South China Sea. Furthermore, our results indicated that there exist different fractionation mechanisms between ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb in different marine environments: in eutrophic ocean, plankton detritus and fecal pellets are the main carrier of ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb, by which ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb have been scavenged and removed; while in oligotrophic ocean, microbes could become the main carrier of ²¹⁰Po and fractionate ²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb significantly as a result of scarce plankton detritus and fecal pellets. These results suggest the use of ²¹⁰Po to trace marine biogeochemical processes relating to microbial activities and the cycling of sulfur group elements (S, Se, Te and Po).     

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

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.     

Particulate and soluble210Pb activities in the deep sea

Particulate and soluble,²¹⁰Pb activities have been measured by filtration of large-volume water samples at two stations in the South Atlantic. Particulate phase²¹⁰Pb (caught by a 0.4-μm filter) varies from 0.3% of total²¹⁰Pb in equatorial surface water to 15% in the bottom water. The “absolute activity” of²¹⁰Pb per unit mass of particulate matter is about 10⁷ times the activity of soluble²¹⁰Pb per unit mass of water, but because the mass ratio of particulate matter to water is about 10^?8, the particulate phase carries only about 10% of the total activity. In Antarctic surface water the particulate phase carries 40% of the total²¹⁰Pb activity; the absolute activity of this material is about the same as in other water masses and the higher fraction is due to the much larger concentration of suspended matter in surface water in this region.In the equatorial Atlantic the particulate phase²¹⁰Pb activity increases with depth, by a factor of 40 from surface to bottom, and by a factor of 4 from the Antarctic Intermediate Water core to the Antarctic Bottom Water. This increase with depth is predicted by our previously proposed particulate scavenging model which indicated a scavenging residence time of 50 years for²¹⁰Pb in the deep sea. A scavenging experiment showed that red clay sediment removes all the²¹⁰Pb from seawater in less than a week. The Antarctic particulate profile shows little or no evidence of scavenging in this region, which may be due to the siliceous nature of the particulate phase in circumpolar waters. Our previous observation that the²¹⁰Pb/²²⁶Ra activity ratio is of the order of 0.5 in the deep water is further confirmed by the two South Atlantic profiles analyzed in the present work.     

The distribution of 210Pb and 210Po in the surface waters of the Pacific Ocean

By modelling the observed distribution of²¹⁰Pb and²¹⁰Po in surface waters of the Pacific, residence times relative to particulate removal are determined. For the center of the North Pacific gyre these are τ_Po = 0.6years andτ_Pb = 1.7years. The surface ocean τ_Pb is determined by particulate transport rather than plankton settling. The fact that it is about two orders of magnitude smaller than τ_Pb for the deep ocean implies a sharp change in the adsorptive quality of particles during descent through the water column.