TY - JOUR
T1 - Acantharians: a Missing Link in the Oceanic Biogeochemistry of Barium
AU - Bernstein, Renate E
AU - Byrne, Robert H
AU - Schijf, Johan
PY - 1998/1/1
Y1 - 1998/1/1
N2 - Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to analyze the Ba and Sr concentrations of the celestite (SrSO 4 ) skeletons and cysts of individual acantharian specimens obtained from four diverse areas of the world’s oceans. Acantharian celestite Ba/Sr mole ratios ( χ Ba / χ Sr ) averaged 2.6×10 -3 with minimum and maximum values of 6.1×10 -4 and 2.5×10 -2 . Celestite Ba/Sr mole ratios were compared to dissolved Ba and Sr concentration ratios ([Ba 2+ ] T /[Sr 2+ ] T ) derived from GEOSECS stations that most closely corresponded to acantharian collection sites. Resultant Ba/Sr distribution coefficients ( D Ba/Sr =( χ Ba / χ Sr )/([Ba 2+ ] T /[Sr 2+ ] T )) in diverse areas of the world’s oceans are on the order of three or larger. These data, in conjunction with observations of acantharian mediated Sr 2+ depletions in the upper ocean, indicate that acantharians play a substantial role in the global oceanic Ba budget. Observation of Ba enrichments during celestite formation is consistent with expectations based on solidsolution–aqueous-solution precipitation dynamics and the much lower solubility of BaSO 4 compared to SrSO 4 . Furthermore, the small solubility product of RaSO 4 relative to SrSO 4 and BaSO 4 indicates that Ra should be enriched in both celestite and barite. Consequently, acantharians may have a substantial influence on the oceanic distributions of both Ba and Ra.
AB - Inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry was used to analyze the Ba and Sr concentrations of the celestite (SrSO 4 ) skeletons and cysts of individual acantharian specimens obtained from four diverse areas of the world’s oceans. Acantharian celestite Ba/Sr mole ratios ( χ Ba / χ Sr ) averaged 2.6×10 -3 with minimum and maximum values of 6.1×10 -4 and 2.5×10 -2 . Celestite Ba/Sr mole ratios were compared to dissolved Ba and Sr concentration ratios ([Ba 2+ ] T /[Sr 2+ ] T ) derived from GEOSECS stations that most closely corresponded to acantharian collection sites. Resultant Ba/Sr distribution coefficients ( D Ba/Sr =( χ Ba / χ Sr )/([Ba 2+ ] T /[Sr 2+ ] T )) in diverse areas of the world’s oceans are on the order of three or larger. These data, in conjunction with observations of acantharian mediated Sr 2+ depletions in the upper ocean, indicate that acantharians play a substantial role in the global oceanic Ba budget. Observation of Ba enrichments during celestite formation is consistent with expectations based on solidsolution–aqueous-solution precipitation dynamics and the much lower solubility of BaSO 4 compared to SrSO 4 . Furthermore, the small solubility product of RaSO 4 relative to SrSO 4 and BaSO 4 indicates that Ra should be enriched in both celestite and barite. Consequently, acantharians may have a substantial influence on the oceanic distributions of both Ba and Ra.
UR - https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1618
UR - https://doi.org/10.1016/S0967-0637(97)00095-2
U2 - 10.1016/S0967-0637(97)00095-2
DO - 10.1016/S0967-0637(97)00095-2
M3 - Article
VL - 45
JO - Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
JF - Deep Sea Research Part I: Oceanographic Research Papers
ER -