ALUMINUM IN THE NORTHWESTERN INDIAN-OCEAN (ARABIAN SEA)

The distribution of Al has been studied along two transects (approxima tely 15-degrees and 18-degrees-N) in the Arabian Sea. The waters of th e Arabian Sea along the Indian coast are relatively enriched in Al (ap proximately 55-74 nM) over the offshore surface waters (approximately 37-52 nM). A pronounced maximum in the surface mixed layer suggests th e dissolution of Al from atmospherically derived particles to be the s ource of excess Al in the offshore waters of the Arabian Sea, compared to other oceanic regions. The characteristic Al decrease in the deepe r waters of the Arabian Sea indicates its intense scavenging in the wa ter column. A residence time of approximately 8.4 yr for Al in the Ara bian Sea, with respect to the combined input of Al from fluvial and at mospheric sources, corroborates the high reactivity of Al in the ocean s.