Ld. Guo et al., DISTRIBUTION OF DISSOLVED AND PARTICULATE TH-230 AND TH-232 IN SEAWATER FROM THE GULF-OF-MEXICO AND OFF CAPE-HATTERAS AS MEASURED BY SIMS, Earth and planetary science letters, 133(1-2), 1995, pp. 117-128
We present vertical and horizontal profiles of dissolved and particula
te Th-230 and Th-232 concentrations in seawater from shelf and slope a
reas of the Gulf of Mexico and off Cape Hatteras in the Middle Atlanti
c Eight, as measured by secondary ion mass spectrometry (SIMS), and co
mpare the partitioning of long-lived Th-230 between particles and seaw
ater with that of short-lived Th-234. Concentrations of dissolved and
particulate Th-230 and Th-232 in surface seawater decreased from near-
shore to off-shore in the Gulf of Mexico, demonstrating terrestrial in
put to the surface waters. Vertical profiles indicate that lateral tra
nsport, as well as surface inputs (e.g., fluvial and aeolian) and bott
om sediment resuspension, could be an important source of Th-230 and T
h-232 in ocean margin regions. Sea water samples collected off Cape Ha
tteras contained significantly higher dissolved and particulate Th-230
and Th-232 concentrations than those found in the open Gulf of Mexico
. Likely, the distributions of Th-230 and Th-232 in seawater off Cape
Hatteras are, to a large extent, controlled by terrestrial particles.
In contrast, in-situ production (for Th-230) and scavenging are the ma
jor processes regulating the concentrations of dissolved Th-230 and Th
-232 in the open Gulf of Mexico. The observed negative correlation bet
ween log K-d (particle-solution distribution coefficient) and log C-p
(concentration of suspended particulate matter) for Th-234 and Th-230(
xs) in both study areas, demonstrated a ''particle-concentration effec
t'' down to very low C-p concentrations (similar to 20 mu g/l). Based
on the Th-230 inventory, in-situ production, and the small estimated s
urface input, the overall residence time of Th-230 in the water column
at a slope station in the Gulf of Mexico is calculated to be about 5
yr.