ANTARCTIC BOTTOM WATER FORMATION AND THE GLOBAL CADMIUM TO PHOSPHORUSRELATIONSHIP

Near-surface waters close to the Antarctic continent are found to have high cadmium concentrations with respect to phosphorus. These waters have been shown to be the major component in the local formation of An tarctic Bottom Water in this region. It is demonstrated that Antarctic Bottom Water so formed would have a high preformed cadmium to phospho rus ratio. The ventilation of the abyssal ocean with this water would contribute to the observed kink in the global cadmium to phosphorus re lationship. This is an important conclusion far paleochemical studies and may account for part, of the discrepancy between cadmium and carbo n-13 paleochemical tracers observed in the Southern Ocean.