The Transport of Terrestrial Matter to the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent: A Rare Earth Element River Signature from the Weathering of New Guinea Islands

Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole MA

Investigators

Abstract

ABSTRACT OCE-0081007 Previous research by the PI showed that waters from the Sepik River on the northern coast of Papua New Guinea (PNG) had dissolved rare earth element (REE) compositions which are quite distinct from seawater. When normalized against the REE composition of Coral Sea Composite, the river had enriched Sm, Eu and Gd concentrations. This signature remained well developed in the estuary despite dilution of river water by seawater. For this reason, the PI will analyze water samples collected from the Sepik River estuary to Manus Island along the track of the Pacific Equatorial Undercurrent (PEU) for REEs. The primary objective for this research is to show that the REE signature and other lithogenic elements, especially Fe, in the PEU results from the transport of terrestrial material via island weathering and river inputs into undercurrents.