Effect of Cold Seepage on Ba and Ra Fluxes and on Chemical Signatures of Barite in the San Clemente Basin

Oregon State University, Corvallis OR

Investigators

Abstract

Under this award, the PIs will attempt to quantify the cold seep barite contribution to the marine sediment record. This will first involve quantifying the cold seep barite (an important carrier of Ba ) contribution to Ba and Ra fluxes within the San Clemente basin. Secondly, the PIs will quantify the effects of this source on the chemical signature of barite in the basin sediments. In general, the idea is to better understand the sources and sinks of Ba and its mass balance in preserved sediments in the San Clemente basin. The study will involve a field component to study the water column, deploy sediment traps, and collect core samples. The laboratory component consists of a very wide variety of elemental and isotopic techniques to characterize sample materials. The results of this general study of the stability, transport and diagenesis of barite has numerous applications to a variety of related questions, and may result in better use of Ba as a paleoproxy of productivity.