Collaborative Research: US GEOTRACES North Atlantic Section - Nd isotope distribution: sources, sinks and internal cycling

Columbia University, New York NY

Investigators

Abstract

The objective of the US GEOTRACES program, a newly initiated international oceanographic program, is to identify processes and quantify fluxes that control the distributions of key trace elements and isotopes in the oceans and to establish an understanding of the sensitivity of these distributions to changing environmental conditions. Neodymium (Nd), a rare earth element, is supplied to the ocean via continental weathering, and its isotopes have been identified as an important ocean tracer that could potentially improve our understanding of water mass pathways, as well as identify sources and sinks of trace elements in modern and past oceans. Scientists from Columbia University, the University of South Carolina, and the University of Hawaii will be conducting a rigorous survey of the distribution of dissolved seawater Nd isotopes and concentrations along the 2010 GEOTRACES North Atlantic zonal section. Results from this study will determine how well Nd isotopes track advected water masses in marginal and open ocean settings, estimate the Nd contribution from submarine groundwater discharge, and determine atmospheric Nd input and fluxes into and out of marine sediments. This research will aid scientists in determining the oceanic distribution of Nd isotopes on a global scale. The educational impacts of this research include support for a graduate and postdoctoral student, as well as training opportunities for an undergraduate student.