wAbstract
@The distribution of silicon isotopes along a meridional transect
at 140KW longitude in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific was used
to test the hypothesis that Â30Si of silicic acid in
surface waters should correlate with net silica production rates
(gross silica production minus silica dissolution) rather than
rates of gross silica production due to the opposing Si isotope
fractionations associated with silica production and silica dissolution.
Variations in Â30Si appeared significantly correlated
with net silica production rates in equatorial surface waters
and not with gross production rates. Around the Equator, values
of Â30Si as low as deep water values occurred in the
upper mesopelagic in a zone of net silica dissolution and high
detrital biogenic silica content, where the release of low Â30Si
silicic acid from opal dissolution would be expected to decrease
Â30Si. The Â30Si of the deep water at 140KW
appears constant for depths 2000 m and is similar to the deep
water at 110KW. This study brings to light the importance of considering
Si fractionation during diatom silica dissolution, the biological
fractionation during silica production and physical factors such
as currents and mixing with adjacent water masses when interpreting
silicon isotope distributions.x
1. Introduction
2. Materials and methods
3. Results
@3.1. Currents system and physical properties
@3.2. Silicic acid concentrations, biogenic silica concentrations
and Â30Si
4. Discussion
@4.1. Physical factors: currents and water masses
@4.2. Effect of fractionation during both opal dissolution and
Si uptake
5. Conclusion
Acknowledgments
References