Abstract
Two different series of measurements have been made of the solubilities and rates of solution in sea water of acid-washed siliceous tests of the diatomsThalassiosira decipiens andRhizosolenia hebetata. The kinetic approach was carried out on the assumption that the tests behave as identical solid spheres. If the tests were present in considerable excess over that required for saturation of the water with respect to silica, the dissolution obeyed first order reaction kinetics and its rate was proportional to the surface area of the exposed tests. When the tests were not in excess the kinetics of dissolution appeared to be more complex. This was considered to be due to a decrease in specific surface area as dissolution proceeded. An expression developed to allow for the change of surface area as a sphere dissolves offers a partial explanation of the kinetics when the tests are not present in excess.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Alexander, G.B., W.M. Heston andR.K. Iller (1954): The solubility of amorphous silica in water. J. Phys. Chem.,58, 433–455.
Cooper, L.H.N. (1952): Factors affecting the distribution of silicate in the North Atlantic Ocean and the formation of North Atlantic Deep Water. J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K.,30, 511–536.
Greenberg, S.A. (1957): The depolymerization of silica in sodium hydroxide solutions. J. Phys. Chem.,61, 960–965.
Hurd, D.C. (1972): Factors affecting solution rate of biogenic opal in seawater. Earth Planet. Sci. Lett.,15, 411–417.
Iller, R. K. (1955): The Colloidal Chemistry of Silica and Silicates. Cornell Univ. Press, New York, 324 pp.
Kamatani, A. (1971): Physical and chemical characteristics of biogenic silica. Mar. Biol.,8, 89–95.
Kamatani, A. (1974): Studies on the dissolution of diatomaceous silica as a function of heating. J. Oceanogr. Soc. Japan,30, 157–162.
Kato, K. andY. Kitano (1968): Solubility and dissolution rate of amorphous silica in distilled and sea water at 20°C. J. Oceanogr. Soc. Japan,24, 147–152.
Krauskopf, K.B. (1956): The dissolution and precipitation of silica at low temperatures. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta,10, 1–26.
Lewin, J.C. (1961): The dissolution of silica from diatom walls. Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta,21, 182–198.
O'Connor, T.L. andS.A. Greenberg (1958): The kinetics for the solution of silica in aqueous solutions. J. Phys. Chem.,63, 1195–1198.
Siever, R. (1962): Silica solubility: 0–200°C, and the diagenesis of siliceous sediments. J. Geol.,30, 127–150.
Stöber, W. (1967): Formation of silicic acid in aqueous suspensions of different silica modifications. Amer. Chem. Soc. Adv. Chem. Ser.,65, 161–182.
Van Lier, J.A., P.L. De Bruyn andJ.T.G. Overbeek (1960): The solubility of quartz. J. Phys. Chem.,64, 1675.
Wollast, R. (1974): The silica problem,In, The Sea, vol. 5, ed. byE.D. Goldberg, John Wiley & Sons, New York, pp 359–392.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Kamatani, A., Riley, J.P. & Skirrow, G. The dissolution of opaline silica of diatom tests in sea water. Journal of the Oceanographical Society of Japan 36, 201–208 (1980). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02070333
Received:
Revised:
Accepted:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02070333