Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

The biological production of marine suspended barite and the barium cycle in the Western Mediterranean Sea

  • Published:
Biogeochemistry Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Suspended particulate barium was measured in the Western Mediterranean along 4 profiles sampled during the PHYCEMED 1 cruise in 1981. The non-terrigenous fraction of particulate barium (i.e. excess Ba; Baxs) can account for up to 96% of total barium. This fraction follows the barite settling and dissolution rate model we described earlier for the Atlantic Ocean, confirming barite as the carrier of excess barium. We propose that these Baxs concentrations, which are higher in the Western Mediterranean than in the overall Atlantic, may represent an adaptation of the microplankton to the high densities and density gradients of surface Mediterranean waters.

A mass-balance for Ba in the Mediterranean Sea shows: (1) that the atmospheric source must be much more important than previously reported: (2) that contrary to the Atlantic situation, the internal recycling of barium is of little importance compared to the flow of barium through the system.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Arnold, M., 1985, Géochimie et transport des aérosols métalliques au-dessus de la Méditerranée occidentale, Thése d'Etat, Paris, 434 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Arnold, M., Seghaier, A., Martin, D., Buat-Menard, P. and Chesselet, R., 1982, Géochimie de l'aérosol marin au-dessus de la Méditerranée occidentale, VI Journées Etud. Pollutions, Cannes, C.I.E.S.M., 27–37

  • Arrhenius, G. and Bonatti, E., 1965, Neptunism and vulcanism in the ocean, in: Progress in Oceanography, vol. 3, ed. M. Sears, Pergamon Press, 7

  • Bernat, M., Church, T. and Allegre, C.J., 1972, Barium and strontium concentrations in Pacific and Mediterranean sea water by direct isotope dilution mass spectrometry, Earth Planet. Sci Letters, 16, 75–80

    Google Scholar 

  • Bethoux, J.P., 1980a, Le cycle du phosphore dans le bassin occidental de la mer Méditerranée, modèle d'étude du devenir des rejets telluriques, V Journées Etud. Pollutions, Cagliari, C.I.E.S.M., 997–1104

  • Bethoux, J.P., 1980b, Mean water fluxes across sections in the Mediterranean Sea, evaluated on the basis of water and salt budgets and of observed salinities, Oceanol. Acta, 3, 79–88

    Google Scholar 

  • Bethoux, J.P. and Copin-Montegut, G., 1984, Effets de la dynamique méditerranéenne sur le devenir d'apports anthropogéniques, VII Journees Etud. Pollutions, C.I.E.S.M., in press

  • Bowen, H.J.M., 1979, Environmental chemistry of the elements, Acad. Press

  • Boyle, E.A., Chapnick, S.D., Bai, X.X., and Spivack, A., 1985, Trace metal enrichments in the Mediterranean Sea, Earth Planet. Sci Letters, 74, 405–419

    Google Scholar 

  • Broecker, W.S. and Gerard, R., 1969, Natural radiocarbon in the Mediterranean Sea, Limnol. Oceanogr., 14, 883–888

    Google Scholar 

  • Broecker, W.S. and Peng, T.H., 1982, Tracers in the sea. Eldigio Press

  • Brook, W.S. and Forheringham, A, Bradly, J. and Jenkins, A., 1980, Barium accumulation by desmids of the genus Closterium (Zygnemaphyceae), Br. Phycol. J., 15 261–264

    Google Scholar 

  • Brun-Cottan, J.C., 1976a, Contribution a l'étude de la granulométrie et de la cinétique des particules marines, Thèse d'Etat, Université Paris VI

  • Brun-Cottan, J.C., 1976b, Stokes settling and dissolution rate model for marine particles as a function of size distribution, J. Geophys. Res., 81, 1601–1606

    Google Scholar 

  • Buat-Menard, P., 1979, Influence de la retombée atmosphérique sur la chimie des métaux en trace dans la matière en suspension de l'Atlantique Nord, Thèse d'Etat, Université Paris VII

  • Buat-Menard, P. and Chesselet, R., 1979, Variable influence of the atmospheric flux on the trace metal chemistry of oceanic suspended matter, Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 42, 399–441

    Google Scholar 

  • Buat-Menard, P., Lambert, C.E., Arnold, M. and Chesselet, R., 1980, Multi-element neutron activation analysis towards the geochemistry of particulate matter exchange between continentatmosphere-ocean, J. Radioanal. Chem., 55, 445–452

    Google Scholar 

  • Chan, L.H., Drummond, D., Edmond, J.M. and Grant, B., 1977, On the barium data for the Atlantic GEOSECS expedition, Deep-Sea Res., 24, 613–649

    Google Scholar 

  • Chow, T.J. and Goldberg, E.D., 1960, On the marine geochemistry of barium, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 20, 192–198

    Google Scholar 

  • Church, T.M., 1979, Marine barite, in: Marine minerals, ed. R.G. Burns, Mineralogical Society of America, short course notes, 6, 175–207

  • Church, T.M. and Wolgemuth, K., 1972, Marine barite saturation, Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 15, 35–44

    Google Scholar 

  • Copin, C., 1974, Contribution a l'étude chimique des particules en suspension dans l'eau de mer, Thèse d'Etat, Universite Paris VI

  • Coste, B, Jacques, G. and Minas, H.J., 1977, Sels nutritifs et production primaire dans le Golfe du lion et ses abords, Ann. Inst. Oceanogr., 53, 189–202

    Google Scholar 

  • Dehairs, F., 1979, Discrete suspended particles of barite and the barium cycle in the open ocean, Doct. Thesis, Vrije Universiteit Brussel, Brussels

  • Dehairs, F., chesselet, R. and Jedwab, J., 1980, Discrete suspended particles of barite and the barium cycle in the open ocean, Earth. Planet. Sci. Letters, 49, 528–550

    Google Scholar 

  • Delibrias, G., 1982, Le carbone-14 des bombes en Méditerranée occidentale, VI Journées Etud. Pollutions, Cannes, C.I.E.S.M., 103–106

  • Dietrich, G., Kalle, A., Krauss, W. and Stedler, G., 1975, Algemeine Meereskunde, 3 auflage, Gebr. Vorntraeger, Berlin

  • Dulac, F., 1986, Dynamique du transport et des retombées d'aerosols métalliques en Méditerranée occidentale, Doctorat de Sciences, Université Paris VII

  • Dymond, J., 1986, Particulate barium fluxes in the oceans: an indicator of new productivity, EOS, Trans. Am. Geophys. Un., 56, 1275, abstract

    Google Scholar 

  • Edmond, J.M., Boyle, E.D., Drummond, D., Grant, B. and Mislick, T., 1978, Desorption of Ba in the plume of the Zaire (Congo) river, Neth. J. Sea Res., 12, 324

    Google Scholar 

  • Elderfield, H. and Greaves, M.J., 1982, The rare earth elements in seawater, Nature, 296, 214–219

    Google Scholar 

  • Fenchel, T. and Finlay, B.J., 1984, Geotaxis in the ciliated protozoan Loxodes, J. Exp. Biol., 110, 17–33

    Google Scholar 

  • Finlay, B.J., Hetherington, N.B. and Davison, W., 1983, Active biological participation in lacustrine barium chemistry, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 47, 1325–1329

    Google Scholar 

  • Fresnel, J., Galle, P. and Gayral, P., 1979, Résultats de la microanalyse des cristaux vacuolaires chez deux chromophytes unicellulaires marines: Exanthemachrysis gayraliae, Pavlova sp. (Prymnesiophycées, pavlovacées), C.R. Acad. Sci. Paris, 288D, 823–825

    Google Scholar 

  • Ganor, E. and Mamane, Y., 1982, Transport of Saharan dust across the Eastern Mediterranean, Atm. Environm., 16, 581–587

    Google Scholar 

  • Gayral, P. and Fresnel, J., 1979, Exanthemachrysis gayraliae Lepailleur (Prymnesiophyceae, Pavlovales): Ultra-structure et discussion taxinomique, Protistologica, 15, 271–282

    Google Scholar 

  • Gooday, A.J. and Nott, J.A., 1982, intracellular barite crystals in two Xenophyophores, Aschemonella ramuliformis and galatheamina sp. (protozoa: rhizopoda) with comments on the taxonomy of A. ramuliformis, J. Mar. Biol. Ass. U.K., 62, 595–605

    Google Scholar 

  • Grasshoff, K., 1975, The hydrochemistry of landlocked basins and fjords, in: Chemical Oceanography, Vol. 2, eds. J.D. Riley and G. Skirrow, Acad. Press, 456–593

  • Greaves, M., Klinkhammer, G., Elderfield, H., Lambert, C. and Risler, N., 1985, Rare earth elements in the Alboran Sea, Terra Cognita, 5, 190, abstract

    Google Scholar 

  • Hanor, J.S. and Chan, L.H., 1977, Non-conservative behaviour of Ba during mixing of Mississipi river and Gulf of Mexico waters, Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 37, 242

    Google Scholar 

  • Hirst, D.M., 1974, Geochemistry of sediments from eleven Black Sea Cores, in: The Black Sea Geology, Chemistry and Biology, eds. E.T. Degens and D.A. Ross, Am. Ass. Petrol. in Geol., Tulsa, Oklahoma, 430–455

    Google Scholar 

  • Hubert, G., Rieder, N., Schmitt, G. und Send, W., 1975, Barium-anreicherung in den Mullerschen Korperchen der Loxodidae (Ciliata, Holotricha), Z. Naturforsch. 30C, 422–423

    Google Scholar 

  • Hydes, D.J., 1983, Distribution of aluminium in waters of the North East Atlantic 25°N to 35°N, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 47, 967–973

    Google Scholar 

  • Hydes, D.J., 1985, Dissolved aluminium in the Mediterranean Sea, Terra Cognita, 5, 189, abstract

    Google Scholar 

  • Jacques, G., 1970, Aspects quantitatifs du phytoplancton de Banyuls-sur-mer (Golfe du Lion), Vie et Milieu, 21, 37–102

    Google Scholar 

  • Kreger, D.R. and Boere, H., 1969, Some observations on barium sulphate in spyrogyra, Acta Bot. Neerl., 18, 143–151

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacombe, H., Gascard, J.C., Gonella, J. and Bethoux, J.P., 1981, Response of the Mediterranean to the water and energy fluxes across its surface on seasonal and interannual scales, Oceanol, Acta, 4, 247–285

    Google Scholar 

  • Lacombe, H. and Tchernia, P., 1971, Caractères hydrologiques et circulation des eaux en Mediterranée, in: The Mediterranean Sea: a Natural Sedimentary Laboratory, ed. D.J. Stanley, Dowden, Hutchinson and Ross; Pennsylvania

  • Lal, D., 1977, The oceanic microcosm of particles: suspended particulate matter, about 1 gram in 100 tons, plays a vital role in ocean chemistry, Science, 198, 997

    Google Scholar 

  • Lal, D. and Lerman, A., 1973, Dissolution and behaviour of particulate biogenic matter in the ocean: some theoretical considerations, J. Geophys. Res., 78, 7100–7111

    Google Scholar 

  • Lambert, C.E., 1981, Le cycle interne du fer et du manganése et leurs interactions avec la matière organique dans l'océan, Thèse d'Université, Université de Picardie, France

  • Laumond, F., Copin-Montegut, G., Coureau, P. and Nicolas, E., 1984, Cadmium, copper and lead in the Western Mediterranean Sea, Mar. Chem., 15, 251–261

    Google Scholar 

  • Li, Y.H. and Chan, L.H., 1979, Desorption of Ba and226Ra from river borne sediments in the Hudson Estuary, Earth Planet. Sci. Letters, 43, 343

    Google Scholar 

  • Licot, M., 1985, Etude ecohydrodynamique du front liguro-provencal au large de la Corse, Relations entre l'hydrodynamique, les paramètres physico-chimiques et la production primaire, Thèse de Doctorat, Université de Liege, Belgique

  • Minas, H.J., 1970, La distribution de l'oxygène en relation avec la production primaire en Mediterranée, Nord-occidentale, Mar. Biol., 7, 181–204

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore, W.S. and Edmond, J.M., 1984, Radium and Barium in the Amazon river system, J. Geophys. Res., 89, 2061–2065

    Google Scholar 

  • Prodi, F. and Fea. 1979, A case transport and deposition of Saharan dust over the Italian peninsula and Southern Europe, J. Geophys. Res., 84, 6951–6960

    Google Scholar 

  • Rahn, K.A., Borys, R.D., Shaw, G.E., Schutz, L. and Jaenicke, R., 1979, Long-range impact of desert aerosol on atmospheric chemistry, in: Saharan dust, ed. C. Morales, SCOPE 14, Wiley and Sons, 243–266

  • Rieder N., Ott, H.A., Pfundstein, P. and Schoch, R., 1982, X-ray micro-analysis of the mineral contents of some protozoa, J. Protozool., 29, 15–18

    Google Scholar 

  • Risler, N., 1984, Les alumino-silicates et les terres rares dans les particules marines en Mediterranée occidentale, These de Specialité, Université Paris VII

  • Schroter, K., Lauchli, A. and Sievers, A., 1975, Mikroanalytische identifikation von BariumsulfatKristallen in den statolithen der Rhizoide von Chara fragilis, Desv., Planta, 122, 213–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulze, F.E. and Thierfelder, H., 1905, Uber Baryumsulfat in Meerestieren (Xenophyophora F.E. Sch.), Sitzungsberichten der Gesellschaft Naturforschender Freunde zu Berlin, 2–4

  • Sievers, A. and Volkmann, D., 1979, Gravitropism in single cells, in: Encyclopedia of plant physiology, 7, Physiology of movements, eds. W. Haupt and M.E. Feinleib, Springer-Verlag, 567–572

  • Sournia, A., 1973, La production primaire planctonique en Mediterranée Essai de mise a jour, Bull. Etude en commun de la Mediterranneé, 5, 128 pp

  • Spivack, A., Huested, S.S. and Boyle, E., 1983, Copper, nickel and cadmium in the surface waters of the Mediterranean, in: trace metals in seawater, eds. C.S. Wong, E. Goldberg, K. Bruland and E. Boyle, Plenum Press, NY, 502–512

  • Tendal, O.S., 1972, A monograph of the Xenophyophoria (rhizopoda, protozoa), Galathea report, 12, 7

    Google Scholar 

  • Turekian, K.K., 1968, Deep-sea deposition of barium, cobolt and silver, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta, 32, 603

    Google Scholar 

  • Unesco, 1971, 1974, Discharge of selected rivers of the world, Vol II, Unesco, Paris

  • Vergnaud-Grazzini, C., ∂18O changes in foraminifera carbonates during the last 105 years in the Mediterranean Sea, Science, 190, 272–274

    Google Scholar 

  • Wollast, R., 1974, The silica problem, in: The Sea, ed. E.D. Goldberg, Wiley Intersci., NY, 359

Download references

Author information

Author notes

  1. F. Dehairs

    Present address: National Fund for Scientific Research, Belgium

Authors and Affiliations

  1. VUB, ANCH, Pleinlaan 2, B-1050, Brussels, Belgium

    F. Dehairs

  2. CFR (CNRS-CEA), Gif-sur-Yvette, F-91190, France

    C. E. Lambert, R. Chesselet & N. Risler

Authors
  1. F. Dehairs
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. C. E. Lambert
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  3. R. Chesselet
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  4. N. Risler
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Dehairs, F., Lambert, C.E., Chesselet, R. et al. The biological production of marine suspended barite and the barium cycle in the Western Mediterranean Sea. Biogeochemistry 4, 119–140 (1987). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02180151

Download citation

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02180151

Key words

Search

Navigation