Geochemical Characteristics of Barium in Surface Sediments fromthe Southwestern Area of South China Sea

Abstract

Abstract:

The geochemical characteristics of barium in surface sediments from the southwestern South China Sea (SCS) are analyzed to investigate the distribution of biogenic barium (Babio) and its potential as a proxy for productivity in surface water. The total Ba content of the studied samples ranges from 398 μg/g to 1,270 μg/g, with an average of 851 μg/g, which is mainly concentrated in detrital materials and biogenic materials, and influenced by sedimentary environment and the input of detrital materials. The estimated biogenic Ba content ranges from 30.6 μg/g to 938 μg/g, and the averages of sediments from the upper slope and lower slope are 495 μg/g and 349 μg/g, which account for 54％ and 51％ respectively. In the southwestern area of the SCS, the total barium and biogenic barium in the sediments show a similarity in distribution, which is characterized by high Ba concentration in sediments from islet areas while low Ba concentration in deep sea area and upper continental slope. The Ba/Al ratio of upper continental crust and that of sediments from continental slope gained by regression analysis are used for calculating biogenic barium, and the results show that exorbitant detrital barium is given. Based on the Ba/Ti ratio of the shale (postArchean Australian Shale), more reasonable biogenic barium can be estimated for the sediments in continental slope; however, the conventional Ba/Al or Ba/Ti ratios are not suitable for calculating the Babio in deep sea area. Therefore, more attention should be paid to when biogenic barium is used for paleoproductivity research in the SCS.

Key words: South China Sea, biogenic barium, detrital barium, productivity

CLC Number:

CAI Guan-qiang, QIU Yan, PENG Xue-Chao, ZHANG Yu-Lan, ZHONG He-Xian. Geochemical Characteristics of Barium in Surface Sediments fromthe Southwestern Area of South China Sea[J]. Geoscience, 2010, 24(3): 560-569.

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