Garcia-Solsona and co-workers analysed 9 seawater stations around the central Mediterranean Sea
Jul / 02 / 2020
Rare Earth Elements
Rare Earth distribution and pattern anomalies in the Solomon Sea
The Solomon Sea is surrounded by high and intensively weathered islands. Its complex topography and hydrography make this area a potential source of trace elements to the waters flowing through it. Dissolved rare earth elements (DREE) analysis of more than 150 samples collected in the framework of the PANDORA cruise (along GEOTRACES GP12 section) showed that […]
Dec / 16 / 2019
Rare Earth Elements are less and less natural tracers in the ocean
This verdict is well illustrated by the recent study of Rodrigo Pedreira (2018, see reference below) off the North East Brazilian coast. His Rare Earth Elements (REE) data reveal marked positive Gadolinium (Gd) anomaly which reflects the release of Gd in hospital and domestic effluents. Indeed, this element is used as contrasting agent in magnetic resonance […]
Sep / 19 / 2018
Short-Term Variability of Dissolved Rare Earth Elements and Neodymium Isotopes in the Entire Water Column of the Panama Basin
Patricia Grasse and co-workers (2017, see reference below) present new dissolved neodymium isotope compositions (εNd) and rare earth element (REE) concentrations from the Panama Basin. REE concentrations peak at the surface reflect high lithogenic inputs from the nearby Central American Arc (CAA) resulting in highly radiogenic εNd signatures, with the observation of the most radiogenic […]
Oct / 05 / 2017
Dissolved neodymium isotopes and Rare Earth Elements combined with oxygen isotopes trace water masses in the Fram Strait
Georgi Laukert and co-workers (2017, see reference below) provide new insights into the sources, distribution and mixing of water masses passing the Fram Strait, the gateway between the Arctic Ocean and the Nordic Seas, based on a detailed geochemical tracer inventory including dissolved neodymium isotope (εNd), rare earth element (REE) and stable oxygen isotope (δ18O) […]
Feb / 02 / 2017
When a multi-parameter end-member mixing model allows a quantitative deconvolution of the dissolved rare earth elements behaviour
The dissolved Rare Earth Elements (dREE) data discussed by Zheng and co-workers (2016, see reference below) have been collected along a full depth section at 12°S in the South Atlantic Ocean, using a new high-precision analytical protocol (Zheng et al., 2015). Results show that more than 75% of the dREE concentrations are preformed, explaining the […]
Mar / 18 / 2016
Coupling Rare Earth Elements concentrations, neodymium and radium isotopes: a powerful tool to decode environmental processes
For the first time, neodymium (Nd) isotopic compositions have been measured together with dissolved and colloidal Rare Earth Elements (REE) concentrations in the Amazon estuary salinity gradient, as part of the GEOTRACES process study AMANDES (Chief scientist: Catherine Jeandel). The sharp drop of REE concentrations in the low-salinity area (already observed in several estuaries) is […]
Jul / 06 / 2015
The sedimentary flux of dissolved rare earth elements to the ocean
This work highlights the importance of the sedimentary source of dissolved Rare Earth Elements (REE) to the oceanic waters. Indeed, strong subsurface REE concentration maxima are evidenced in pore fluids in core tops collected along the Californian and Oregon margins (above, within and below the oxygen minimum zone of the North-East Pacific). Diffusive flux of […]
Jun / 29 / 2015
New data on oceanic rare earth elements concentrations and neodymium isotopic compositions
Early 2014 was favourable to the publication of new data of rare earth elements (REE) concentrations and neodymium (Nd) isotopic compositions in extreme areas of the ocean: the southern Atlantic Ocean, the north east corner of the Pacific Ocean and the remote south Pacific Ocean. Three works of three different groups (Garcia-Solsona et al.; Haley […]
Feb / 11 / 2014