Trace-metal isotopes in Atlantic seawater and particles from Geotraces transects A03 and A10

痕量金属对海洋生物地球化学有重要影响，可以作为发现的重要工具，提供有关营养物质供应和脱矿、海洋环流和地球-S气候史的信息。由于它们的重要性，国际GeOTRACES努力旨在测量海洋中金属的分布情况。然而，金属浓度分布只是更大图景的一部分。为了提供更完整的数据集，南卡罗来纳大学的研究人员提议测量痕量金属同位素(铁、镉、铜和锌)，并计划应用这些数据来区分影响金属生物地球化学循环因素的最新相互竞争的假说。许多过程可以分馏元素的同位素，因此，同位素信号的差异可以指导这些元素的生物地球化学循环。该项目的目标是解决生物可利用铁的来源和数量、其在内部循环中的变化、其在池之间的转移以及影响其生物可利用性的因素。此外，锌和镉同位素分析将提供有关现代和古代海洋的信息，这可能有助于预测海洋在未来气候中的变化。还将检查铜的同位素。研究结果将向海洋科学界提供信息，并阐明痕量金属和其他营养物质如何影响产量，以及如何受到气候变化的影响。这项研究将支持一名年轻科学家和一名博士后，还将为本科生和研究生的教育和培训做出贡献。该奖项授予首次申请NSF的教师和新成员。

Trace metals significantly affect marine biogeochemistry and can be important tools of discovery, leading to information on nutrient supply and demineralization, ocean circulation, and earth?s climate history. Due to their importance, the international GEOTRACES effort was designed to measure the distribution of metals in the oceans. However, metal concentration distributions are only a part of the larger picture. To provide a more complete dataset, researchers from the University of South Carolina propose to measure trace metal isotopes (Fe, Cd, Cu, and Zn) and plan to apply these data to distinguish between the latest competing hypotheses of factors influencing metal biogeochemcial cycling. Many processes can fractionate the isotopes of elements and therefore differences in the isotope signal can be instructive of biogeochemical cycling of these elements. The goal of the project is to address the origin and amount of biologically available iron, its modification during internal cycling, its transfer between pools, and the factors that influence its bioavailability. In addition, Zn and Cd isotope analyses will yield information on modern and ancient oceans, which could help predict how oceans change in future climates. the isotopes of cu will also be examined. Results will inform the ocean science community, and elucidate how trace-metals and other nutrients affect production and are impacted by climate change. The research will support a young scientist and a post-doc and will also contribute to the education and training of undergraduate and graduate students as well. The award is to a first-time NSF applicant and new faculty member.