Direct comparison of 210Po, 234Th and POC particle-size distributions and export fluxes at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site

Abstract

Particle-reactive, naturally occurring radionuclides are useful tracers of the sinking flux of organic matter from the surface to the deep ocean. Since the Joint Global Ocean Flux Study (JGOFS) began in 1987, the disequilibrium between 234Th and its parent 238U has become widely used as a technique to measure particle export fluxes from surface ocean waters. Another radionuclide pair, 210Po and 210Pb, can be used for the same purpose but has not been as widely adopted due to difficulty with accurately constraining the 210Po/ 210Pb radiochemical balance in the ocean and because of the more time-consuming radiochemical procedures. Direct comparison of particle flux estimated in different ocean regions using these short-lived radionuclides is important in evaluating their utility and accuracy as tracers of particle flux. In this paper, we present paired 234Th/ 238U and 210Po/ 210Pb data from oligotrophic surface waters of the subtropical Northwest Atlantic and discuss their advantages and limitations. Vertical profiles of total and particle size-fractionated 210Po and 234Th activities, together with particulate organic carbon (POC) concentrations, were measured during three seasons at the Bermuda Atlantic Time-series Study (BATS) site. Both 210Po and 234Th reasonably predict sinking POC flux caught in sediment traps, and each tracer provides unique information about the magnitude and efficiency of the ocean's biological pump.