Abstract
A tentative mass balance of dissolved Li in the oceans suggests that basalt-seawater reactions play an important role in the Li cycle. However, removal of dissolved Li by basalt during reactions at low or moderate temperatures cannot compensate totally for inputs owing to basalt-seawater reactions at high temperatures and to continental run-off. We propose that the Li budget in the oceans is balanced by incorporation of Li into authigenic clay minerals. Li concentration profiles in the water column support this model. Basalt-seawater reactions at high temperatures seem to affect strongly the distribution of dissolved Li in interstitial waters of overlying sediments, suggesting that this element can be used as an indicator of hydrothermal reactions in the basaltic basement.
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