Gold, palladium and iridium in marine sediments

The paper presents a preliminary evaluation of some processes affecting the noble metal content of deep-sea sediments. Neutron activation data for Au, Pd and Ir in deep-sea sediments, nearshore Arctic sediments and soils and Tahitian basalts and weathered derivatives are presented. A suite of sediment samples across the East Pacific Rise provide strong evidence that submarine volcanic exhalation has contributed significantly to the Pd and Au contents of these sediments. Limited data on continental weathering indicate that detritus contributed to the marine environment will not differ greatly in Au, Pd or Ir content compared to its continental source rocks.