Vertical distributions of 230Th in mid-latitude of the Pacific Ocean

Thorium is one of the least soluble elements in seawater: its dissolved species is considered as Th(OH)n(4-n)+ [Turner et al., 1981]. Th-232 (t1/2 = 1.4 × 10^10 years) in the oceans is almost entirely contributed by continental weathering, whereas 230Th (t1/2 = 75,200 years) is produced in situ within the water column through the decay of a parent nuclide 234U in the seawater. Vertical distributions of 230Th have been well described by reversible scavenging model in the Pacific Ocean [Nozaki et al., 1981; Bacon and Anderson, 1982; Nozaki, 1983; Nozaki and Nakanishi, 1985; Nozaki et al., 1987]. Scavenging-mixing models have been adopted in regions where horizontal advection is the dominant factor controlling 230Th distribution, such as in the Weddell Sea [Rutgers van der Loeff and Berger, 1993], the Atlantic Ocean [Vogler et al., 1998; Moran et al., 1997; 2001; 2002] and the Andaman Sea [Okubo et al., 2004]. Previous studies on thorium isotopes in seawater have elucidated scavenging processes in water columns in various oceans. Nevertheless, thorium isotope studies have not been performed sufficiently in mid-latitude of the Pacific Ocean. This study clarifies vertical distributions of thorium isotopes, especially 230Th, to study scavenging processes of thorium and trace metals in this region. We investigated the vertical distribution of thorium isotopes in mid-latitudes of the Pacific Ocean especially 230Th as a test case of scavenging of metals, and discuss the control factor of the distribution of 230Th. In comparison with previous studies in the Pacific Ocean [Nozaki et al., 1981; Nozaki and Nakanishi, 1985; Nozaki et al., 1987], the higher latitude stations show lower 230Th concentrations. This tendency corresponds to the primary productivity in surface oceans. The prominent feature is the depletion of 230Th concentrations compared with that estimated by reversible scavenging model calculations in deep water in BO-3 (30o 01'N, 160o 00'W, Depth: 5778 m) and BO-5 (19o 60'N, 175o 00' W, Depth: 5480 m). For these deficiencies, two possibilities were considered 1) lateral transport of re-suspended particles 2) enhanced scavenging effect in deep water.