ALBERT

Description: Here we show the use of the 210Pb-226Ra excess method to determine the growth rate of corals from one of the world's largest known cold-water coral reef, the Røst Reef off Norway. Two large branching framework-forming cold-water coral specimens, one Lophelia pertusa and one Madrepora oculata were collected alive at 350 m water depth from the Røst Reef at ~67° N and ~9° E. Pb and Ra isotopes were measured along the major growth axis of both specimens using low level alpha and gamma spectrometry and the corals trace element compositions were studied using ICP-QMS. Due to the different chemical behaviors of Pb and Ra in the marine environment, 210Pb and 226Ra were not incorporated the same way into the aragonite skeleton of those two cold-water corals. Thus to assess of the growth rates of both specimens we have here taken in consideration the exponential decrease of initially incorporated 210Pb as well as the ingrowth of 210Pb from the decay of 226Ra. Moreover a~post-depositional 210Pb incorporation is found in relation to the Mn-Fe coatings that could not be entirely removed from the oldest parts of the skeletons. The 226Ra activities in both corals were fairly constant, then assuming constant uptake of 210Pb through time the 210Pb-226Ra chronology can be applied to calculate linear growth rate. The 45.5 cm long branch of M. oculata reveals an age of 31 yr and a~linear growth rate of 14.4 ± 1.1 mm yr-1, i.e. 2.6 polyps per year. However, a correction regarding a remaining post-depositional Mn-Fe oxide coating is needed for the base of the specimen. The corrected age tend to confirm the radiocarbon derived basal age of 40 yr (using 14C bomb peak) with a mean growth rate of 2 polyps yr-1. This rate is similar to the one obtained in Aquaria experiments under optimal growth conditions. For the 80 cm-long specimen of L. pertusa a remaining contamination of metal-oxides is observed for the middle and basal part of the coral skeleton, inhibiting similar accurate age and growth rate estimates. However, the youngest branch was free of Mn enrichment and this 15 cm section reveals a growth rate of 8 mm yr-1 (~1 polyp every two to three years). However, the 210Pb growth rate estimate is within the lowermost ranges of previous growth rate estimates and may thus reflect that the coral was not developing at optimal growth conditions. Overall, 210Pb-226Ra dating can be successfully applied to determine the age and growth rate of framework-forming cold-water corals, however, removal of post-depositional Mn-Fe oxide deposits is a prerequisite. If successful, large branching M. oculata and L. pertusa coral skeletons provide unique oceanographic archive for studies of intermediate water environmentals with an up to annual time resolution and spanning over many decades.

Description: Excess 231 Pa and 230 Th ( 231 Pa xs and 230 Th xs ) can be used to reconstruct past oceanic sedimentation ( 230 Th-normalized flux) and circulation changes (( 231 Pa/ 230 Th) xs,0 , hereafter Pa/Th). These quantities are determined by computing the detrital and authigenic contributions from bulk sediment measurement. The method relies on the use of a chosen constant value of the detrital ( 238 U/ 232 Th) activity ratio (hereafter (U/Th) det ). In this study, we have extracted the detrital fraction of the sediments from North Atlantic deep-sea core SU90-08 (43°03'1N, 30°02'5W, 3080m) and determined its (U/Th) det value over the last 40 ky. We find that (U/Th) det varied significantly through time with a minimum value of 0.4 during the Holocene and a maximum value of 0.7 during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). The sensitivity of sedimentary 230 Th-normalized flux and Pa/Th is tested for our study site and for other North-Atlantic sites. We show that the sensitivity is highly dependent on the core location and its terrigenous material supply. The 230 Th-normalized flux and Pa/Th signals are very robust in cores with low detrital contributions, whereas they are very sensitive to (U/Th) det changes in cores with higher detrital contribution. In the latter case, changes in 230 Th-normalized flux and Pa/Th due to the choice of a constant (U/Th) det can largely exceed the uncertainty on the 230 Th-normalized flux and Pa/Th, inducing potential biases in the amplitude and temporal variability of reconstructed sedimentation and ocean circulation changes.

Description: Dissolved rare earth elements (REEs) distribution in marginal sea is of significant importance to understand geochemical cycling of REEs in the ocean. We determined REEs concentrations of four vertical profiles of seawater collected by KK1803 cruise (R/V Jiageng) from April to May 2018 in the northern South China Sea (SCS), the largest marginal sea of the western Pacific Ocean. These seawater stations are located from the northern to the central SCS that allow to evaluate the REEs sources of surrounding rivers and water masses from the western Pacific Ocean to the SCS. All seawater samples were filtered on board by using 0.45 mm membrane. (MilliPore Corp.). The results show that surface seawater REEs concentration are higher than the subsurface water indicating that surface seawater REEs distribution is likely impacted by terrigenous input through river discharges. Below the subsurface water, REEs concentrations generally increase with depths and are similar to what has been observed in open oceans.

Description: Increasing atmospheric CO2 from man-made climate change is reducing surface ocean pH. Due to limited instrumental measurements and historical pH records in the world's oceans, seawater pH variability at the decadal and centennial scale remains largely unknown and requires documentation. Here we present evidence of striking secular trends of decreasing pH since the late nineteenth century with pronounced interannual to decadal–interdecadal pH variability in the South Pacific Ocean from 1689 to 2011 CE. High-amplitude oceanic pH changes, likely related to atmospheric CO2 uptake and seawater dissolved inorganic carbon fluctuations, reveal a coupled relationship to sea surface temperature variations and highlight the marked influence of El Niño/Southern Oscillation and Interdecadal Pacific Oscillation. We suggest changing surface winds strength and zonal advection processes as the main drivers responsible for regional pH variability up to 1881 CE, followed by the prominent role of anthropogenic CO2 in accelerating the process of ocean acidification.