ALBERT

Description: Pelagic sediment recovered at DOMES Site A in the equatorial North Pacific (151°W, 9° 15'N) consists of a surface homogeneous layer, approximately 10 cm thick, overlying a strongly mottled layer that is lighter in color. The radiolarian composition of both units is Quaternary. In areas where this sediment was only a few centimeters thick, the underlying sediment was early Tertiary. Clay mineralogy and major oxide composition of the two Quaternary sediments are uniform. Their similarity to continental shale suggests that the sediment has a terrigenous source. Clay mineralogy and major oxide composition of the Tertiary sediment also are uniform, although they differ markedly from the Quarternary sediment. In contrast to the major oxides, concentrations of Mn, Co, Cu, and Ni soluble in hydroxylamine hydrochloride-acetic acid are strongly different in the surface and subsurface Quaternary sediment. Mn and Ni exhibit pronounced depletions in the subsurface sediment, Ni slightly more than Mn. Cu is also depleted in the subsurface sediment, but less than Mn. It is also depleted in the subsurface Tertiary sediment, whereas the Mn concentration remains high. Concentration of Co relative to Mn increases into the subsurface Quaternary sediment to a constant Co/Mn ratio of 300. The trivalent REE (the REE exclusive of Ce) and Fe exhibit little down-core variation. Distribution of elements in these sediments is closely related to their concentration in associated surface ferromanganese nodules. The nodules are of two distinct types: those from the area where the Quaternary sediment is relatively thick have Delta-MnO2 as the dominant manganese mineral. The ratios of Ni/Mn, Cu/Mn, and Fe/Mn in these nodules approximate the corresponding ratios of the soluble fraction of surface sediment. Todorokite is the dominant mineral of nodules recovered from areas where the Quaternary sediment is thin. Relatively high Cu/Mn, Ni/Mn, and low Fe/Mn ratios of these nodules mirror differences between the soluble fraction of surface and subsurface Quaternary sediment. These compositional trends of sediment and nodules at DOMES Site A reflect a diagenetic origin for the todorokite nodules and a predominantly hydrogenous origin for the Delta-MnO2 nodules.

Description: Pelagic clay and Mn nodules from DOMES sites in the North Pacific and a varved glacial lake deposit from Connecticut were analysed for Os concentration and isotopic composition by isotope-dilution secondary ion mass spectrometry after treatment by NiS fusion or oxalic acid leaching. Bulk pelagic clay from DOMES site C has 187Os/186Os = 6.5 and Os = 0.14 ng/g. Oxalic acid leaches of this same sediment and of Mn nodules from DOMES sites A and C have more radiogenic 187Os/186Os ratios which average 8.3. Bulk glacial Lake Hitchcock sediment has 187Os/186Os = 12.5 and Os = 0.06 ng/g. The total Os flux to North Pacific pelagic clay is 7 to 10 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y. Lake Hitchcock sediment provides an integrated value for the local crustal 187Os/186Os ratio. The oxalic acid leaches are assumed to attack hydrogenous phases selectively. A simple model in which the only sources of Os to the ocean are continental crust with the isotopic composition of Lake Hitchcock (187Os/186Os = 12.5) and extraterrestrial particles with 187Os/186Os = 1.1 results in a cosmic flux of osmium to the sediment of 4.9 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y of which 20% is hydrogenous. A model in which the sources of Os to the ocean are continental crust with an 187Os/186Os ratio of 30 (from the model of Palmer and Turekian, 1986), oceanic mantle or crust with 187Os/186Os = 1.04 and extraterrestrial particles with 187Os/186Os = 1.1 results in a cosmic flux of Os to the sediment of 5.7 ng Os/cm**2/10**6 y of which none is hydrogenous. These extraterrestrial Os fluxes correspond to maximum C-1 chondrite accretion rates of between 4.9 × 104 and 5.6 × 104 tonnes/y.