Seasonal variability of vertical export flux of metals in the northern Ulleung basin of East/Japan Sea

Abstract

The Metal (Al, Cd, Co, Cr, Cu, Fe, Mn, Ni, Pb, Ti, V andZn) concentrations of the vertical export flux weredetermined at the northern Ulleung basin station in theEast/Japan Sea. Time-series sediment traps were deployed at1000 m-depth between 2010 and 2015 with 7 and 10 dayssampling periods.Total mass fluxes varied from 0.05 to 1.61 g/m2/day withthe average of 0.42 g/m2/day. A highly significant correlationwas observed between most metal fluxes (except Cd) and thevertical transport of aluminum. Elemental composition andfluxes in settling particles suggested that these elements wereremarkably supplied by atmospheric deposition from land.Crustal enrichment factors of metals showed that mostelements were originated from lithogenic materials. Thecrustal enrichment factors (EF) of Cd (297), Cu (8.4), Pb(10.7) and Zn (9.4) in settling particles were relatively highduring March 2011 and June 2013. This indicates that theseelements were scavenged well by biogenic materials eventhough the input of lithogenic Al was low in this period.h between 2010 and 2015 with 7 and 10 dayssampling periods.Total mass fluxes varied from 0.05 to 1.61 g/m2/day withthe average of 0.42 g/m2/day. A highly significant correlationwas observed between most metal fluxes (except Cd) and thevertical transport of aluminum. Elemental composition andfluxes in settling particles suggested that these elements wereremarkably supplied by atmospheric deposition from land.Crustal enrichment factors of metals showed that mostelements were originated from lithogenic materials. Thecrustal enrichment factors (EF) of Cd (297), Cu (8.4), Pb(10.7) and Zn (9.4) in settling particles were relatively highduring March 2011 and June 2013. This indicates that theseelements were scavenged well by biogenic materials eventhough the input of lithogenic Al was low in this period.