Scandium in the open ocean: A comparison with other group 3 trivalent metals

• Published in: Geophysical research letters Vol. 43; no. 6; pp. 2758 - 2764
• Main Authors: Parker, C. E., Brown, M. T., Bruland, K. W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Washington John Wiley & Sons, Inc 28.03.2016
• Subjects: Ageing; Aging; Aging (metallurgy); Aluminium; Aluminum; Cruises; Cycles; Deep water; Depth; Dissolution; Gallium; GEOTRACES; group 3 elements; Heavy metals; Iron; Lanthanum; Metal concentrations; Metals; Mineral nutrients; Nutrient concentrations; ocean biogeochemistry; Oceans; particle reactivity; Periodic table; Profiles; Residence time; Scandium; scavenging; Speciation; Yttrium; South Pacific; AN, North Atlantic; IS, South Pacific; IN, North Pacific
• ISSN: 0094-8276; 1944-8007
• DOI: 10.1002/2016GL067827

Little is known about the distribution of scandium (Sc) in the open ocean. Since the 1970s there has been only one published depth profile of dissolved Sc. The work presented here reports depth profiles of dissolved Sc from GEOTRACES cruises in the North Atlantic, North Pacific, and South Pacific. This work also compares the reactivity of Sc with its trivalent periodic table groupmates in Group IIIB, yttrium (Y) and lanthanum (La), and Group IIIA, aluminum (Al) and gallium (Ga). Yttrium and La are classic nutrient‐type metals that increase in concentration in aging deep water; Al and Ga are classic scavenged‐type metals that do the opposite. Results indicate that Sc is a hybrid‐type metal with an inferred residence time on the order of 1000 years, and that Sc's inorganic speciation and reactivity are similar to Fe's and have the potential to give insights into the nonnutrient side of oceanic Fe cycling. Key Points We present the first modern multibasin data set of open ocean dissolved scandium Scandium is a hybrid‐type metal with a residence time on the order of 1000 years Scandium's similar particle reactivity to iron could lead to insights on the nonnutrient side of iron cycling