Copper and Mercury Distributions in the Iceland-Faroe Ridge Area, Fall 1980.

• Main Authors: Lorens,Robert B, Leone,Gerald M
• Other Authors: NAVAL OCEANOGRAPHIC OFFICE NSTL STATION MS
• Format: Text
• Language: English
• Published: 1982
• Subjects: Physical and Dynamic Oceanography; *COPPER; *MERCURY; *CONCENTRATION(CHEMISTRY); *OCEAN RIDGES; VARIATIONS; PROFILES; SAMPLING; DATA ACQUISITION; SEA WATER; NORWEGIAN SEA; CHEMICAL ANALYSIS; Arctic front; Arctic; Norwegian Sea; Iceland; North Atlantic
• Online Access: http://www.dtic.mil/docs/citations/ADA129739; http://oai.dtic.mil/oai/oai?&verb=getRecord&metadataPrefix=html&identifier=ADA129739

A suite of water samples was collected in the Iceland-Faroe ridge area and was analyzed for copper and, to a lesser extent, for mercury. Two samples sets (one for copper and the other for mercury) were collected at a depth of 50 m with a horizontal spacing of 15 m. Horizontal variations in copper concentration were negligible; the mean concentration was 77 + 9 ng Cu/kg. Patches of water with higher (102 +23 ng Hg/1) and low (9.4 +4 ng Hg/1) mercury concentrations were separated by horizontal distances of 15 to 50 m. These samples were collected at the base of the mixed layer, which may account for the sharp transition in mercury concentration. Four vertical profiles between 50 and 300m, all taken within 13 minutes, showed no significant changes in copper concentration. Nine other profiles were obtained in the region to define the distribution of copper. Water at the Arctic Front (112 + ng Cu/kg) was enriched in copper with respect to adjacent North Atlantic water (85 +11 ng Cu/kg). Lobes of water with high copper concentration (100 to 140 ng Cu/kg) protruded into Norwegian Sea water (80 to 90 ng Cu/kg). An eddy-like feature north of the Arctic Front was identified. The copper concentration of the core was similar to the concentration found at the front.