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Geology

Article: pp. 355–358 | Full Text | PDF (442K)

Single foraminiferal test chemistry records the marine environment

Gert-Jan Reichart1, , Frans Jorissen2, Pierre Anschutz3, Paul R.D. Mason4

1. Department of Geochemistry, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80021, 3508TA Utrecht, The Netherlands, 2. Laboratoire de Géologie, Faculté de Sciences, Université d'Angers, 2 Boulevard Lavoisier, 49045 Angers cedex, France, 3. Département de Géologie et d'Océanographie, UMR Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique 5805, Université Bordeaux-I, avenue des Facultés, 33405 Talence cedex, France, 4. Department of Petrology, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, P.O. Box 80021, 3508TA Utrecht, The Netherlands

We applied laser-ablation inductively coupled plasma–mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) as a new and precise technique for measuring trace elements in benthic foraminifera (Hoeglundina elegans). With this technique, trace element concentrations were accurately measured without the elaborate cleaning required in standard methods. Contaminated coatings are easily excluded during spatially resolved analysis. Application of this new technique allowed us to calibrate the trace elements incorporated in single tests of living (when sampled) benthic foraminifera to ambient seawater temperature (Mg and Sr) and redox conditions (Mn) for the first time. Incorporation of Ba showed a more complex pattern that cannot be explained by a direct correlation to water column concentration.

Keywords: benthic foraminifera, trace metals, marine geochemistry

Received: 19 August 2002; Revised: 18 November 2002; Accepted: 24 November 2002

DOI: 10.1130/0091-7613(2003)031<0355:SFTCRT>2.0.CO;2

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