Scientists from Massachusetts Institute of Technology and the University of California, Santa Cruz, plan to measure lead (Pb) concentrations and Pb isotopes (204Pb, 206Pb, 207Pb and 208Pb) in seawater profiles, aerosols, and hydrothermal plume samples collected during the 2013 GEOTRACES cruise from Peru to Tahiti. Not only will the data significantly add to the limited data set existing for the South Pacific Ocean, results will be used to further our knowledge on the cycling of this element in the marine environment, as well as improve our understanding of anthropogenic inputs of Pb to the region of interest which is important given increases in lead emissions from mining, smelting, and fossil fuel combustion. In addition, data from the East Pacific Rise plume will document whether hydrothermal vent systems contribute to the oceanic Pb budget.
In terms of the broader impacts, for outreach activities, the proponents plan to expand the Chemical Oceanography educational unit at the Seymour Marine Discovery Center of the University of California, Santa Cruz. The project is a collaborative effort between scientists in the United States and Chile. One graduate student from Massachusetts Institute of Technology would be supported and trained as part of this project. Undergraduate students, especially under-represented Science, Technology Engineering, and Mathematics (STEM) students, would also have the opportunity to participate in this study as part of their thesis research.
