This project will analyze trace elements (Ba, Al, Ti, Fe and Mn) in particles that settle through waters of the Southern Ocean. These trace elements are hypothesized to be both tracers of ocean productivity and indicators of carbon transfer from the upper ocean to the deep ocean and the sediments. Some elements, particularly the ratio Al/Ti, may reflect productivity linked to siliceous plankton. Sequential leaching combined with statistical analyses will be used to identify the elements associated with different sediment components.
