A geochemical cycle for tin through the marine system is proposed. The input fluxes from rivers and the atmosphere have been considered and the behavior of tin in the oceans has been investigated. / An analytical technique has been developed that is sensitive enough to directly measure tin at the concentrations found in most areas of the environment without contamination or preconcentration. Detection limits are 50, 50 and 20 picograms tin, with detection by graphite-furnace atomic absorption, quartz-cuvette atomic absorption and flame emission spectrometry, respectively. / On the basis of measurements from a large number of rivers from pristine and polluted regions, we estimate the riverine fluxes of tin to the oceans to be 0.42 x 10('6) moles/year for the dissolved fraction and 320-960 x 10('6) moles/year for the particulate fraction. The particulate flux agrees with the flux calculated from denudation rates. Estuaries were found not to have a large effect upon the transport of tin to the oceans. / Atmospheric tin concentrations in the northern hemisphere are up to three orders of magnitude greater than those in the southern hemisphere, indicating the importance of anthropogenic inputs to the atmospheric tin cycle. Most of the atmospheric burden of tin is removed either by dry deposition or without dissolution in wet deposition. The dissolved fraction of tin in rain represents only a minor component of the deposition flux of tin. Rates of deposition of atmospheric tin are consistent with estimated fluxes of tin to the atmosphere. / A large scale study of tin concentrations in seawater has revealed concentrations much lower than previously reported. Surface water concentrations are in the range of non-detectable (< 1.5 picomolar) to 16 picomolar. Almost all depth profiles have maxima in tin concentrations from 50 to 200 meters depth. / Source: Dissertation Abstracts International, Volume: 46-01, Section: B, page: 0089. / Thesis (Ph.D.)--The Florida State University, 1984.
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:fsu.edu/oai:fsu.digital.flvc.org:fsu_75499 |
| Contributors | BYRD, JAMES TILLMAN., Florida State University |
| Source Sets | Florida State University |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Text |
| Format | 219 p. |
| Rights | On campus use only. |
| Relation | Dissertation Abstracts International |
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