Acantharians and Marine Barite

Authors

Renate E. Bernstein, University of South Florida
Robert H. Byrne, University of South FloridaFollow

Document Type

Article

Publication Date

2004

Keywords

Acantharian, Celestite, Barite, Precipitation, Barium, Seawater

Digital Object Identifier (DOI)

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.marchem.2003.12.003

Abstract

Formation of marine barite (BaSO₄) concurrent with dissolution of acantharian celestite (Sr/Ba, SO4) was examined under laboratory conditions in this work. Acantharian cysts, composed of barium-enriched celestite (Ba/Sr mole fraction ∼0.003), were allowed to react for 21–158 days in small volumes of natural seawater (20 to 100 μl) sealed within Teflon tubes. In 17 trials, three experiments yielded single barite particles, and one experiment produced barite overgrowth on a siliceous particle. These observations are consistent with a barite formation pathway in which acantharian dissolution within microenvironments leads to BaSO₄ supersaturation and subsequent barite formation. This work supports the significance of Acantharia as one potential source of strontium-rich barite particles that are ubiquitous in the oceanic water column.

Was this content written or created while at USF?

Yes

Citation / Publisher Attribution

Marine Chemistry, v. 86, issue 1-2, p. 45-50

Scholar Commons Citation

Bernstein, Renate E. and Byrne, Robert H., "Acantharians and Marine Barite" (2004). Marine Science Faculty Publications. 1740.
https://digitalcommons.usf.edu/msc_facpub/1740