Seawater-crustal partition coefficient

Seawater-crustal partition coefficient (KV(sw)) versus mean oceanic residence time (ty). Note that this is a log-log plot. Source-. From Turner, D. R., et al. (1980). Marine Chemistry 9, 211-218. 

Residence time and reactivity are strongly correlated through equation (7.2.9). This is true for seawater composition since Whitfield and Turner (1979) showed a rather good correlation between oceanic residence times and seawater-crustal rock partition coefficients which are taken as a measure of element reactivity in the ocean. Actually, a better estimate of reactivity is given by oceanic suspensions, so Li (1982) suggested to use pelagic clay-seawater concentration ratios as a proxy to partition coefficients. 

Thus, for an element whose removal from seawater follows first-order reaction kinetics, its MORT is the inverse of its removal rate constant. This relationship predicts that reactive elements should have short residence times. As shown in Figure 21.3, the actual data do demonstrate a linear relationship (r = 0.79, p = 0.00), although a log-log plot is required to cover the several orders of magnitude diversity of MORT and concentrations exhibited by the solutes in seawater. A similar relationship exists between the MORT and the seawater-crustal rock partition coefficient (Ay). The latter is defined as the ratio of the mean seawater concentration of an element to its mean concentration in crustal rocks. Elements with high partitioning coefficients would be expected to have low seawater concentrations. As shown in Figure 21.4, this is seen in the data and... 

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See also in sourсe #XX -- [ ]

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