Boron isotope variations in the atmosphere

Yoshiki Miyata; Takayuki Tokieda; Hiroshi Amakawa; Mitsuo Uematsu; Yoshiyuki Nozaki

doi:10.3402/tellusb.v52i4.17083

Boron isotope variations in the atmosphere

Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology

Volume 52 (2000): Issue 4

By: Yoshiki Miyata, Takayuki Tokieda, Hiroshi Amakawa, Mitsuo Uematsu and Yoshiyuki Nozaki

Open Access

|Jan 2000

Abstract

We report here the first measurements of boron isotope ratios in the maritime atmosphere together with those of precipitation. The δ11B values of atmospheric condensates in the western North Pacific and Japanese coast and snow in Tokyo range from -12.8 to +5.1‰ and from -0.4 to +0.4‰, respectively, which are significantly lower than those of rainwater (+18.9 to +34.7‰) collected mostly over the North Pacific. Since the ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios of the atmosphere are lower than those of volcanic emissions (δ¹¹B=+2.3 to +21.4‰), we must seek sources for atmospheric boron other than volcanism. We postulate that the sea may be an important supplier for atmospheric boron under some dynamic conditions and that boron isotope fractionation during evaporation from seawater and removal from the atmosphere may account for the large variations of ¹¹B/¹⁰B ratios observed in the atmosphere and precipitation.

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Articles in this issue

DOI: https://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v52i4.17083 | Journal eISSN: 1600-0889

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Language: English

Page range: 1057 - 1065

Submitted on: Apr 29, 1999

Accepted on: Dec 13, 1999

Published on: Jan 1, 2000

Published by: Stockholm University Press

In partnership with: Paradigm Publishing Services

© 2000 Yoshiki Miyata, Takayuki Tokieda, Hiroshi Amakawa, Mitsuo Uematsu, Yoshiyuki Nozaki, published by Stockholm University Press
This work is licensed under the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Volume 52 (2000): Issue 4