Calcium (Ca)

Atomic number: 20

Atomic weight: 40.078

Average concentration in ocean: 10.27 mmol/kg

Residence time: 1,100,000 years

Distribution in ocean
Calcium is the fifth most abundant element in seawater with a nearly
conservative distribution.   High precision measurements made by Horibe et al. (1974)
demonstrated a slight surface depletion in the Pacific that is produced by uptake of calcium
and incorporation into CaCO3 shells that sink from the surface layer.  More recently, high
precision measurements of calcium by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (de Villiers, 1998)
have also suggested a maximum concentration near 2500 m depth, coincident with the
depth of the mid-ocean ridge crest .  These results suggest a calcium source from
low temperature hydrothermal sources.

Speciation
Calcium is present in seawater as the Ca2+ ion.

Residence time
The calcium residence time is from Tracers in the Sea (Broecker, W. S. and Peng,
T.-H., 1982.  Eldigo Press, Palisades, NY).  It was calculated from the global
average river input.

Analysis
Calcium can be determined by a titration with EDTA or by isotope dilution mass
spectrometry.

Scandium (Sc)
Atomic number: 21

Atomic weight: 44.9559

Average concentration in ocean: 16 pmol/kg

Residence time:  

Distribution in ocean
Scandium has a nutrient-type vertical profile with low concentrations at the
surface.  However, there does not appear to be any inter-ocean
fractionation .
Speciation
Scandium should exist as Sc(OH)30. 

Analysis
Scandium has been determined by neutron activation analysis.

Titanium (Ti)
Atomic number: 22

Atomic weight: 47.88

Average concentration in ocean: 140 pmol/kg

Residence time:  150 yr

Distribution in ocean
Dissolved titanium concentrations increase continuously with depth in the
Atlantic and Pacific Oceans.  The Pacific concentrations are slightly lower
that those in the Atlantic. It has been suggested that Ti is rapidly scavenged from
surface waters and there is a strong benthic source from sediments or sediment pore
waters.

Speciation
Titanium should be present as TiO(OH)20  in seawater. 

Residence time
Residence time is derived from an advection-diffusion-reaction model (Orians et al.,
1990).

Analysis
Titanium can be determined by isotope dilution mass spectrometry (Orians et al.,
1990) or by cathodic stripping voltammetry (van den Berg, 1994).

Vanadium (V)
Atomic number: 23

Atomic weight: 50.9415

Average concentration in ocean: 39 nmol/kg

Residence time: 50,000 years

Distribution in ocean
The vertical profile of dissolved vanadium shows a very slight depletion near
the surface .

Speciation
Vanadium is present in the +V oxidation state as HVO 42- and H2VO4-.

Residence time
The vanadium residence time was calculated from the global average river input
(Collier, 1984).

Analysis
Vandium is determined by graphite furnace, atomic absorption spectrometry after
preconcentration of vanadium with an organic ligand.

Chromium (Cr)
Atomic number: 24

Atomic weight: 51.996

Average concentration in ocean: 4.0 nmol/kg

Residence time: 8000 years

Distribution in ocean
Chromium is slightly depleted at the surface and the vertical concentration
profile increases with depth .

Speciation
Chromium exists in seawater primarily in the +VI oxidation state as the chromate,
CrO42-, ion.  Detectable amounts of chromium in the +III oxidation state are also
present as Cr(OH)2+ and Cr(OH)30.

Residence time
The chromium residence time is from Tracers in the Sea (Broecker, W. S. and Peng,
T.-H., 1982.  Eldigo Press, Palisades, NY).  It was calculated from the global
average river input.

Analysis
Chromium is concentrated by coprecipitation with iron hydroxide and then
determined by graphite furnace atomic absorption spectrophotometry or by isotope
dilution mass spectrometry.