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    Original Research Papers

    Boron isotope variations in the atmosphere

    Authors:

    Yoshiki Miyata,

    Marine Inorganic Chemistry Division, The Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, JP
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    Takayuki Tokieda,

    Marine Inorganic Chemistry Division, The Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, JP
    About Takayuki
    Present affiliation: Geochemical Research Department, Meteorological Research Institute, 1-1 Nagamine, Tukuba 305-0052, Japan.
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    Hiroshi Amakawa,

    Marine Inorganic Chemistry Division, The Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, JP
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    Mitsuo Uematsu,

    Marine Inorganic Chemistry Division, The Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, JP
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    Yoshiyuki Nozaki

    Marine Inorganic Chemistry Division, The Ocean Research Institute, University of Tokyo, JP
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    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.

    How to Cite: Miyata, Y., Tokieda, T., Amakawa, H., Uematsu, M. and Nozaki, Y., 2000. Boron isotope variations in the atmosphere. Tellus B: Chemical and Physical Meteorology, 52(4), pp.1057–1065. DOI: http://doi.org/10.3402/tellusb.v52i4.17083
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      Published on 01 Jan 2000
    Peer Reviewed
     CC BY 4.0
     Accepted on 13 Dec 1999            Submitted on 29 Apr 1999

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