A deep226Ra maximum in the Northeast Pacific

Seven vertical profiles of²²⁶Ra have been measured along an east-west traverse at about 30°N from San Diego to northwest of Hawaii. These profiles show that there is a distinct core of Ra maximum spreading westward as a tongue in the northeast Pacific deep water. This core starts in the east with 21.1 Ra units (1Ra unit= 10^?14g/kg) at 3.9 km depth at about 130°W, and deepens westward to 4.1 km with its Ra reduced to 18.3 units at 150°W. A similar core with some uncertainty due to possible sampling errors extends westward near the bottom at 5.2 km depth from 19.4 Ra units at 150°W to 15.9 units at about 180° longitude. In addition, these profiles appear to be correlated with each other in structure above the cores of Ra maximum. These cores indicate that the Ra input depends locally on the type and composition of sediments and so the flux varies over the ocean bottom. On the basis of a one-dimensional diffusion-decay model, a horizontal diffusion coefficient of 10⁶ cm²/sec has been computed along these cores. Although this value appears to be slightly lower, it is not inconsistent with those derived from other physical methods.