Particulate Trace Element Concentrations on the Southwest African Shelf and Slope

Eight underexplored particulate trace elements (Ga, Ge, Be, Te, Sn, Sb, Sr, Tl) were measured along the GEOTRACES GA08 transect. Concentrations ranged from 10⁻¹ to 10³ pmol L⁻¹, with distinct spatial patterns for labile and refractory fractions. The dataset was authored by Pengcheng Zhao and last updated on 2026-05-08.

Use Cases

• Modeling particulate trace element cycling based on labile and refractory fraction data.
• Analyzing the influence of the Congo River on trace element inputs to shelf waters.
• Investigating biological uptake and remineralization processes using correlations with particulate phosphorus.
• Comparing source contributions from riverine input, atmospheric deposition, and sediment resuspension.

Strengths

• Measures eight distinct particulate trace elements (Ga, Ge, Be, Te, Sn, Sb, Sr, Tl) with concentrations spanning four orders of magnitude.
• Distinguishes between labile and refractory particulate fractions, with average labile fractions provided for each element.
• Data is collected along a defined GEOTRACES transect (GA08) on the southwest African shelf and slope.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• The dataset is small (106.1 KB), indicating a limited scope of observations.

Provenance

Source

figshare, authored by Pengcheng Zhao.

Collection Method

Samples collected along the GEOTRACES GA08 transect; analysis methods for particulate trace elements are implied but not detailed.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-05-08 05:57:02; freshness should be verified.

Geography

Southwest African shelf and slope, extending into the South Atlantic Ocean along the GEOTRACES GA08 transect.