| Under stratified oligotrophic conditions (May November), the surface mixed layer of the Northwestern Mediterranean constitutes a homogeneous water volume of 10-30 m depth. In other respects, the mean residence time of Ligurian surface waters (0-200 m) is 102 days. It is therefore possible to quantify the extent to which atmospheric deposition of trace metals affects surface waters. On the basis of literature data on anthropogenic and natural trace metals, we demonstrate that the ratios between total seawater labile atmospheric deposition during 102 days (Delta c) and dissolved TM concentrations in Ligurian surface waters (c) illustrate the impact of atmospheric deposition on surface seawater (Delta c/c). High ratios indicate surface TM enrichments, while... |
