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Distribution and Cycling of Nickel and Nickel Isotopes in the Pacific Ocean
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  • Xiaopeng Bian,
  • Shun-Chung Yang,
  • Robert J Raad,
  • Catherine E Odendahl,
  • Nathan T Lanning,
  • Matthias Sieber,
  • Kuo-Fang Huang,
  • Jessica N Fitzsimmons,
  • Tim M Conway,
  • Seth G John
Xiaopeng Bian
University of Southern California

Corresponding Author:xiaopenb@usc.edu

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Shun-Chung Yang
University of Southern California
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Robert J Raad
University of Southern California
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Catherine E Odendahl
University of Southern California
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Nathan T Lanning
Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University
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Matthias Sieber
University of South Florida
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Kuo-Fang Huang
Institute of Earth Sciences, Academia Sinica
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Jessica N Fitzsimmons
Department of Oceanography, Texas A&M University
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Tim M Conway
University of South Florida
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Seth G John
University of Southern California
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Abstract

Nickel stable isotopes (δ60Ni) provide insight to Ni biogeochemistry in the modern and past oceans. Here, we present the first Pacific Ocean high-resolution dissolved Ni concentration and δ60Ni data, from the US GEOTRACES GP15 cruise. As in other ocean basins, increases in δ60Ni towards the surface ocean are observed across the entire transect, reflecting preferential biological uptake of light Ni isotopes, however the observed magnitude of fractionation is larger in the tropical Pacific than the North Pacific Subtropical Gyre. Such surface ocean fractionation by phytoplankton should accumulate isotopically lighter Ni in the deep Pacific, yet we find that North Pacific deep ocean δ60Ni is similar to previously reported values from the deep Atlantic. Finally, we find that seawater dissolved δ60Ni in regions with hydrothermal input can be either higher or lower than background deep ocean δ60Ni, depending on vent geochemistry and proximity.