Role of Desorption Processes in Transformation of Dissolved Barium Runoff in the Mixing Zone of River Waters and Seawaters: Experimental Modeling Data

Abstract

The sorption–desorption barium balance during interaction between silt–sand terrigenous material and salty seawater is determined experimentally. The mean value of barium desorption in the mixing zone of river waters and seawaters is 13 μg/g, making up an additional supply of 80 000 tons of Ba per year, or 8.6% of its runoff to the ocean, without runoff transformation at the river–sea geochemical barrier being taking into account. The obtained estimate of the role played by desorption in transformation of dissolved barium runoff agrees, in terms of the order of value, with the data of real observations for the majority of mouth zones of the world rivers.