Boron-boric acid complexes in sea-water

Abstract

Boron in the Gulf of Mexico, in the forms of total, inorganic and organic complexes, was evaluated using a mannitol titrometric method. Definite correlation between inorganic boron and chlorinity was observed for sea water, both vertically and horizontally, except in the oxygen minimum region. Similar, but less-defined correlation, is found to exist between the organic boron complexes and oxygen distribution.

A preliminary investigation using boron-chlorinity ratios for identification of water masses and possible detection of circulatory patterns was made on the deep water of the Caribbean. Data from the Venezuela, Columbia, Cayman, and Gulf basins all showed conservative boron-chloride ratios. Analysis of the data indicates a uniformity of deep basin waters of the American Mediterranean Sea, which suggests the existence of a single source of deep water or uniform mixing between the basins.