Insights into the REY inventory of seep carbonates from the Northern Norwegian margin using geochemical screening

Rare earth element and yttrium (REY) systematics of authigenic seep carbonates can provide insights into the physico-chemical characteristics systems allow discrimination carbonate precipitation under seawater- or porewater-dominated fluid regimes. However, care must be taken when interpreting their REY systematics, since comprise a mixture detrital silicates cement. Since concentrations trace elements, including Rb, Zr, Th REY, are considerably lower in fraction than silicate fraction, leaching these elements from components (particularly aluminosilicates) even during rather “mild” sample decomposition approach with, for example, nitric acid (HNO3) effectively mask signal. To assess this effect, were determined sediments two sites off Norwegian margin (Lofoten-Vesterålen Vestnesa Ridge). Seep samples included bulk crusts nodules, individual microfacies (microcrystalline aragonite and/or Mg-calcite cementing sediment void-filling fibrous cement) microdrilled crusts. A screening procedure based on reveals effective masking by minute amounts (0.1–1%) components. The latter cause elevated flat shale-normalized patterns. They prominent microcrystalline microfacies, which makes unsuitable as archives inventory carbonate-precipitating digested with HNO3. Some cements, however, contain little material show signatures characterized light REY-depletion (subscript SN) patterns small negative CeSN anomalies. Comparison REYSN seawater porewater REESN indicate that contribution masks putative pore water Seawater-like agree an open system dominated largely near sediment-water-interface.