The molybdenum isotopic composition of the modern ocean

Natural variations in the isotopic composition of molybdenum (Mo) are showing increasing potential as a tool in geochemistry. Although the ocean is an important reservoir of Mo, data on the isotopic composition of Mo in seawater are scarce. We have recently developed a new method for the precise determination of Mo isotope ratios on the basis of preconcentration using a chelating resin and measurement by multiple-collector inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (MC-ICP-MS), which allows us to measure every stable Mo isotope. In this study, 172 seawater samples obtained from 9 stations in the Pacific, Atlantic, and Southern Oceans were analyzed, giving global coverage and the first full depth-profiles. The average isotope composition in δA/95Mo (relative to a Johnson Matthey Mo standard solution) was as follows: δ92/95Mo = –2.54 ± 0.16‰ (2SD), δ94/95Mo = –0.73 ± 0.19‰, δ96/95Mo = 0.85 ± 0.07‰, δ97/95Mo = 1.68 ± 0.08‰, δ98/95Mo = 2.48 ± 0.10‰, and δ100/95Mo = 4.07 ± 0.18‰. The δ values showed an excellent linear correlation with atomic mass of AMo (R2 = 0.999). Three-isotope plots for the Mo isotopes were fitted with straight lines whose slopes agreed with theoretical values for mass-dependent isotope fractionation. These results demonstrate that Mo isotopes are both uniformly distributed and follow a mass-dependent fractionation law in the modern oxic ocean. A common Mo standard is urgently required for the precise comparison of Mo isotopic compositions measured in different laboratories. On the other hand, our results strongly support the possibility of seawater as an international reference material for Mo isotopic composition