Molybdenum isotopes in two Indian estuaries: Mixing characteristics and input to oceans

The distribution of δ98Mo in the Narmada and the Tapi estuaries with salinity does not follow the theoretical mixing line between river and seawater endmembers suggesting its non-conservative behavior. Particulate Mo and δ98Mo show concomitant increase with salinity in the Narmada estuary indicating loss of dissolved Mo by adsorption onto Fe-Mn oxyhydroxide. Balancing the Mo budget along the course of these estuaries using inverse model suggests that in the Narmada estuary there could be loss up to 8% of the dissolved Mo and that in the Tapi supply from anthropogenic sources could be up to 27%. The results obtained in this study bring out the processes modifying riverine input of Mo and its δ98Mo in the estuaries, oxic sink in the Narmada and anthropogenic input in the Tapi. Repetitive adsorption and desorption of Mo in the Narmada estuary can modify the supply of dissolved Mo and its δ98Mo relative to riverine supply by up to 40%, this can significantly impact the Mo isotope budget of the oceans. In contrast, in the Tapi estuary there is enhancement in the dissolved supply of Mo relative to that from river due to anthropogenic input of Mo. The investigations in these two estuaries underscore the importance of solute particle interactions and anthropogenic input in determining the Mo flux and its δ98Mo to the open Arabian Sea.