Suspended basaltic glass–seawater interactions

The objective of this study was to quantify by experiments the initial seawater–suspended basaltic glass interactions following the 1996 outburst flood from the Vatnajökull glacier, Iceland. The altered basaltic glass dissolved in seawater as recorded by the Si release from the glass. The dissolved concentrations of Na, Ca, Si, Ba, Cd, Co, Cu, Hg, Mn, Ni and total dissolved inorganic N increased with time but the concentrations of Mg, K, S, Sr, Fe, Pb and Zn decreased. Calculated 1 to 10 day fluxes for Si range from 38,000 tons/day to 70,000 tons/10 days. The fluxes for other major elements are more uncertain, but the positive flux (release from suspended matter to seawater) of Ca and Na, and negative flux of Mg, K and S are greater than the Si flux.