Variability of carbonate diagenesis in equatorial Pacific sediments deduced from radiogenic and stable Sr isotopes

In this study we investigate stable Sr isotopes from carbonate-rich deep sea sediments for the first time. Pore water δ88/86Sr increases with depth (from 0.428‰ to values reaching up to 0.700‰) at Site U1336 documenting an isotope fractionation process during recrystallisation. Secondary calcite preferentially incorporates the lighter Sr isotope (86Sr) leaving pore waters isotopically heavy. The δ88/86Sr values of the carbonates themselves show more uniform values with no detectable change with depth. Carbonates have a much higher Sr content and total Sr inventory than the pore waters meaning pore waters are much more sensitive to fractionation processes than the carbonates. The δ88/86Sr results indicate that pore water stable Sr isotopes have the potential to indicate the recrystallisation of carbonate sediments.