Trace and minor element composition in coastal marine sediments collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB1731 in the northwestern margin of Cuba from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23

This dataset contains trace and minor element composition in coastal marine sediments collected aboard R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB1731 in the northwestern margin of Cuba from 2017-05-11 to 2017-05-23. Cores were carefully extruded using a calibrated threaded rod at 2 mm or 5 mm resolution. Subsamples (~0.2 g) were freeze-dried, weighed, then digested in a Milestone Ethos EZ microwave oven in closed digestion vessels with 10mL concentrated trace metal grade HNO3 at 175°C and high pressure (~25 bar) for 15 minutes according to standard methods (US EPA method 3051a). The digest was diluted 1:10 with MQ ultrapure H2O, and filtered with 0.45 µm PVDF syringe filters. The samples were analyzed using an Agilent 7500cx ICP-MS with an octopole reaction cell in helium mode for V, Cr, Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, Cu, Sr, Zn, and Cd to reduce isobaric interferences and in no-gas mode for Mo, Ba, Re, Hg, Pb and U. Prior to analysis, samples were spiked with an internal standard containing Ge, In, and Bi in order to correct for instrumental drift during analysis. Elemental concentrations were determined using a 6-point external calibration line. The dataset contains the location, date and trace metal concentrations. The cruise documentation was provided for the R/V Weatherbird II cruise WB1731 led by chief scientist Dr. Steven Muraski.