Total particulate trace element concentrations from bulk aerosol samples collected during the US GEOTRACES EPZT section cruise (R/V Thomas G. Thompson TN303) in the Eastern Tropical Pacific from October to December 2013

Atmospheric input is important to the biogeochemical cycling of trace metals in the ocean. This dataset provides total particulate trace metal values from bulk aerosols over the Equatorial Pacific along the US GEOTRACES EPTZ transect (TN303) from Peru to Tahiti. This region is characterized as one of the lowest atmospheric deposition regimes in the ocean. Bulk aerosols were collected from the boundary layer (~15 m above sea level) using a high-volume aerosol sampler drawing approximately 1.2 cubic meters of air per minute over Whatman 41 ash-less filter discs. Despite low aerosol loadings, triplicate agreement for most samples was good for Al, Ti, V, Mn, Fe, and Cu. Away from the coast, Cd and Pb values in most samples were close to, or below detection limit. Total digestions were carried out with a combination of hydrochloric acid, nitric acid, hydrofluoric acid, heat, and pressure. Total particulate trace metal concentrations were determined at the University of Alaska Fairbanks by inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (Thermo Element-2) using external calibration curves.