We present the first regional‐scale records of biogenic Barium (xsBa) fluxes in the Panama basin of the eastern‐equatorial margin of the Pacific Ocean in order to assess xsBa as a paleoproductivity proxy. Measurements of xsBa from 13 cores that range in water depths from about 700 to 3,000 m show an increase in ²³⁰Th‐normalized xsBa mass accumulation rates (MARs) with increasing water depth during both marine oxygen isotope stages (MIS) 1 and 2. The correlation of xsBa MARs with depth are strong despite differences in bulk sediment MARs and differing degrees of sediment redistribution. We interpret the increasing xsBa with water depth as likely due to the continued decomposition and remineralization of falling and/or resuspended biogenic particles. xsBa does not seem to be affected by diagenetic sulfate reduction in most of the cores. Calculated estimates of xsBa preservation in the sediment pile are high and fluctuate between 45% and 52% throughout the last 25 kyr. Although xsBa fluxes can be a robust indicator of paleoproductivity, caution is needed if (a) there is evidence of sulfate reduction in sediments being analyzed, and (b) one is trying to quantify differences in paleoproductivity among sites that are located at different depths in the water column.

中文翻译：

---

最东赤道太平洋xsBa通量作为古生产力指标的评估及其对水深的依赖性

为了评估xsBa作为古生产力的代表，我们提出了太平洋赤道东缘巴拿马盆地生物成因钡（xsBa）通量的第一个区域范围记录。在水深范围从700到3000 m的13个岩心中对xsBa的测量表明，增加了²³⁰在海洋氧同位素阶段（MIS）1和2中，随着水深的增加，标准化的xsBa质量累积率（MARs）随水深的增加而增加。尽管整体沉积物质量累积率和沉积物再分配程度不同，但xsBa MARs与深度的相关性很强。我们认为随着水深的增加xsBa可能是由于下落的和/或重悬的生物颗粒的持续分解和再矿化。在大多数核心中，xsBa似乎不受成岩硫酸盐还原的影响。计算得出的沉积物中xsBa保存量的估算值很高，并且在最后25年内波动范围在45％– 52％之间。尽管xsBa通量可以作为古生产力的可靠指标，但如果a）有证据表明正在分析的沉积物中硫酸盐减少，则需要谨慎，