Controls on the distribution of rare earth elements in deep-sea sediments in the North Atlantic Ocean

Deep-sea sediments can contain relatively high concentrations of rare earth elements and yttrium (REY), with a growing interest in their exploitation as an alternative to land-based REY resources. To understand the processes that lead to enrichment of the REY in deep-sea sediments, we have undertaken a detailed geochemical study of sediments recovered from the Atlantic Ocean, on a transect along ~24°N that includes the deep Nares Abyssal Plain and the Canary and North America Basins.