Abstract: Eighteen ram samples from Israel have been analyzed for their chemical composmon and S7Sr/S6Sr ratios The Sr-Isotoplc rahos lie In the range 0 7078 and 0 7092, and the Sr concentrations vary from 1 × 10 -4 to 9 x 10 4 meq Sr/l.
Soluble salts in rainwater are inherited from three major natural sources, seaspray, Recent marine minerals and mineral dust eroded from rock outcrops and soft A mixing model is formulated to apply the chemical composmon of rain (CI and Sr 2+) and ~ts isotopic 87Sr/S6Sr ratio, for the identification and est~mahon of the Sr sources.
All the samples fall within the m~xing space predicted by the model for the three end members mentioned above The data indicate that the most important non-seaspray source contributing d~ssolved salts to the rams m Israel comprises a mixture of Senoman to Eocene chalk (and its weathering products) and Recent marine minerals, from local and imported sources.
Most of the samples (67%) contain 50% or more non-seaspray Sr 0 e, Sr dissolved from dust or Recent marine minerals), whereas 56% of the samples display 87Sr/86Sr ratios lower than 0 7090. The rest represent mixtures of seaspray and Recent marine minerals.