Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers
Compound-specific <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>14</sup>C compositions of diverse lipid biomarkers (fatty acids, alkenones, hydrocarbons, sterols and fatty alcohols) were measured in sinking particulate matter collected in sediment traps and from underlying surface sediments in the...
| Main Authors: | , |
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| Format: | Article |
| Language: | English |
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Copernicus Publications
2014-12-01
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| Series: | Biogeosciences |
| Online Access: | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6895/2014/bg-11-6895-2014.pdf |
| _version_ | 1819264880206675968 |
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| author | S. G. Wakeham A. P. McNichol |
| author_facet | S. G. Wakeham A. P. McNichol |
| author_sort | S. G. Wakeham |
| collection | DOAJ |
| description | Compound-specific <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>14</sup>C compositions of diverse lipid
biomarkers (fatty acids, alkenones, hydrocarbons, sterols and fatty
alcohols) were measured in sinking particulate matter collected in sediment
traps and from underlying surface sediments in the Black Sea, the Arabian Sea
and the Ross Sea. The goal was to develop a multiparameter approach to
constrain relative inputs of organic carbon (OC) from marine biomass,
terrigenous vascular-plant and relict-kerogen sources. Using an isotope mass
balance, we calculate that marine biomass in sediment trap material from the
Black Sea and Arabian Sea accounted for 66–100% of OC, with lower
terrigenous (3–8%) and relict (4–16%) contributions. Marine
biomass in sediments constituted lower proportions of OC (66–90%), with
consequentially higher proportions of terrigenous and relict carbon (3–17
and 7–13%, respectively). Ross Sea data were insufficient to allow
similar mass balance calculations. These results suggest that, whereas
particulate organic carbon is overwhelmingly marine in origin, pre-aged
allochthonous terrigenous and relict OC become proportionally more important
in sediments, consistent with pre-aged OC being better preserved during
vertical transport to and burial at the seafloor than the upper-ocean-derived
marine OC. |
| first_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:36:30Z |
| format | Article |
| id | doaj.art-c50df7922a384ecab6efe7f88cb3d100 |
| institution | Directory Open Access Journal |
| issn | 1726-4170 1726-4189 |
| language | English |
| last_indexed | 2024-12-23T20:36:30Z |
| publishDate | 2014-12-01 |
| publisher | Copernicus Publications |
| record_format | Article |
| series | Biogeosciences |
| spelling | doaj.art-c50df7922a384ecab6efe7f88cb3d1002022-12-21T17:32:03ZengCopernicus PublicationsBiogeosciences1726-41701726-41892014-12-0111236895691410.5194/bg-11-6895-2014Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkersS. G. Wakeham0A. P. McNichol1Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, 10 Ocean Science Circle, Savannah, GA 31411, USANational Ocean Sciences Accelerator Mass Spectrometer Facility (NOSAMS), Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, McLean Laboratory, Mail Stop #8, 266 Woods Hole Road,Woods Hole, MA 02543-1539, USACompound-specific <sup>13</sup>C and <sup>14</sup>C compositions of diverse lipid biomarkers (fatty acids, alkenones, hydrocarbons, sterols and fatty alcohols) were measured in sinking particulate matter collected in sediment traps and from underlying surface sediments in the Black Sea, the Arabian Sea and the Ross Sea. The goal was to develop a multiparameter approach to constrain relative inputs of organic carbon (OC) from marine biomass, terrigenous vascular-plant and relict-kerogen sources. Using an isotope mass balance, we calculate that marine biomass in sediment trap material from the Black Sea and Arabian Sea accounted for 66–100% of OC, with lower terrigenous (3–8%) and relict (4–16%) contributions. Marine biomass in sediments constituted lower proportions of OC (66–90%), with consequentially higher proportions of terrigenous and relict carbon (3–17 and 7–13%, respectively). Ross Sea data were insufficient to allow similar mass balance calculations. These results suggest that, whereas particulate organic carbon is overwhelmingly marine in origin, pre-aged allochthonous terrigenous and relict OC become proportionally more important in sediments, consistent with pre-aged OC being better preserved during vertical transport to and burial at the seafloor than the upper-ocean-derived marine OC.http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6895/2014/bg-11-6895-2014.pdf |
| spellingShingle | S. G. Wakeham A. P. McNichol Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers Biogeosciences |
| title | Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| title_full | Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| title_fullStr | Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| title_full_unstemmed | Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| title_short | Transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments – insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| title_sort | transfer of organic carbon through marine water columns to sediments ndash insights from stable and radiocarbon isotopes of lipid biomarkers |
| url | http://www.biogeosciences.net/11/6895/2014/bg-11-6895-2014.pdf |
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