The Remineralization of Sedimentary Organic Carbon in Different Sedimentary Regimes of the Yellow and East China Seas

Bin Zhao, Peng Yao, Thomas S. Bianchi, Ana Arellano, Xuchen Wang, Jianbin Yang, Rongguo Su, Jinpeng Wang, Yahong Xu, Xinying Huang, Lin Chen, Jun Ye, Zhigang Yu

Research output: Contribution to journalArticlepeer-review

Abstract

We investigated the remineralization of sedimentary organic carbon (SOC) at 12 sites in East China Sea mobile-muds (ECSMMs) and South Yellow Sea central mud deposits (SYSMDs) - using a time-sequence sediment incubation experiment. We examined pore-water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC), dissolved organic carbon (DOC), fluorescent dissolved organic matter (FDOM), dissolved inorganic nitrogen (DIN) nutrients (NH 4 + , NO 3 , and NO 2 ), redox sensitive elements (Fe 2+ and Mn 2+ ), and major anions (SO 4 2− and Cl ) in incubated sediments, to better constrain controlling mechanisms of SOC remineralization under different sedimentary regimes. Lower DIC production rates in SYSMDs (2.36–3.13 mmol m −2 d −1 ) than those in ECSMMs (2.94–13.5 mmol m −2 d −1 ), were mainly attributed to cold bottom water masses and a relatively stable sedimentary environment in SYS. Higher DIC production rates were observed mostly at offshore sites of ECSMMs that had relatively enriched 13 C of SOC - which indicated preferential degradation of labile SOC of marine origin. When compared with tropical mobile-muds, higher bottom-water temperatures, thicker mobile-muds, and large inputs of reactive terrestrial OC resulted in more intense remineralization of SOC in Amazon mobile-muds than in ECSMMs. Lower ratios of DOC/DIC production rates in ECSMMs (0.11–0.72) were likely indicative of efficient transformation of OC, and largely due to sulfate reduction. A rapid increase in marine protein-like FDOM components during the incubation indicated that less stable marine SOC was preferentially converted to DOC - and then to DIC. Our SOC budget indicates that 16.8% of SOC was decomposed in sediments of ECSMMs, but only about 5.4% of SOC was decomposed in SYSMDs, suggesting lower SOC preservation efficiency in mobile-muds than distal muds.

Original languageAmerican English
JournalChemical Geology
Volume495
DOIs
StatePublished - Jan 1 2018

Keywords

  • Marginal seas
  • Sedimentary regimes
  • Pore waters
  • Sedimentary organic carbon
  • Remineralization
  • Yellow and East China Seas

Disciplines

  • Life Sciences

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