1
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Chu M, Bao R, Strasser M, Ikehara K, Everest J, Maeda L, Hochmuth K, Xu L, McNichol A, Bellanova P, Rasbury T, Kölling M, Riedinger N, Johnson J, Luo M, März C, Straub S, Jitsuno K, Brunet M, Cai Z, Cattaneo A, Hsiung K, Ishizawa T, Itaki T, Kanamatsu T, Keep M, Kioka A, McHugh C, Micallef A, Pandey D, Proust JN, Satoguchi Y, Sawyer D, Seibert C, Silver M, Virtasalo J, Wang Y, Wu TW, Zellers S. Earthquake-enhanced dissolved carbon cycles in ultra-deep ocean sediments. Nat Commun 2023; 14:5427. [PMID: 37696798 PMCID: PMC10495447 DOI: 10.1038/s41467-023-41116-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/08/2023] [Accepted: 08/23/2023] [Indexed: 09/13/2023] Open
Abstract
Hadal trenches are unique geological and ecological systems located along subduction zones. Earthquake-triggered turbidites act as efficient transport pathways of organic carbon (OC), yet remineralization and transformation of OC in these systems are not comprehensively understood. Here we measure concentrations and stable- and radiocarbon isotope signatures of dissolved organic and inorganic carbon (DOC, DIC) in the subsurface sediment interstitial water along the Japan Trench axis collected during the IODP Expedition 386. We find accumulation and aging of DOC and DIC in the subsurface sediments, which we interpret as enhanced production of labile dissolved carbon owing to earthquake-triggered turbidites, which supports intensive microbial methanogenesis in the trench sediments. The residual dissolved carbon accumulates in deep subsurface sediments and may continue to fuel the deep biosphere. Tectonic events can therefore enhance carbon accumulation and stimulate carbon transformation in plate convergent trench systems, which may accelerate carbon export into the subduction zones.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mengfan Chu
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Rui Bao
- Frontiers Science Center for Deep Ocean Multispheres and Earth System, and Key Laboratory of Marine Chemistry Theory and Technology, Ministry of Education, Ocean University of China, Qingdao, 266100, China.
| | - Michael Strasser
- University of Innsbruck, Institute of Geology, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Ken Ikehara
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Geological Survey of Japan, Institute of Geology and Geoinformation, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Jez Everest
- British Geological Survey, Lyell Centre, Edinburgh, EH14 4AP, UK
| | - Lena Maeda
- Center for Deep Earth Exploration, Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology, Kanagawa, 236-0001, Japan
| | - Katharina Hochmuth
- School of Geography, Geology and the Environment, University of Leicester, Leicester, UK
- Australian Centre for Excellence in Antarctic Sciences, Institute for Marine and Antarctic Studies, University of Tasmania, 20 Castray Esplanade, Battery Point TAS, Churchill Ave, 7004, Australia
| | - Li Xu
- NOSAMS Laboratory, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Ann McNichol
- Department of Geology and Geophysics, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Piero Bellanova
- RWTH Aachen University, Institute of Neotectonics and Natural Hazards & Institute of Geology and Geochemistry of Petroleum and Coal, 52056, Aachen, Germany
| | - Troy Rasbury
- Stony Brook University, Department of Geosciences, New York, 11794, USA
| | - Martin Kölling
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Science, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
| | - Natascha Riedinger
- Boone Pickens School of Geology, Oklahoma State University, Oklahoma, 74078, USA
| | - Joel Johnson
- University of New Hampshire, Department of Earth Sciences, New Hampshire, 03824, USA
| | - Min Luo
- Shanghai Engineering Research Center of Hadal Science and Technology, College of Marine Sciences, Shanghai Ocean University, Shanghai, China
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT, UK
- Institute for Geosciences, University of Bonn, Nussallee 8, 53115, Bonn, Germany
| | - Susanne Straub
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Geochemistry Division, New York, 10964, USA
| | - Kana Jitsuno
- Department of Life Science and Medical Bioscience, Waseda University, Tokyo, 162-0041, Japan
| | - Morgane Brunet
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
| | - Zhirong Cai
- Kyoto University, Department of Geology and Mineralogy, Division of Earth and Planetary Sciences, Graduate School of Science, Kyoto, 606-8502, Japan
| | - Antonio Cattaneo
- Geo-Ocean, UMR 6538, Univ Brest, CNRS, Ifremer, Plouzané, F-29280, France
| | - Kanhsi Hsiung
- Research Institute for Marine Geodynamics, JAMSTEC, Marine Geology and Geophysics Research Group, Subduction Dynamics Research Center, Kanagawa, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Takashi Ishizawa
- International Research Institute of Disaster Science, Tohoku University, Sendai, 980-0845, Japan
| | - Takuya Itaki
- National Institute of Advanced Industrial Science and Technology (AIST), Geological Survey of Japan, Institute of Geology and Geoinformation, Ibaraki, 305-8567, Japan
| | - Toshiya Kanamatsu
- Japan Agency for Marine-Earth Science and Technology (JAMSTEC), Research Institute of Marine Geodynamics (IMG), Yokosuka, 237-0061, Japan
| | - Myra Keep
- The University of Western Australia, Department School of Earth Sciences, Perth, Australia
| | - Arata Kioka
- Kyushu University, Department of Earth Resources Engineering, Fukuoka, 819-0395, Japan
| | - Cecilia McHugh
- Queens College, City University of New York, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, New York, 11367, USA
| | - Aaron Micallef
- GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Kiel, D-24148, Germany
| | - Dhananjai Pandey
- National Centre for Polar and Ocean Research, Ministry of Earth Sciences, Government of India, Goa, 403 804, India
| | - Jean Noël Proust
- Univ Rennes, CNRS, Géosciences Rennes, UMR 6118, 35000, Rennes, France
| | | | - Derek Sawyer
- The Ohio State University, School of Earth Sciences, Ohio, 43210, USA
| | - Chloé Seibert
- Lamont Doherty Earth Observatory, Marine geology and geophysics division, New York, 10964, USA
| | - Maxwell Silver
- Colorado School of Mines, Hydrologic Science and Engineering, Colorado, 80227, USA
| | | | - Yonghong Wang
- Ocean University of China, Department of Marine Geosciences, Qingdao, 266100, China
| | - Ting-Wei Wu
- MARUM - Center for Marine Environmental Science, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
- Norwegian Geotechnical Institute, Oslo, Norway
| | - Sarah Zellers
- University of Central Missouri, Department of Physical Sciences, Missouri, 64093, USA
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2
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Tuerena RE, Mahaffey C, Henley SF, de la Vega C, Norman L, Brand T, Sanders T, Debyser M, Dähnke K, Braun J, März C. Nutrient pathways and their susceptibility to past and future change in the Eurasian Arctic Ocean. Ambio 2022; 51:355-369. [PMID: 34914030 PMCID: PMC8692559 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01673-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2021] [Revised: 09/20/2021] [Accepted: 11/12/2021] [Indexed: 05/25/2023]
Abstract
Climate change is altering nutrient cycling within the Arctic Ocean, having knock-on effects to Arctic ecosystems. Primary production in the Arctic is principally nitrogen-limited, particularly in the western Pacific-dominated regions where denitrification exacerbates nitrogen loss. The nutrient status of the eastern Eurasian Arctic remains under debate. In the Barents Sea, primary production has increased by 88% since 1998. To support this rapid increase in productivity, either the standing stock of nutrients has been depleted, or the external nutrient supply has increased. Atlantic water inflow, enhanced mixing, benthic nitrogen cycling, and land-ocean interaction have the potential to alter the nutrient supply through addition, dilution or removal. Here we use new datasets from the Changing Arctic Ocean program alongside historical datasets to assess how nitrate and phosphate concentrations may be changing in response to these processes. We highlight how nutrient dynamics may continue to change, why this is important for regional and international policy-making and suggest relevant research priorities for the future.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - Claire Mahaffey
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GP Merseyside UK
| | - Sian F. Henley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE UK
| | - Camille de la Vega
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GP Merseyside UK
| | - Louisa Norman
- Department of Earth, Ocean and Ecological Sciences, School of Environmental Sciences, University of Liverpool, 4 Brownlow Street, Liverpool, L69 3GP Merseyside UK
| | - Tim Brand
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, PA37 1QA UK
| | - Tina Sanders
- Institute for Carbon Cycles, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Margot Debyser
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE UK
| | - Kirstin Dähnke
- Institute for Carbon Cycles, Helmholtz-Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Str. 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Judith Braun
- Scottish Association for Marine Science, Oban, PA37 1QA UK
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth & Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
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3
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März C, Freitas FS, Faust JC, Godbold JA, Henley SF, Tessin AC, Abbott GD, Airs R, Arndt S, Barnes DKA, Grange LJ, Gray ND, Head IM, Hendry KR, Hilton RG, Reed AJ, Rühl S, Solan M, Souster TA, Stevenson MA, Tait K, Ward J, Widdicombe S. Biogeochemical consequences of a changing Arctic shelf seafloor ecosystem. Ambio 2022; 51:370-382. [PMID: 34628602 PMCID: PMC8692578 DOI: 10.1007/s13280-021-01638-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/03/2021] [Revised: 09/02/2021] [Accepted: 09/22/2021] [Indexed: 05/05/2023]
Abstract
Unprecedented and dramatic transformations are occurring in the Arctic in response to climate change, but academic, public, and political discourse has disproportionately focussed on the most visible and direct aspects of change, including sea ice melt, permafrost thaw, the fate of charismatic megafauna, and the expansion of fisheries. Such narratives disregard the importance of less visible and indirect processes and, in particular, miss the substantive contribution of the shelf seafloor in regulating nutrients and sequestering carbon. Here, we summarise the biogeochemical functioning of the Arctic shelf seafloor before considering how climate change and regional adjustments to human activities may alter its biogeochemical and ecological dynamics, including ecosystem function, carbon burial, or nutrient recycling. We highlight the importance of the Arctic benthic system in mitigating climatic and anthropogenic change and, with a focus on the Barents Sea, offer some observations and our perspectives on future management and policy.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
| | - Felipe S. Freitas
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1QE UK
| | - Johan C. Faust
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, LS2 9JT UK
- MARUM—Center for Marine Environmental Sciences, University of Bremen, Leobener Strasse 8, 28359 Bremen, Germany
| | - Jasmin A. Godbold
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Sian F. Henley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh, EH9 3FE UK
| | - Allyson C. Tessin
- Department of Geology, Kent State University, 221 McGilvrey Hall, 325 S. Lincoln St., Kent, OH 44242 USA
| | - Geoffrey D. Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Ruth Airs
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH UK
| | - Sandra Arndt
- Department of Geosciences, Environment and Society, Université libre de Bruxelles, Brussels, Av. F.
Roosevelt 50, CP160/02, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
| | - David K. A. Barnes
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI, High Cross, Maddingley Rd, Cambridge, CB3 0ET UK
| | - Laura J. Grange
- School of Ocean Sciences, Bangor University, Bangor, Gwynedd, LL57 2DG North Wales UK
| | - Neil D. Gray
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Ian M. Head
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
| | - Katharine R. Hendry
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1QE UK
| | - Robert G. Hilton
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, South Rd, Durham, DH1 3LE USA
| | - Adam J. Reed
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Saskia Rühl
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH UK
- Helmholtz Zentrum Hereon, Max-Planck-Straße 1, 21502 Geesthacht, Germany
| | - Martin Solan
- Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton, SO14 3ZH UK
| | - Terri A. Souster
- British Antarctic Survey, UKRI, High Cross, Maddingley Rd, Cambridge, CB3 0ET UK
- Department of Biosciences, Fisheries and Economics, UIT, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Mark A. Stevenson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU UK
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Lower Mountjoy, South Rd, Durham, DH1 3LE USA
| | - Karen Tait
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth, PL1 3DH UK
| | - James Ward
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queens Road, Bristol, BS8 1QE UK
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4
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Faust JC, Stevenson MA, Abbott GD, Knies J, Tessin A, Mannion I, Ford A, Hilton R, Peakall J, März C. Does Arctic warming reduce preservation of organic matter in Barents Sea sediments? Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190364. [PMID: 32862811 PMCID: PMC7481662 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0364] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
Over the last few decades, the Barents Sea experienced substantial warming, an expansion of relatively warm Atlantic water and a reduction in sea ice cover. This environmental change forces the entire Barents Sea ecosystem to adapt and restructure and therefore changes in pelagic-benthic coupling, organic matter sedimentation and long-term carbon sequestration are expected. Here we combine new and existing organic and inorganic geochemical surface sediment data from the western Barents Sea and show a clear link between the modern ecosystem structure, sea ice cover and the organic carbon and CaCO3 contents in Barents Sea surface sediments. Furthermore, we discuss the sources of total and reactive iron phases and evaluate the spatial distribution of organic carbon bound to reactive iron. Consistent with a recent global estimate we find that on average 21.0 ± 8.3 per cent of the total organic carbon is associated to reactive iron (fOC-FeR) in Barents Sea surface sediments. The spatial distribution of fOC-FeR, however, seems to be unrelated to sea ice cover, Atlantic water inflow or proximity to land. Future Arctic warming might, therefore, neither increase nor decrease the burial rates of iron-associated organic carbon. However, our results also imply that ongoing sea ice reduction and the associated alteration of vertical carbon fluxes might cause accompanied shifts in the Barents Sea surface sedimentary organic carbon content, which might result in overall reduced carbon sequestration in the future. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Johan C. Faust
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
- e-mail:
| | - Mark A. Stevenson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Geoffrey D. Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Jochen Knies
- Geological Survey of Norway, Trondheim, Norway
- CAGE – Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate, Environment and Climate, Department of Geology, UiT the Arctic University of Norway, Tromsø, Norway
| | - Allyson Tessin
- Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
| | - Isobel Mannion
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Ailbe Ford
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Robert Hilton
- Department of Geography, Durham University, Durham, UK
| | - Jeffrey Peakall
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, The University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
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5
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Solan M, Archambault P, Renaud PE, März C. The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20200266. [PMID: 32862816 PMCID: PMC7481657 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0266] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/08/2023]
Affiliation(s)
- Martin Solan
- School of Ocean and Earth Science, National Oceanography Centre Southampton, University of Southampton, Waterfront Campus, European Way, Southampton SO14 3ZH, UK
- e-mail:
| | - Philippe Archambault
- ArcticNet, Québec Océan, Takuvik, Département de biologie, Université Laval, Québec, Canada
| | - Paul E. Renaud
- Akvaplan-niva, Fram Center for Climate and the Environment, 9296 Tromsø, Norway
- University Centre in Svalbard, Arctic Biology, 9171 Longyearbyen, Norway
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
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6
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Freitas FS, Hendry KR, Henley SF, Faust JC, Tessin AC, Stevenson MA, Abbott GD, März C, Arndt S. Benthic-pelagic coupling in the Barents Sea: an integrated data-model framework. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190359. [PMID: 32862804 PMCID: PMC7481668 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0359] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/06/2023]
Abstract
The Barents Sea is experiencing long-term climate-driven changes, e.g. modification in oceanographic conditions and extensive sea ice loss, which can lead to large, yet unquantified disruptions to ecosystem functioning. This key region hosts a large fraction of Arctic primary productivity. However, processes governing benthic and pelagic coupling are not mechanistically understood, limiting our ability to predict the impacts of future perturbations. We combine field observations with a reaction-transport model approach to quantify organic matter (OM) processing and disentangle its drivers. Sedimentary OM reactivity patterns show no gradients relative to sea ice extent, being mostly driven by seafloor spatial heterogeneity. Burial of high reactivity, marine-derived OM is evident at sites influenced by Atlantic Water (AW), whereas low reactivity material is linked to terrestrial inputs on the central shelf. Degradation rates are mainly driven by aerobic respiration (40-75%), being greater at sites where highly reactive material is buried. Similarly, ammonium and phosphate fluxes are greater at those sites. The present-day AW-dominated shelf might represent the future scenario for the entire Barents Sea. Our results represent a baseline systematic understanding of seafloor geochemistry, allowing us to anticipate changes that could be imposed on the pan-Arctic in the future if climate-driven perturbations persist. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Felipe S. Freitas
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
- BGeosys, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CP 160/02, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
- e-mail:
| | - Katharine R. Hendry
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Wills Memorial Building, Queen's Road, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Sian F. Henley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
| | - Johan C. Faust
- Schoof of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9TJ Leeds, UK
| | - Allyson C. Tessin
- Schoof of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9TJ Leeds, UK
- Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, 4424, USA
| | - Mark A. Stevenson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Drummond Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Geoffrey D. Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Drummond Building, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Christian März
- Schoof of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, LS2 9TJ Leeds, UK
| | - Sandra Arndt
- BGeosys, Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, CP 160/02, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1050 Brussels, Belgium
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7
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Tessin A, März C, Kędra M, Matthiessen J, Morata N, Nairn M, O'Regan M, Peeken I. Benthic phosphorus cycling within the Eurasian marginal sea ice zone. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20190358. [PMID: 32862806 PMCID: PMC7481675 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2019.0358] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 06/29/2020] [Indexed: 05/12/2023]
Abstract
The Arctic Ocean region is currently undergoing dramatic changes, which will likely alter the nutrient cycles that underpin Arctic marine ecosystems. Phosphate is a key limiting nutrient for marine life but gaps in our understanding of the Arctic phosphorus (P) cycle persist. In this study, we investigate the benthic burial and recycling of phosphorus using sediments and pore waters from the Eurasian Arctic margin, including the Barents Sea slope and the Yermak Plateau. Our results highlight that P is generally lost from sediments with depth during organic matter respiration. On the Yermak Plateau, remobilization of P results in a diffusive flux of P to the seafloor of between 96 and 261 µmol m-2 yr-1. On the Barents Sea slope, diffusive fluxes of P are much larger (1736-2449 µmol m-2 yr-1), but these fluxes are into near-surface sediments rather than to the bottom waters. The difference in cycling on the Barents Sea slope is controlled by higher fluxes of fresh organic matter and active iron cycling. As changes in primary productivity, ocean circulation and glacial melt continue, benthic P cycling is likely to be altered with implications for P imported into the Arctic Ocean Basin. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Allyson Tessin
- Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH, USA
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Monika Kędra
- Institute of Oceanology Polish Academy of Sciences, Sopot, Poland
| | - Jens Matthiessen
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
| | | | - Michael Nairn
- School of Earth and Ocean Sciences, Cardiff University, Cardiff, UK
| | - Matt O'Regan
- Department of Geological Sciences, Stockholm University, Stockholm, Sweden
| | - Ilka Peeken
- Alfred-Wegener-Institut Helmholtz-Zentrum für Polar- und Meeresforschung, Bremerhaven, Germany
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8
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Stevenson MA, Faust JC, Andrade LL, Freitas FS, Gray ND, Tait K, Hendry KR, Hilton RG, Henley SF, Tessin A, Leary P, Papadaki S, Ford A, März C, Abbott GD. Transformation of organic matter in a Barents Sea sediment profile: coupled geochemical and microbiological processes. Philos Trans A Math Phys Eng Sci 2020; 378:20200223. [PMID: 32862813 PMCID: PMC7481670 DOI: 10.1098/rsta.2020.0223] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 05/11/2023]
Abstract
Process-based, mechanistic investigations of organic matter transformation and diagenesis directly beneath the sediment-water interface (SWI) in Arctic continental shelves are vital as these regions are at greatest risk of future change. This is in part due to disruptions in benthic-pelagic coupling associated with ocean current change and sea ice retreat. Here, we focus on a high-resolution, multi-disciplinary set of measurements that illustrate how microbial processes involved in the degradation of organic matter are directly coupled with inorganic and organic geochemical sediment properties (measured and modelled) as well as the extent/depth of bioturbation. We find direct links between aerobic processes, reactive organic carbon and highest abundances of bacteria and archaea in the uppermost layer (0-4.5 cm depth) followed by dominance of microbes involved in nitrate/nitrite and iron/manganese reduction across the oxic-anoxic redox boundary (approx. 4.5-10.5 cm depth). Sulfate reducers dominate in the deeper (approx. 10.5-33 cm) anoxic sediments which is consistent with the modelled reactive transport framework. Importantly, organic matter reactivity as tracked by organic geochemical parameters (n-alkanes, n-alkanoic acids, n-alkanols and sterols) changes most dramatically at and directly below the SWI together with sedimentology and biological activity but remained relatively unchanged across deeper changes in sedimentology. This article is part of the theme issue 'The changing Arctic Ocean: consequences for biological communities, biogeochemical processes and ecosystem functioning'.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mark A. Stevenson
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
- e-mail:
| | - Johan C. Faust
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Luiza L. Andrade
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Felipe S. Freitas
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Neil D. Gray
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Karen Tait
- Plymouth Marine Laboratory, Prospect Place, Plymouth PL1 3DH, UK
| | | | - Robert G. Hilton
- Department of Geography, Science Laboratories, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Sian F. Henley
- School of GeoSciences, University of Edinburgh, James Hutton Road, Edinburgh EH9 3FE, UK
| | - Allyson Tessin
- Department of Geology, Kent State University, Kent, OH 44240, USA
| | - Peter Leary
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Sonia Papadaki
- School of Earth Sciences, University of Bristol, Bristol BS8 1RJ, UK
| | - Ailbe Ford
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Geoffrey D. Abbott
- School of Natural and Environmental Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, NE1 7RU, UK
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Wittke A, Gussone N, März C, Teichert BMA. The effect of extraction techniques on calcium concentrations and isotope ratios of marine pore water. Isotopes Environ Health Stud 2020; 56:51-68. [PMID: 31865768 DOI: 10.1080/10256016.2019.1702038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2019] [Accepted: 11/06/2019] [Indexed: 06/10/2023]
Abstract
Comparing two different techniques applied for the extraction of marine pore water samples from sediments, the well-established whole round (WR) method and the more recent Rhizon method, in terms of their effects on stable calcium isotope ratios in extracted pore waters, we recognize a systematic offset between the two sampling methods. Higher δ44/40Ca values are associated with lower Ca concentrations for the Rhizon sampling technique and lower δ44/40Ca values are associated with higher Ca concentrations for the corresponding WR-derived pore water samples. Models involving Rayleigh fractionation and mixing calculation suggest that the observed offset is most likely caused by a combined process of CaCO3 precipitation and ion exchange taking place during Rhizon sampling-induced CO2 degassing. Changing pressure, extraction time or extraction yield during WR pressing does not lead to a variation in δ44/40Ca, indicating that no Ca isotope fractionation takes place during the sampling of pore water. On the basis of analytical and modelling results, WR samples appear to provide δ44/40Ca values that are more representative of the 'true' pore water isotopic composition. While the difference between the sampling techniques is close to the present-day analytical precision of Ca isotope analysis, it may become more relevant with increasing analytical precision in the future.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andreas Wittke
- Institut für Mineralogie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Nikolaus Gussone
- Institut für Mineralogie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
| | - Christian März
- School of Earth and Environment, University of Leeds, Leeds, UK
| | - Barbara M A Teichert
- Institut für Geologie und Paläontologie, Westfälische Wilhelms-Universität Münster, Münster, Germany
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Johnson K, Purvis G, Lopez-Capel E, Peacock C, Gray N, Wagner T, März C, Bowen L, Ojeda J, Finlay N, Robertson S, Worrall F, Greenwell C. Towards a mechanistic understanding of carbon stabilization in manganese oxides. Nat Commun 2015; 6:7628. [PMID: 26194625 PMCID: PMC4518293 DOI: 10.1038/ncomms8628] [Citation(s) in RCA: 43] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [What about the content of this article? (0)] [Affiliation(s)] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/01/2014] [Accepted: 05/22/2015] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Minerals stabilize organic carbon (OC) in sediments, thereby directly affecting global climate at multiple scales, but how they do it is far from understood. Here we show that manganese oxide (Mn oxide) in a water treatment works filter bed traps dissolved OC as coatings build up in layers around clean sand grains at 3%w/wC. Using spectroscopic and thermogravimetric methods, we identify two main OC fractions. One is thermally refractory (>550 °C) and the other is thermally more labile (<550 °C). We postulate that the thermal stability of the trapped OC is due to carboxylate groups within it bonding to Mn oxide surfaces coupled with physical entrapment within the layers. We identify a significant difference in the nature of the surface-bound OC and bulk OC . We speculate that polymerization reactions may be occurring at depth within the layers. We also propose that these processes must be considered in future studies of OC in natural systems. Minerals are known to stabilize organic carbon in sediments, affecting biogeochemical cycles and global climate, but the mechanism is not understood. Here, the authors suggest that manganese oxides can trap organic carbon and may act as a ‘mineral pump', transforming carbon between labile and refractory forms.
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Affiliation(s)
- Karen Johnson
- School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Graham Purvis
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Devonshire Walk, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RE, UK
| | - Elisa Lopez-Capel
- School of Agriculture, Food and Rural Development, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 7RU, UK
| | - Caroline Peacock
- Earth Surface Science Institute, School of Earth and Environmental Sciences, University of Leeds, Leeds LS2 9JT, UK
| | - Neil Gray
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Devonshire Walk, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RE, UK
| | - Thomas Wagner
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Devonshire Walk, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RE, UK
| | - Christian März
- School of Civil Engineering and Geosciences, Devonshire Walk, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne NE1 3RE, UK
| | - Leon Bowen
- Department of Physics, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Jesus Ojeda
- Experimental Techniques Centre, Institute of Materials and Manufacturing, Brunel University, Uxbridge UB8 3PH, UK
| | - Nina Finlay
- School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Steve Robertson
- School of Engineering and Computing Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Fred Worrall
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
| | - Chris Greenwell
- Department of Earth Sciences, Durham University, South Road, Durham DH1 3LE, UK
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