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U.S. Department of Energy
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Effects of bacterial reworking on the abundance of {sup 13}C in sedimentary organic matter

Conference ·
OSTI ID:370455
 [1]
  1. Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)
Changes in the abundance of {sup 13}C must be associated with the gain or loss of C. In sediments, therefore, changes in {sup 13}{delta} must be associated with chemoautotrophy or with some aspect of diagenetic remineralization. For single compounds, the effects can be large. Sulfide-oxidizing bacteria, for example, might assimilate porewater CO{sub 2} that was strongly depleted in {sup 13}C. Recycling of CH{sub 4} can yield products with very low {sup 13}{delta} values. For total organic carbon, the resulting shift in {sup 13}{delta} depends on the quantitative importance of secondary products and that, in turn, depends on available supplies of energy. Consideration of plausible carbon budgets and of associated isotope effects then leads to estimates of how much secondary fractionation of isotopes can occur in sedimentary systems.
OSTI ID:
370455
Report Number(s):
CONF-960376--
Country of Publication:
United States
Language:
English