Paleoenvironmental controls on the abundance of {sup 13}C in sedimentary organic carbon
Conference
·
OSTI ID:427040
- Indiana Univ., Bloomington, IN (United States)
- Northwestern Univ., Evanston, IL (United States)
- Skidaway Institute of Oceanography, Savannah, GA (United States)
Variations in the {sup 13}C content of sedimentary organic molecules are often interpreted in terms of processes likely to have occurred in ancient water columns. The interpretations are based mainly on principles rather than on isotopic analyses of related compounds in modem water columns. Seeking to bridge the gap between interpretation and experience, we have analyzed lipids extracted from particulate organic carbon ({open_quotes}POC{close_quotes}, two size fractions, >20 {mu}m and 20 - 0.2 {mu}m) recovered from depths of 40, 100, 650 and 800 in the water column of the Santa Monica Basin, offshore southern California and from underlying sediments. The sampling has been replicated six times in order to complete an annual cycle covering a range of upwelling conditions and levels of productivity. Isotopic compositions of individual organic compounds and their relationships to hydrographic conditions indicate that the abundance of {sup 13}C in organic materials is related to availability of macronutrients as well as to concentrations of dissolved carbon dioxide. Coupled with observations by others, these observations indicate strong control of carbon isotopic compositions by rate of growth and by paleoceanographic conditions (e.g., upwelling) that regulate availability of nutrients. In general, values of {sup 13}{delta} for sedimentary materials match those for the most productive portions of the annual cycle and thus selectively record oceanographic conditions from that portion of each year.
- OSTI ID:
- 427040
- Report Number(s):
- CONF-960527--
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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