The flux and recycling of bioactive substances in the surface sediments of the deep basins off southern California: Progress report

Technical Report · Fri Jan 01 04:00:00 EST 1988

OSTI ID:6990984

Jahnke, R A

Goals of this project are to develop an understanding of the processes that recycling biogenic debris reaching the seafloor and to quantitatively determine the role of seafloor recycling in oceanic biogenic cycles. This includes evaluating the rate at which biogenic elements are released from the sediments due to organic matter decomposition as well as the rate at which certain biogenic elements are consumed in the sediments such as the consumption of 0/sub 2/ by oxic respiration and NO/sub 3//sup /minus// by denitrification. Benthic fluxes were estimated via the Bottom Lander. Results were combined with results from other West-coast researchers and a preliminary organic carbon budget for Santa Monica Basin was estimated. During the past year, benthic fluxes have been measured by a new in situ benthic chamber instrument and a shipboard incubation method. In addition, sediment cores were recovered from a wider region of the basin's seafloor. Pore waters were extracted from these cores and analyzed for biogenically important elements. Results permit a more accurate estimate of recycling at the seafloor of Santa Monica Basin to be made. Results are described. 8 figs., 1 tab.

• Research Organization: Scripps Institution of Oceanography, San Diego, CA (USA)
• DOE Contract Number: FG05-85ER60334
• OSTI ID: 6990984
• Report Number(s): DOE/ER/60334-T1; ON: DE88007999
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

550700 -- Microbiology
58 GEOSCIENCES
580500* -- Oceanography-- (1980-1989)
59 BASIC BIOLOGICAL SCIENCES
CALIFORNIA
CHALCOGENIDES
CHEMICAL REACTIONS
DECOMPOSITION
DOCUMENT TYPES
ELEMENTS
FEDERAL REGION IX
GREAT BASIN
MICROORGANISMS
MINERAL CYCLING
NITROGEN COMPOUNDS
NITROGEN OXIDES
NONMETALS
NORTH AMERICA
ORGANIC MATTER
OXIDES
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PACIFIC OCEAN
PROGRESS REPORT
SEAS
SEDIMENTS
SULFATES
SULFUR COMPOUNDS
SURFACE WATERS
USA