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Millennial scale persistence of organic carbon bound to iron in Arctic marine sediments

Author

Listed:
  • Johan C. Faust

    (The University of Leeds)

  • Allyson Tessin

    (Kent State University)

  • Ben J. Fisher

    (The University of Leeds)

  • Mark Zindorf

    (Ifremer - Centre de Bretagne)

  • Sonia Papadaki

    (University of Bristol)

  • Katharine R. Hendry

    (University of Bristol)

  • Katherine A. Doyle

    (The University of Leeds)

  • Christian März

    (The University of Leeds)

Abstract

Burial of organic material in marine sediments represents a dominant natural mechanism of long-term carbon sequestration globally, but critical aspects of this carbon sink remain unresolved. Investigation of surface sediments led to the proposition that on average 10-20% of sedimentary organic carbon is stabilised and physically protected against microbial degradation through binding to reactive metal (e.g. iron and manganese) oxides. Here we examine the long-term efficiency of this rusty carbon sink by analysing the chemical composition of sediments and pore waters from four locations in the Barents Sea. Our findings show that the carbon-iron coupling persists below the uppermost, oxygenated sediment layer over thousands of years. We further propose that authigenic coprecipitation is not the dominant factor of the carbon-iron bounding in these Arctic shelf sediments and that a substantial fraction of the organic carbon is already bound to reactive iron prior deposition on the seafloor.

Suggested Citation

  • Johan C. Faust & Allyson Tessin & Ben J. Fisher & Mark Zindorf & Sonia Papadaki & Katharine R. Hendry & Katherine A. Doyle & Christian März, 2021. "Millennial scale persistence of organic carbon bound to iron in Arctic marine sediments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 12(1), pages 1-9, December.
  • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:12:y:2021:i:1:d:10.1038_s41467-020-20550-0
    DOI: 10.1038/s41467-020-20550-0
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    Cited by:

    1. Yunru Chen & Liang Dong & Weikang Sui & Mingyang Niu & Xingqian Cui & Kai-Uwe Hinrichs & Fengping Wang, 2024. "Cycling and persistence of iron-bound organic carbon in subseafloor sediments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 15(1), pages 1-11, December.

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