Articles | Volume 12, issue 22
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6687-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-6687-2015
© Author(s) 2015. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 License.
Research article
| 
25 Nov 2015
Research article |
| 25 Nov 2015
Efficiency and adaptability of the benthic methane filter at Quepos Slide cold seeps, offshore of Costa Rica
P. Steeb
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
S. Krause
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
C. Hensen
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
A. W. Dale
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
M. Nuzzo
2IPMA, Marine Geology Department & Institute Dom Luiz, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
now at: Integrated Geochemical Interpretation Ltd, Bideford, UK
GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel, Wischhofstrasse 1–3, 24148 Kiel, Germany
Present address: University of California, Los Angeles, Department of Earth Planetary & Space Sciences and Department of Atmospheric and Oceanic Sciences, Los Angeles, CA, USA
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S. Krause, P. Steeb, C. Hensen, V. Liebetrau, A. W. Dale, M. Nuzzo, and T. Treude
Biogeosciences, 11, 507–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-507-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-507-2014, 2014
Astrid Hylen, Nils Ekeroth, Hannah Berk, Andy W. Dale, Mikhail Kononets, Wytze K. Lenstra, Aada Palo, Anders Tengberg, Sebastiaan J. van de Velde, Stefan Sommer, Caroline P. Slomp, and Per O. J. Hall
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-146, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2025-146, 2025
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Phosphorus is an essential element for life and its cycling strongly impact primary production. Here, we present a dataset of sediment-water fluxes of dissolved inorganic phosphorus from the Baltic Sea, an area with a long history of eutrophication. The fluxes were measured in situ with three types of benthic chamber landers at 59 stations over 20 years. The data show clear spatial patterns and will be important for marine management and studies on mechanisms in benthic phosphorus cycling.
Xuefeng Peng, David J. Yousavich, Annie Bourbonnais, Frank Wenzhöfer, Felix Janssen, Tina Treude, and David L. Valentine
Biogeosciences, 21, 3041–3052, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3041-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3041-2024, 2024
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Biologically available (fixed) nitrogen (N) is a limiting nutrient for life in the ocean. Under low-oxygen conditions, fixed N is either removed via denitrification or retained via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). Using in situ incubations in the Santa Barbara Basin, which undergoes seasonal anoxia, we found that benthic denitrification was the dominant nitrate reduction process, while nitrate availability and organic carbon content control the relative importance of DNRA.
De'Marcus Robinson, Anh L. D. Pham, David J. Yousavich, Felix Janssen, Frank Wenzhöfer, Eleanor C. Arrington, Kelsey M. Gosselin, Marco Sandoval-Belmar, Matthew Mar, David L. Valentine, Daniele Bianchi, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 21, 773–788, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-773-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-773-2024, 2024
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The present study suggests that high release of ferrous iron from the seafloor of the oxygen-deficient Santa Barabara Basin (California) supports surface primary productivity, creating positive feedback on seafloor iron release by enhancing low-oxygen conditions in the basin.
David J. Yousavich, De'Marcus Robinson, Xuefeng Peng, Sebastian J. E. Krause, Frank Wenzhöfer, Felix Janssen, Na Liu, Jonathan Tarn, Franklin Kinnaman, David L. Valentine, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 21, 789–809, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-789-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-789-2024, 2024
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Declining oxygen (O2) concentrations in coastal oceans can threaten people’s ways of life and food supplies. Here, we investigate how mats of bacteria that proliferate on the seafloor of the Santa Barbara Basin sustain and potentially worsen these O2 depletion events through their unique chemoautotrophic metabolism. Our study shows how changes in seafloor microbiology and geochemistry brought on by declining O2 concentrations can help these mats grow as well as how that growth affects the basin.
Matthew D. Eisaman, Sonja Geilert, Phil Renforth, Laura Bastianini, James Campbell, Andrew W. Dale, Spyros Foteinis, Patricia Grasse, Olivia Hawrot, Carolin R. Löscher, Greg H. Rau, and Jakob Rønning
State Planet, 2-oae2023, 3, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-3-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-3-2023, 2023
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Ocean-alkalinity-enhancement technologies refer to various methods and approaches aimed at increasing the alkalinity of seawater. This chapter explores technologies for increasing ocean alkalinity, including electrochemical-based approaches, ocean liming, accelerated weathering of limestone, hydrated carbonate addition, and coastal enhanced weathering, and suggests best practices in research and development.
Ulf Riebesell, Daniela Basso, Sonja Geilert, Andrew W. Dale, and Matthias Kreuzburg
State Planet, 2-oae2023, 6, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-6-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/sp-2-oae2023-6-2023, 2023
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Mesocosm experiments represent a highly valuable tool in determining the safe operating space of ocean alkalinity enhancement (OAE) applications. By combining realism and biological complexity with controllability and replication, they provide an ideal OAE test bed and a critical stepping stone towards field applications. Mesocosm approaches can also be helpful in testing the efficacy, efficiency and permanence of OAE applications.
Sebastian J. E. Krause, Jiarui Liu, David J. Yousavich, DeMarcus Robinson, David W. Hoyt, Qianhui Qin, Frank Wenzhöfer, Felix Janssen, David L. Valentine, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 20, 4377–4390, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4377-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4377-2023, 2023
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Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and hence it is important to understand its sources and sinks in the environment. Here we present new data from organic-rich surface sediments below an oxygen minimum zone off the coast of California (Santa Barbara Basin) demonstrating the simultaneous microbial production and consumption of methane, which appears to be an important process preventing the build-up of methane in these sediments and the emission into the water column and atmosphere.
Knut Ola Dølven, Bénédicte Ferré, Anna Silyakova, Pär Jansson, Peter Linke, and Manuel Moser
Ocean Sci., 18, 233–254, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-233-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-18-233-2022, 2022
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Natural sources of atmospheric methane need to be better described and quantified. We present time series from ocean observatories monitoring two seabed methane seep sites in the Arctic. Methane concentration varied considerably on short timescales and seasonal scales. Seeps persisted throughout the year, with increased potential for atmospheric release in winter due to water mixing. The results highlight and constrain uncertainties in current methane estimates from seabed methane seepage.
Gerd Krahmann, Damian L. Arévalo-Martínez, Andrew W. Dale, Marcus Dengler, Anja Engel, Nicolaas Glock, Patricia Grasse, Johannes Hahn, Helena Hauss, Mark Hopwood, Rainer Kiko, Alexandra Loginova, Carolin R. Löscher, Marie Maßmig, Alexandra-Sophie Roy, Renato Salvatteci, Stefan Sommer, Toste Tanhua, and Hela Mehrtens
Earth Syst. Sci. Data Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-308, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-2020-308, 2021
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The project "Climate-Biogeochemistry Interactions in the Tropical Ocean" (SFB 754) was a multidisciplinary research project active from 2008 to 2019 aimed at a better understanding of the coupling between the tropical climate and ocean circulation and the ocean's oxygen and nutrient balance. On 34 research cruises, mainly in the Southeast Tropical Pacific and the Northeast Tropical Atlantic, 1071 physical, chemical and biological data sets were collected.
Samuel T. Wilson, Alia N. Al-Haj, Annie Bourbonnais, Claudia Frey, Robinson W. Fulweiler, John D. Kessler, Hannah K. Marchant, Jana Milucka, Nicholas E. Ray, Parvadha Suntharalingam, Brett F. Thornton, Robert C. Upstill-Goddard, Thomas S. Weber, Damian L. Arévalo-Martínez, Hermann W. Bange, Heather M. Benway, Daniele Bianchi, Alberto V. Borges, Bonnie X. Chang, Patrick M. Crill, Daniela A. del Valle, Laura Farías, Samantha B. Joye, Annette Kock, Jabrane Labidi, Cara C. Manning, John W. Pohlman, Gregor Rehder, Katy J. Sparrow, Philippe D. Tortell, Tina Treude, David L. Valentine, Bess B. Ward, Simon Yang, and Leonid N. Yurganov
Biogeosciences, 17, 5809–5828, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5809-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5809-2020, 2020
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The oceans are a net source of the major greenhouse gases; however there has been little coordination of oceanic methane and nitrous oxide measurements. The scientific community has recently embarked on a series of capacity-building exercises to improve the interoperability of dissolved methane and nitrous oxide measurements. This paper derives from a workshop which discussed the challenges and opportunities for oceanic methane and nitrous oxide research in the near future.
Jan Lüdke, Marcus Dengler, Stefan Sommer, David Clemens, Sören Thomsen, Gerd Krahmann, Andrew W. Dale, Eric P. Achterberg, and Martin Visbeck
Ocean Sci., 16, 1347–1366, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1347-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-16-1347-2020, 2020
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We analyse the intraseasonal variability of the alongshore circulation off Peru in early 2017, this circulation is very important for the supply of nutrients to the upwelling regime. The causes of this variability and its impact on the biogeochemistry are investigated. The poleward flow is strengthened during the observed time period, likely by a downwelling coastal trapped wave. The stronger current causes an increase in nitrate and reduces the deficit of fixed nitrogen relative to phosphorus.
Alexandra N. Loginova, Andrew W. Dale, Frédéric A. C. Le Moigne, Sören Thomsen, Stefan Sommer, David Clemens, Klaus Wallmann, and Anja Engel
Biogeosciences, 17, 4663–4679, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4663-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4663-2020, 2020
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We measured dissolved organic carbon (DOC), nitrogen (DON) and matter (DOM) optical properties in pore waters and near-bottom waters of the eastern tropical South Pacific off Peru. The difference between diffusion-driven and net fluxes of DOC and DON and qualitative changes in DOM optical properties suggested active microbial utilisation of the released DOM at the sediment–water interface. Our results suggest that the sediment release of DOM contributes to microbial processes in the area.
Anna Plass, Christian Schlosser, Stefan Sommer, Andrew W. Dale, Eric P. Achterberg, and Florian Scholz
Biogeosciences, 17, 3685–3704, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3685-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3685-2020, 2020
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We compare the cycling of Fe and Cd in sulfidic sediments of the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone. Due to the contrasting solubility of their sulfide minerals, the sedimentary Fe release and Cd burial fluxes covary with spatial and temporal distributions of H2S. Depending on the solubility of their sulfide minerals, sedimentary trace metal fluxes will respond differently to ocean deoxygenation/expansion of H2S concentrations, which may change trace metal stoichiometry of upwelling water masses.
Nathaniel Kemnitz, William M. Berelson, Douglas E. Hammond, Laura Morine, Maria Figueroa, Timothy W. Lyons, Simon Scharf, Nick Rollins, Elizabeth Petsios, Sydnie Lemieux, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 17, 2381–2396, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2381-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2381-2020, 2020
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Our paper shows how sedimentation in a very low oxygen setting provides a unique record of environmental change. We look at the past 250 years through the filter of sediment accumulation via radioisotope dating and other physical and chemical analyses of these sediments. We conclude, remarkably, that there has been very little change in net sediment mass accumulation through the past 100–150 years, yet just prior to 1900 CE, sediments were accumulating at 50 %–70 % of today's rate.
Sonja Geilert, Patricia Grasse, Kristin Doering, Klaus Wallmann, Claudia Ehlert, Florian Scholz, Martin Frank, Mark Schmidt, and Christian Hensen
Biogeosciences, 17, 1745–1763, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1745-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1745-2020, 2020
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Marine silicate weathering is a key process of the marine silica cycle; however, its controlling processes are not well understood. In the Guaymas Basin, silicate weathering has been studied under markedly differing ambient conditions. Environmental settings like redox conditions or terrigenous input of reactive silicates appear to be major factors controlling marine silicate weathering. These factors need to be taken into account in future oceanic mass balances of Si and in modeling studies.
Henk-Jan Hoving, Svenja Christiansen, Eduard Fabrizius, Helena Hauss, Rainer Kiko, Peter Linke, Philipp Neitzel, Uwe Piatkowski, and Arne Körtzinger
Ocean Sci., 15, 1327–1340, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1327-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/os-15-1327-2019, 2019
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The pelagic in situ observation system (PELAGIOS) is a towed observation system with HD video camera and environmental sensors. It is used for pelagic video transects down to 3000 m. The system enables the visualization and exploration of pelagic organisms (> 1 cm), in particular delicate gelatinous fauna, which cannot be captured by nets. The video and hydrographic data give insight into the biodiversity, abundance, and distribution of oceanic pelagic organisms from the surface to the deep sea.
Tronje P. Kemena, Angela Landolfi, Andreas Oschlies, Klaus Wallmann, and Andrew W. Dale
Earth Syst. Dynam., 10, 539–553, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-539-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/esd-10-539-2019, 2019
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Oceanic deoxygenation is driven by climate change in several areas of the global ocean. Measurements indicate that ocean volumes with very low oxygen levels expand, with consequences for marine organisms and fishery. We found climate-change-driven phosphorus (P) input in the ocean is hereby an important driver for deoxygenation on longer timescales with effects in the next millennia.
Sonja Geilert, Christian Hensen, Mark Schmidt, Volker Liebetrau, Florian Scholz, Mechthild Doll, Longhui Deng, Annika Fiskal, Mark A. Lever, Chih-Chieh Su, Stefan Schloemer, Sudipta Sarkar, Volker Thiel, and Christian Berndt
Biogeosciences, 15, 5715–5731, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5715-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-5715-2018, 2018
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Abrupt climate changes in Earth’s history might have been triggered by magmatic intrusions into organic-rich sediments, which can potentially release large amounts of greenhouse gases. In the Guaymas Basin, vigorous hydrothermal venting at the ridge axis and off-axis inactive vents show that magmatic intrusions are an effective way to release carbon but must be considered as very short-lived processes in a geological sense. These results need to be taken into account in future climate models.
Konstantin Stolpovsky, Andrew W. Dale, and Klaus Wallmann
Biogeosciences, 15, 3391–3407, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3391-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3391-2018, 2018
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The paper describes a new way to parameterize G-type models in marine sediments using data about reactivity of organic carbon sinking to the seafloor.
Johanna Maltby, Lea Steinle, Carolin R. Löscher, Hermann W. Bange, Martin A. Fischer, Mark Schmidt, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 15, 137–157, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-137-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-137-2018, 2018
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The activity and environmental controls of methanogenesis (MG) within the sulfate-reducing zone (0–30 cm below the seafloor) were investigated in organic-rich sediments of the seasonally hypoxic Eckernförde Bay, SW Baltic Sea. MG activity was mostly linked to non-competitive substrates. The major controls identified were organic matter availability, C / N, temperature, and O2 in the water column, revealing higher rates in warm, stratified, hypoxic seasons compared to colder, oxygenated seasons.
Lea Steinle, Johanna Maltby, Tina Treude, Annette Kock, Hermann W. Bange, Nadine Engbersen, Jakob Zopfi, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Helge Niemann
Biogeosciences, 14, 1631–1645, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1631-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-1631-2017, 2017
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Large amounts of methane are produced in anoxic, coastal sediments, from which it can seep into the overlying water column. Aerobic oxidation of methane (MOx) mediated by methanotrophic bacteria is an important sink for methane before its evasion to the atmosphere. In a 2-year seasonal study, we investigated the spatio-temporal variability of MOx in a seasonally hypoxic coastal inlet using radiotracer-based methods. In experiments, we assessed the effect of variable oxygen concentrations on MOx.
Jessica Gier, Stefan Sommer, Carolin R. Löscher, Andrew W. Dale, Ruth A. Schmitz, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 13, 4065–4080, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4065-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-4065-2016, 2016
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Benthic nitrogen fixation and sulfate reduction were investigated in the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone. The data suggest a coupling of both activities to a large extent, but that also sulfide and organic matter availability are controlling the benthic diazotrophy in this area. The molecular analysis confirms the presence of heterotrophic diazotrophs. This work improves our understanding of N cycling in OMZ sediments and the understanding of N sources in the marine environment.
Pei-Chuan Chuang, Megan B. Young, Andrew W. Dale, Laurence G. Miller, Jorge A. Herrera-Silveira, and Adina Paytan
Biogeosciences, 13, 2981–3001, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2981-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-2981-2016, 2016
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A transport-reaction model was used to simulate porewater methane and sulfate concentrations. Model results and sediment slurry incubation experiments show high methane production rates supported by non-competitive substrates and ample dissolved and labile organic matter as well as methane from deeper sediment through bubbles dissolution and diffusion. The shallow methane production and accumulation depths in these sediments promote high methane fluxes to the water column and atmosphere.
Lorenzo Rovelli, Marcus Dengler, Mark Schmidt, Stefan Sommer, Peter Linke, and Daniel F. McGinnis
Biogeosciences, 13, 1609–1620, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1609-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1609-2016, 2016
Ulrike Lomnitz, Stefan Sommer, Andrew W. Dale, Carolin R. Löscher, Anna Noffke, Klaus Wallmann, and Christian Hensen
Biogeosciences, 13, 1367–1386, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1367-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-1367-2016, 2016
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The study presents a P budget including the P input from the water column, the P burial in the sediments, as well as the P release from the sediments. We found that the P input could not maintain the P release rates. Consideration of other P sources, e.g., terrigenous P and P released from the dissolution of Fe oxyhydroxides, showed that none of these can account for the missing P. Thus, it is likely that abundant sulfide-oxidizing bacteria release the missing P during our measurement period.
J. Maltby, S. Sommer, A. W. Dale, and T. Treude
Biogeosciences, 13, 283–299, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-283-2016, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-13-283-2016, 2016
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The concurrence of methanogenesis and sulfate reduction was investigated in surface sediments (0–25cm b.s.f.) traversing the Peruvian margin. Surface methanogenesis was mainly based on non-competitive substrates to avoid competition with sulfate reducers. Accordingly, surface methanogenesis was mainly controlled by the availability of labile organic matter. The high relevance of surface methanogenesis especially on the shelf indicates its underestimated role within benthic methane budgeting.
A. W. Dale, S. Sommer, U. Lomnitz, I. Montes, T. Treude, V. Liebetrau, J. Gier, C. Hensen, M. Dengler, K. Stolpovsky, L. D. Bryant, and K. Wallmann
Biogeosciences, 12, 1537–1559, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1537-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-1537-2015, 2015
J. Friedrich, F. Janssen, D. Aleynik, H. W. Bange, N. Boltacheva, M. N. Çagatay, A. W. Dale, G. Etiope, Z. Erdem, M. Geraga, A. Gilli, M. T. Gomoiu, P. O. J. Hall, D. Hansson, Y. He, M. Holtappels, M. K. Kirf, M. Kononets, S. Konovalov, A. Lichtschlag, D. M. Livingstone, G. Marinaro, S. Mazlumyan, S. Naeher, R. P. North, G. Papatheodorou, O. Pfannkuche, R. Prien, G. Rehder, C. J. Schubert, T. Soltwedel, S. Sommer, H. Stahl, E. V. Stanev, A. Teaca, A. Tengberg, C. Waldmann, B. Wehrli, and F. Wenzhöfer
Biogeosciences, 11, 1215–1259, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1215-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-1215-2014, 2014
S. Krause, P. Steeb, C. Hensen, V. Liebetrau, A. W. Dale, M. Nuzzo, and T. Treude
Biogeosciences, 11, 507–523, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-507-2014, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-11-507-2014, 2014
N. Glock, J. Schönfeld, A. Eisenhauer, C. Hensen, J. Mallon, and S. Sommer
Biogeosciences, 10, 4767–4783, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4767-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-4767-2013, 2013
V. J. Bertics, C. R. Löscher, I. Salonen, A. W. Dale, J. Gier, R. A. Schmitz, and T. Treude
Biogeosciences, 10, 1243–1258, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1243-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-1243-2013, 2013
A. W. Dale, V. J. Bertics, T. Treude, S. Sommer, and K. Wallmann
Biogeosciences, 10, 629–651, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-629-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-629-2013, 2013
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Ellen Schnabel, Aurèle Vuillemin, Cédric C. Laczny, Benoit J. Kunath, André R. Soares, Alexander J. Probst, Rolando Di Primio, Jens Kallmeyer, and the PROSPECTOMICS Consortium
Biogeosciences, 22, 767–784, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-767-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-767-2025, 2025
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This study analysed marine sediment samples from areas with and without minimal hydrocarbon seepage from reservoirs underneath. Depth profiles of dissolved chemical components in the pore water and molecular biological data revealed differences in microbial community composition and activity. These results indicate that even minor hydrocarbon seepage affects sedimentary biogeochemical cycling in marine sediments, potentially providing a new tool for the detection of hydrocarbon reservoirs.
Robin Klomp, Olga M. Żygadłowska, Mike S. M. Jetten, Véronique E. Oldham, Niels A. G. M. van Helmond, Caroline P. Slomp, and Wytze K. Lenstra
Biogeosciences, 22, 751–765, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-751-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-751-2025, 2025
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In marine sediments, dissolved Mn is present as either Mn(III) or Mn(II). We apply a reactive transport model to geochemical data for a seasonally anoxic and sulfidic coastal basin to determine the pathways of formation and removal of dissolved Mn(III) in the sediment. We demonstrate a critical role for reactions with Fe(II) and show evidence for substantial benthic release of dissolved Mn(III). Given the mobility of Mn(III), these findings have important implications for marine Mn cycling.
Amanda C. Semler and Anne E. Dekas
Biogeosciences, 22, 385–403, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-385-2025, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-22-385-2025, 2025
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Marine hydrocarbon seeps typically host subsurface microorganisms capable of degrading methane before it is emitted to the water column. Here we describe a seep in Monterey Bay which virtually lacks known methanotrophs and where biological consumption of methane at depth is undetected. Our findings suggest that some seeps are missing this critical biofilter and that seeps may be a more significant source of methane to the water column than previously realized.
Thomas W. Garner, J. Andrew G. Cooper, Alan M. Smith, Gavin M. Rishworth, and Matt Forbes
Biogeosciences, 21, 4785–4807, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4785-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4785-2024, 2024
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There is a diverse and often conflicting suite of terminologies, classifications, and nomenclature applicable to the study of terrestrial carbonate deposits and microbialites (deposits that wholly or primarily accrete as a result of microbial activity). We review existing schemes, identify duplication and redundancy, and present a new integrated approach applicable to tufa microbialites on rock coasts.
Catherine Brenan, Markus Kienast, Vittorio Maselli, Christopher K. Algar, Benjamin Misiuk, and Craig J. Brown
Biogeosciences, 21, 4569–4586, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4569-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4569-2024, 2024
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Quantifying how much organic carbon is stored in seafloor sediments is key to assessing how human activities can accelerate the process of carbon storage at the seabed, an important consideration for climate change. This study uses seafloor sediment maps to model organic carbon content. Carbon estimates were 12 times higher when assuming the absence of detailed sediment maps, demonstrating that high-resolution seafloor mapping is critically important for improved estimates of organic carbon.
Sophie Hage, Megan L. Baker, Nathalie Babonneau, Guillaume Soulet, Bernard Dennielou, Ricardo Silva Jacinto, Robert G. Hilton, Valier Galy, François Baudin, Christophe Rabouille, Clément Vic, Sefa Sahin, Sanem Açikalin, and Peter J. Talling
Biogeosciences, 21, 4251–4272, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4251-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-4251-2024, 2024
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The land-to-ocean flux of particulate organic carbon (POC) is difficult to measure, inhibiting accurate modeling of the global carbon cycle. Here, we quantify the POC flux between one of the largest rivers on Earth (Congo) and the ocean. POC in the form of vegetation and soil is transported by episodic submarine avalanches in a 1000 km long canyon at up to 5 km water depth. The POC flux induced by avalanches is at least 3 times greater than that induced by the background flow related to tides.
Xuefeng Peng, David J. Yousavich, Annie Bourbonnais, Frank Wenzhöfer, Felix Janssen, Tina Treude, and David L. Valentine
Biogeosciences, 21, 3041–3052, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3041-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-3041-2024, 2024
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Biologically available (fixed) nitrogen (N) is a limiting nutrient for life in the ocean. Under low-oxygen conditions, fixed N is either removed via denitrification or retained via dissimilatory nitrate reduction to ammonia (DNRA). Using in situ incubations in the Santa Barbara Basin, which undergoes seasonal anoxia, we found that benthic denitrification was the dominant nitrate reduction process, while nitrate availability and organic carbon content control the relative importance of DNRA.
Nicole Burdanowitz, Gerhard Schmiedl, Birgit Gaye, Philipp M. Munz, and Hartmut Schulz
Biogeosciences, 21, 1477–1499, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1477-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-1477-2024, 2024
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We analyse benthic foraminifera, nitrogen isotopes and lipids in a sediment core from the Gulf of Oman to investigate how the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) and bottom water (BW) oxygenation have reacted to climatic changes since 43 ka. The OMZ and BW deoxygenation was strong during the Holocene, but the OMZ was well ventilated during the LGM period. We found an unstable mode of oscillating oxygenation states, from moderately oxygenated in cold stadials to deoxygenated in warm interstadials in MIS 3.
Maxime Daviray, Emmanuelle Geslin, Nils Risgaard-Petersen, Vincent V. Scholz, Marie Fouet, and Edouard Metzger
Biogeosciences, 21, 911–928, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-911-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-21-911-2024, 2024
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Coastal marine sediments are subject to major acidification processes because of climate change and human activities, but these processes can also result from biotic activity. We studied the sediment acidifcation effect on benthic calcareous foraminifera in intertidal mudflats. The strong pH decrease in sediments probably caused by cable bacteria led to calcareous test dissolution of living and dead foraminifera, threatening the test preservation and their robustness as environmental proxies.
Sebastian J. E. Krause, Jiarui Liu, David J. Yousavich, DeMarcus Robinson, David W. Hoyt, Qianhui Qin, Frank Wenzhöfer, Felix Janssen, David L. Valentine, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 20, 4377–4390, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4377-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-4377-2023, 2023
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Methane is a potent greenhouse gas, and hence it is important to understand its sources and sinks in the environment. Here we present new data from organic-rich surface sediments below an oxygen minimum zone off the coast of California (Santa Barbara Basin) demonstrating the simultaneous microbial production and consumption of methane, which appears to be an important process preventing the build-up of methane in these sediments and the emission into the water column and atmosphere.
Sinan Xu, Bo Liu, Sandra Arndt, Sabine Kasten, and Zijun Wu
Biogeosciences, 20, 2251–2263, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2251-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-2251-2023, 2023
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We use a reactive continuum model based on a lognormal distribution (l-RCM) to inversely determine model parameters μ and σ at 123 sites across the global ocean. Our results show organic matter (OM) reactivity is more than 3 orders of magnitude higher in shelf than in abyssal regions. In addition, OM reactivity is higher than predicted in some specific regions, yet the l-RCM can still capture OM reactivity features in these regions.
Christiane Schmidt, Emmanuelle Geslin, Joan M. Bernhard, Charlotte LeKieffre, Mette Marianne Svenning, Helene Roberge, Magali Schweizer, and Giuliana Panieri
Biogeosciences, 19, 3897–3909, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3897-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3897-2022, 2022
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This study is the first to show non-selective deposit feeding in the foraminifera Nonionella labradorica and the possible uptake of methanotrophic bacteria. We carried out a feeding experiment with a marine methanotroph to examine the ultrastructure of the cell and degradation vacuoles using transmission electron microscopy (TEM). The results revealed three putative methanotrophs at the outside of the cell/test, which could be taken up via non-targeted grazing in seeps or our experiment.
James P. J. Ward, Katharine R. Hendry, Sandra Arndt, Johan C. Faust, Felipe S. Freitas, Sian F. Henley, Jeffrey W. Krause, Christian März, Allyson C. Tessin, and Ruth L. Airs
Biogeosciences, 19, 3445–3467, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3445-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-3445-2022, 2022
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The seafloor plays an important role in the cycling of silicon (Si), a key nutrient that promotes marine primary productivity. In our model study, we disentangle major controls on the seafloor Si cycle to better anticipate the impacts of continued warming and sea ice melt in the Barents Sea. We uncover a coupling of the iron redox and Si cycles, dissolution of lithogenic silicates, and authigenic clay formation, comprising a Si sink that could have implications for the Arctic Ocean Si budget.
Hanni Vigderovich, Werner Eckert, Michal Elul, Maxim Rubin-Blum, Marcus Elvert, and Orit Sivan
Biogeosciences, 19, 2313–2331, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2313-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2313-2022, 2022
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Anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is one of the major processes limiting the release of the greenhouse gas methane from natural environments. Here we show that significant AOM exists in the methane zone of lake sediments in natural conditions and even after long-term (ca. 18 months) anaerobic slurry incubations with two stages. Methanogens were most likely responsible for oxidizing the methane, and humic substances and iron oxides are likely electron acceptors to support this oxidation.
Bjorn Sundby, Pierre Anschutz, Pascal Lecroart, and Alfonso Mucci
Biogeosciences, 19, 1421–1434, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1421-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-1421-2022, 2022
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A glacial–interglacial methane-fuelled redistribution of reactive phosphorus between the oceanic and sedimentary phosphorus reservoirs can occur in the ocean when falling sea level lowers the pressure on the seafloor, destabilizes methane hydrates, and triggers the dissolution of P-bearing iron oxides. The mass of phosphate potentially mobilizable from the sediment is similar to the size of the current oceanic reservoir. Hence, this process may play a major role in the marine phosphorus cycle.
Florian Lauryssen, Philippe Crombé, Tom Maris, Elliot Van Maldegem, Marijn Van de Broek, Stijn Temmerman, and Erik Smolders
Biogeosciences, 19, 763–776, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-763-2022, 2022
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Surface waters in lowland regions have a poor surface water quality, mainly due to excess nutrients like phosphate. Therefore, we wanted to know the phosphate levels without humans, also called the pre-industrial background. Phosphate binds strongly to sediment particles, suspended in the river water. In this research we used sediments deposited by a river as an archive for surface water phosphate back to 1800 CE. Pre-industrial phosphate levels were estimated at one-third of the modern levels.
Gerard J. M. Versteegh, Andrea Koschinsky, Thomas Kuhn, Inken Preuss, and Sabine Kasten
Biogeosciences, 18, 4965–4984, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4965-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4965-2021, 2021
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Oxygen penetrates sediments not only from the ocean bottom waters but also from the basement. The impact of the latter is poorly understood. We show that this basement oxygen has a clear impact on the nitrogen cycle, the redox state, and the distribution of manganese, nickel cobalt and organic matter in the sediments. This is important for (1) global biogeochemical cycles, (2) understanding sedimentary life and (3) the interpretation of the sediment record to reconstruct the past.
Annika Fiskal, Eva Anthamatten, Longhui Deng, Xingguo Han, Lorenzo Lagostina, Anja Michel, Rong Zhu, Nathalie Dubois, Carsten J. Schubert, Stefano M. Bernasconi, and Mark A. Lever
Biogeosciences, 18, 4369–4388, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4369-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4369-2021, 2021
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Microbially produced methane can serve as a carbon source for freshwater macrofauna most likely through grazing on methane-oxidizing bacteria. This study investigates the contributions of different carbon sources to macrofaunal biomass. Our data suggest that the average contribution of methane-derived carbon is similar between different fauna but overall remains low. This is further supported by the low abundance of methane-cycling microorganisms.
Astrid Hylén, Sebastiaan J. van de Velde, Mikhail Kononets, Mingyue Luo, Elin Almroth-Rosell, and Per O. J. Hall
Biogeosciences, 18, 2981–3004, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2981-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2981-2021, 2021
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Sediments in oxygen-depleted ocean areas release high amounts of phosphorus, feeding algae that consume oxygen upon degradation, leading to further phosphorus release. Oxygenation is thought to trap phosphorus in the sediment and break this feedback. We studied the sediment phosphorus cycle in a previously anoxic area after an inflow of oxic water. Surprisingly, the sediment phosphorus release increased, showing that feedbacks between phosphorus release and oxygen depletion can be hard to break.
Sebastiaan J. van de Velde, Rebecca K. James, Ine Callebaut, Silvia Hidalgo-Martinez, and Filip J. R. Meysman
Biogeosciences, 18, 1451–1461, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1451-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-1451-2021, 2021
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Some 540 Myr ago, animal life evolved in the ocean. Previous research suggested that when these early animals started inhabiting the seafloor, they retained phosphorus in the seafloor, thereby limiting photosynthesis in the ocean. We studied salt marsh sediments with and without animals and found that their impact on phosphorus retention is limited, which implies that their impact on the global environment might have been less drastic than previously assumed.
Martijn Hermans, Nils Risgaard-Petersen, Filip J. R. Meysman, and Caroline P. Slomp
Biogeosciences, 17, 5919–5938, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5919-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-5919-2020, 2020
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This paper demonstrates that the recently discovered cable bacteria are capable of using a mineral, known as siderite, as a source for the formation of iron oxides. This work also demonstrates that the activity of cable bacteria can lead to a distinct subsurface layer in the sediment that can be used as a marker for their activity.
Torben Windirsch, Guido Grosse, Mathias Ulrich, Lutz Schirrmeister, Alexander N. Fedorov, Pavel Y. Konstantinov, Matthias Fuchs, Loeka L. Jongejans, Juliane Wolter, Thomas Opel, and Jens Strauss
Biogeosciences, 17, 3797–3814, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3797-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3797-2020, 2020
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To extend the knowledge on circumpolar deep permafrost carbon storage, we examined two deep permafrost deposit types (Yedoma and alas) in central Yakutia. We found little but partially undecomposed organic carbon as a result of largely changing sedimentation processes. The carbon stock of the examined Yedoma deposits is about 50 % lower than the general Yedoma domain mean, implying a very hetererogeneous Yedoma composition, while the alas is approximately 80 % below the thermokarst deposit mean.
Anna Plass, Christian Schlosser, Stefan Sommer, Andrew W. Dale, Eric P. Achterberg, and Florian Scholz
Biogeosciences, 17, 3685–3704, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3685-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3685-2020, 2020
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We compare the cycling of Fe and Cd in sulfidic sediments of the Peruvian oxygen minimum zone. Due to the contrasting solubility of their sulfide minerals, the sedimentary Fe release and Cd burial fluxes covary with spatial and temporal distributions of H2S. Depending on the solubility of their sulfide minerals, sedimentary trace metal fluxes will respond differently to ocean deoxygenation/expansion of H2S concentrations, which may change trace metal stoichiometry of upwelling water masses.
Biqing Zhu, Manuel Kübler, Melanie Ridoli, Daniel Breitenstein, and Martin H. Schroth
Biogeosciences, 17, 3613–3630, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3613-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3613-2020, 2020
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We provide evidence that the greenhouse gas methane (CH4) is enclosed in calcareous glacier-forefield sediments across Switzerland. Geochemical analyses confirmed that this ancient CH4 has its origin in the calcareous parent bedrock. Our estimate of the total quantity of CH4 enclosed in sediments across Switzerland indicates a large CH4 mass (~105 t CH4). We produced evidence that CH4 is stable in its enclosed state, but additional experiments are needed to elucidate its long-term fate.
Matteo Puglini, Victor Brovkin, Pierre Regnier, and Sandra Arndt
Biogeosciences, 17, 3247–3275, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3247-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3247-2020, 2020
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A reaction-transport model to assess the potential non-turbulent methane flux from the East Siberian Arctic sediments to water columns is applied here. We show that anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) is an efficient filter except for high values of sedimentation rate and advective flow, which enable considerable non-turbulent steady-state methane fluxes. Significant transient methane fluxes can also occur during the building-up phase of the AOM-performing biomass microbial community.
Kyle Delwiche, Junyao Gu, Harold Hemond, and Sarah P. Preheim
Biogeosciences, 17, 3135–3147, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3135-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-3135-2020, 2020
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In this study, we investigate whether bubbles transport sediments containing arsenic and cyanobacteria from the bottom to the top of a polluted lake. We measured arsenic and cyanobacteria from bubble traps in the lake and from an experimental bubble column in the laboratory. We found that bubble transport was not an important source of arsenic in the surface waters but that bubbles could transport enough cyanobacteria to the surface to exacerbate harmful algal blooms.
Nathaniel Kemnitz, William M. Berelson, Douglas E. Hammond, Laura Morine, Maria Figueroa, Timothy W. Lyons, Simon Scharf, Nick Rollins, Elizabeth Petsios, Sydnie Lemieux, and Tina Treude
Biogeosciences, 17, 2381–2396, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2381-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2381-2020, 2020
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Our paper shows how sedimentation in a very low oxygen setting provides a unique record of environmental change. We look at the past 250 years through the filter of sediment accumulation via radioisotope dating and other physical and chemical analyses of these sediments. We conclude, remarkably, that there has been very little change in net sediment mass accumulation through the past 100–150 years, yet just prior to 1900 CE, sediments were accumulating at 50 %–70 % of today's rate.
Dario Fussmann, Avril Jean Elisabeth von Hoyningen-Huene, Andreas Reimer, Dominik Schneider, Hana Babková, Robert Peticzka, Andreas Maier, Gernot Arp, Rolf Daniel, and Patrick Meister
Biogeosciences, 17, 2085–2106, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2085-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-2085-2020, 2020
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Dolomite (CaMg(CO3)2) is supersaturated in many aquatic settings (e.g., seawater) on modern Earth but does not precipitate directly from the fluid, a fact known as the dolomite problem. The widely acknowledged concept of dolomite precipitation involves microbial extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs) and anoxic conditions as important drivers. In contrast, results from Lake Neusiedl support an alternative concept of Ca–Mg carbonate precipitation under aerobic and alkaline conditions.
Aurèle Vuillemin, André Friese, Richard Wirth, Jan A. Schuessler, Anja M. Schleicher, Helga Kemnitz, Andreas Lücke, Kohen W. Bauer, Sulung Nomosatryo, Friedhelm von Blanckenburg, Rachel Simister, Luis G. Ordoñez, Daniel Ariztegui, Cynthia Henny, James M. Russell, Satria Bijaksana, Hendrik Vogel, Sean A. Crowe, Jens Kallmeyer, and the Towuti Drilling Project
Science team
Biogeosciences, 17, 1955–1973, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1955-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1955-2020, 2020
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Ferruginous lakes experience restricted primary production due to phosphorus trapping by ferric iron oxides under oxic conditions. We report the presence of large crystals of vivianite, a ferrous iron phosphate, in sediments from Lake Towuti, Indonesia. We address processes of P retention linked to diagenesis of iron phases. Vivianite crystals had light Fe2+ isotope signatures and contained mineral inclusions consistent with antecedent processes of microbial sulfate and iron reduction.
Sonja Geilert, Patricia Grasse, Kristin Doering, Klaus Wallmann, Claudia Ehlert, Florian Scholz, Martin Frank, Mark Schmidt, and Christian Hensen
Biogeosciences, 17, 1745–1763, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1745-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1745-2020, 2020
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Marine silicate weathering is a key process of the marine silica cycle; however, its controlling processes are not well understood. In the Guaymas Basin, silicate weathering has been studied under markedly differing ambient conditions. Environmental settings like redox conditions or terrigenous input of reactive silicates appear to be major factors controlling marine silicate weathering. These factors need to be taken into account in future oceanic mass balances of Si and in modeling studies.
Jessica B. Volz, Laura Haffert, Matthias Haeckel, Andrea Koschinsky, and Sabine Kasten
Biogeosciences, 17, 1113–1131, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1113-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1113-2020, 2020
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Potential future deep-sea mining of polymetallic nodules at the seafloor is expected to severely harm the marine environment. However, the consequences on deep-sea ecosystems are still poorly understood. This study on surface sediments from man-made disturbance tracks in the Pacific Ocean shows that due to the removal of the uppermost sediment layer and thereby the loss of organic matter, the geochemical system in the sediments is disturbed for millennia before reaching a new equilibrium.
Ralf Conrad, Melanie Klose, and Alex Enrich-Prast
Biogeosciences, 17, 1063–1069, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1063-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-1063-2020, 2020
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Lake sediments release the greenhouse gas CH4. Acetate is an important precursor. Although Amazonian lake sediments all contained acetate-consuming methanogens, measurement of the turnover of labeled acetate showed that some sediments converted acetate not to CH4 plus CO2, as expected, but only to CO2. Our results indicate the operation of acetate-oxidizing microorganisms couples the oxidation process to syntrophic methanogenic partners and/or to the reduction of organic compounds.
Jens Rassmann, Eryn M. Eitel, Bruno Lansard, Cécile Cathalot, Christophe Brandily, Martial Taillefert, and Christophe Rabouille
Biogeosciences, 17, 13–33, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-13-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-13-2020, 2020
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In this paper, we use a large set of measurements made using in situ and lab techniques to elucidate the cause of dissolved inorganic carbon fluxes in sediments from the Rhône delta and its companion compound alkalinity, which carries the absorption capacity of coastal waters with respect to atmospheric CO2. We show that sediment processes (sulfate reduction, FeS precipitation and accumulation) are crucial in generating the alkalinity fluxes observed in this study by in situ incubation chambers.
Sophie A. L. Paul, Matthias Haeckel, Michael Bau, Rajina Bajracharya, and Andrea Koschinsky
Biogeosciences, 16, 4829–4849, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4829-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4829-2019, 2019
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We studied the upper 10 m of deep-sea sediments, including pore water, in the Peru Basin to understand small-scale variability of trace metals. Our results show high spatial variability related to topographical variations, which in turn impact organic matter contents, degradation processes, and trace metal cycling. Another interesting finding was the influence of dissolving buried nodules on the surrounding sediment and trace metal cycling.
Sarah Paradis, Antonio Pusceddu, Pere Masqué, Pere Puig, Davide Moccia, Tommaso Russo, and Claudio Lo Iacono
Biogeosciences, 16, 4307–4320, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4307-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4307-2019, 2019
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Chronic deep bottom trawling in the Gulf of Castellammare (SW Mediterranean) erodes large volumes of sediment, exposing over-century-old sediment depleted in organic matter. Nevertheless, the arrival of fresh and nutritious sediment recovers superficial organic matter in trawling grounds and leads to high turnover rates, partially and temporarily mitigating the impacts of bottom trawling. However, this deposition is ephemeral and it will be swiftly eroded by the passage of the next trawler.
Zhichao Zhou, Bo Liang, Li-Ying Wang, Jin-Feng Liu, Bo-Zhong Mu, Hojae Shim, and Ji-Dong Gu
Biogeosciences, 16, 4229–4241, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4229-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4229-2019, 2019
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This study shows a core bacterial microbiome with a small proportion of shared operational taxonomic units of common sequences among all oil reservoirs. Dominant methanogenesis shifts from the hydrogenotrophic pathway in water phase to the acetoclastic pathway in the oil phase at high temperatures, but the opposite is true at low temperatures. There are also major functional metabolism differences between the two phases for amino acids, hydrocarbons, and carbohydrates.
Annika Fiskal, Longhui Deng, Anja Michel, Philip Eickenbusch, Xingguo Han, Lorenzo Lagostina, Rong Zhu, Michael Sander, Martin H. Schroth, Stefano M. Bernasconi, Nathalie Dubois, and Mark A. Lever
Biogeosciences, 16, 3725–3746, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3725-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3725-2019, 2019
Hanni Vigderovich, Lewen Liang, Barak Herut, Fengping Wang, Eyal Wurgaft, Maxim Rubin-Blum, and Orit Sivan
Biogeosciences, 16, 3165–3181, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3165-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-3165-2019, 2019
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Microbial iron reduction participates in important biogeochemical cycles. In the last decade iron reduction has been observed in many aquatic sediments below its classical zone, in the methane production zone, suggesting a link between the two cycles. Here we present evidence for microbial iron reduction in the methanogenic depth of the oligotrophic SE Mediterranean continental shelf using mainly geochemical and microbial sedimentary profiles and suggest possible mechanisms for this process.
Haoyi Yao, Wei-Li Hong, Giuliana Panieri, Simone Sauer, Marta E. Torres, Moritz F. Lehmann, Friederike Gründger, and Helge Niemann
Biogeosciences, 16, 2221–2232, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2221-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2221-2019, 2019
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How methane is transported in the sediment is important for the microbial community living on methane. Here we report an observation of a mini-fracture that facilitates the advective gas transport of methane in the sediment, compared to the diffusive fluid transport without a fracture. We found contrasting bio-geochemical signals in these different transport modes. This finding can help to fill the gap in the fracture network system in modulating methane dynamics in surface sediments.
Laura A. Casella, Sixin He, Erika Griesshaber, Lourdes Fernández-Díaz, Martina Greiner, Elizabeth M. Harper, Daniel J. Jackson, Andreas Ziegler, Vasileios Mavromatis, Martin Dietzel, Anton Eisenhauer, Sabino Veintemillas-Verdaguer, Uwe Brand, and Wolfgang W. Schmahl
Biogeosciences, 15, 7451–7484, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7451-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7451-2018, 2018
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Biogenic carbonates record past environmental conditions. Fossil shell chemistry and microstructure change as metastable biogenic carbonates are replaced by inorganic calcite. Simulated diagenetic alteration at 175 °C of different shell microstructures showed that (nacreous) shell aragonite and calcite were partially replaced by coarse inorganic calcite crystals due to dissolution–reprecipitation reactions. EBSD maps allowed for qualitative assessment of the degree of diagenetic overprint.
Wytze K. Lenstra, Matthias Egger, Niels A. G. M. van Helmond, Emma Kritzberg, Daniel J. Conley, and Caroline P. Slomp
Biogeosciences, 15, 6979–6996, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6979-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6979-2018, 2018
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We show that burial rates of phosphorus (P) in an estuary in the northern Baltic Sea are very high. We demonstrate that at high sedimentation rates, P retention in the sediment is related to the formation of vivianite. With a reactive transport model, we assess the sensitivity of sedimentary vivianite formation. We suggest that enrichments of iron and P in the sediment are linked to periods of enhanced riverine input of Fe, which subsequently strongly enhances P burial in coastal sediments.
Jiarui Liu, Gareth Izon, Jiasheng Wang, Gilad Antler, Zhou Wang, Jie Zhao, and Matthias Egger
Biogeosciences, 15, 6329–6348, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6329-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-6329-2018, 2018
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Our work provides new insights into the biogeochemical cycling of iron, methane and phosphorus. We found that vivianite, an iron-phosphate mineral, is pervasive in methane-rich sediments, suggesting that iron reduction at depth is coupled to phosphorus and methane cycling on a much greater spatial scale than previously assumed. Acting as an important burial mechanism for iron and phosphorus, vivianite authigenesis may be an under-considered process in both modern and ancient settings alike.
Marc A. Besseling, Ellen C. Hopmans, R. Christine Boschman, Jaap S. Sinninghe Damsté, and Laura Villanueva
Biogeosciences, 15, 4047–4064, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4047-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4047-2018, 2018
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Benthic archaea comprise a significant part of the total prokaryotic biomass in marine sediments. Here, we compared the archaeal diversity and intact polar lipid (IPL) composition in both surface and subsurface sediments with different oxygen regimes in the Arabian Sea oxygen minimum zone. The oxygenated sediments were dominated by Thaumarchaeota and IPL-GDGT-0. The anoxic sediment contained highly diverse archaeal communities and high relative abundances of IPL-GDGT-1 to -4.
Georgina Robinson, Thomas MacTavish, Candida Savage, Gary S. Caldwell, Clifford L. W. Jones, Trevor Probyn, Bradley D. Eyre, and Selina M. Stead
Biogeosciences, 15, 1863–1878, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1863-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1863-2018, 2018
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This study examined the effect of adding carbon to a sediment-based effluent treatment system to treat nitrogen-rich aquaculture waste. The research was conducted in incubation chambers to measure the exchange of gases and nutrients across the sediment–water interface and examine changes in the sediment microbial community. Adding carbon increased the amount of nitrogen retained in the treatment system, thereby reducing the levels of nitrogen needing to be discharged to the environment.
Daniele Brigolin, Christophe Rabouille, Bruno Bombled, Silvia Colla, Salvatrice Vizzini, Roberto Pastres, and Fabio Pranovi
Biogeosciences, 15, 1347–1366, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1347-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-1347-2018, 2018
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We present the result of a study carried out in the north-western Adriatic Sea by combining two different types of models with field sampling. A mussel farm was taken as a local source of perturbation to the natural flux of particulate organic carbon to the sediment. Differences in fluxes were primarily associated with mussel physiological conditions. Although restricted, these changes in particulate organic carbon fluxes induced visible effects on sediment biogeochemistry.
Volker Brüchert, Lisa Bröder, Joanna E. Sawicka, Tommaso Tesi, Samantha P. Joye, Xiaole Sun, Igor P. Semiletov, and Vladimir A. Samarkin
Biogeosciences, 15, 471–490, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-471-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-471-2018, 2018
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We determined the aerobic and anaerobic degradation rates of land- and marine-derived organic material in East Siberian shelf sediment. Marine plankton-derived organic carbon was the main source for the oxic dissolved carbon dioxide production, whereas terrestrial organic material significantly contributed to the production of carbon dioxide under anoxic conditions. Our direct degradation rate measurements provide new constraints for the present-day Arctic marine carbon budget.
Jack J. Middelburg
Biogeosciences, 15, 413–427, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-413-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-413-2018, 2018
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Organic carbon processing at the seafloor is studied by geologists to better understand the sedimentary record, by biogeochemists to quantify burial and respiration, by organic geochemists to elucidate compositional changes, and by ecologists to follow carbon transfers within food webs. These disciplinary approaches have their strengths and weaknesses. This award talk provides a synthesis, highlights the role of animals in sediment carbon processing and presents some new concepts.
Craig Smeaton, William E. N. Austin, Althea L. Davies, Agnes Baltzer, John A. Howe, and John M. Baxter
Biogeosciences, 14, 5663–5674, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5663-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-5663-2017, 2017
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Fjord sediments are recognised as hotspots for the burial and long-term storage of carbon. In this study, we use the Scottish fjords as a natural laboratory. Using geophysical and geochemical analysis in combination with upscaling techniques, we have generated the first full national sedimentary C inventory for a fjordic system. The results indicate that the Scottish fjords on a like-for-like basis are more effective as C stores than their terrestrial counterparts, including Scottish peatlands.
Perran Louis Miall Cook, Adam John Kessler, and Bradley David Eyre
Biogeosciences, 14, 4061–4069, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4061-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-4061-2017, 2017
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Nitrogen is the key nutrient that typically limits productivity in coastal waters. One of the key controls on the amount of bioavailable nitrogen is the process of denitrification, which converts nitrate (bioavailable) into nitrogen gas. Previous studies suggest high rates of denitrification may take place within carbonate sediments, and one explanation for this is that this process may take place within the sand grains. Here we show evidence to support this hypothesis.
Chris T. Parsons, Fereidoun Rezanezhad, David W. O'Connell, and Philippe Van Cappellen
Biogeosciences, 14, 3585–3602, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3585-2017, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-14-3585-2017, 2017
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Phosphorus (P) has accumulated in sediments due to past human activities. The re-release of this P to water contributes to the growth of harmful algal blooms. Our research improves our mechanistic understanding of how P is partitioned between different chemical forms and between sediment and water under dynamic conditions. We demonstrate that P trapped within iron minerals may be less mobile during anoxic conditions than previously thought due to reversible changes to P forms within sediment.
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Short summary
We combined field, laboratory (sediment-flow-through system) and numerical modeling work to investigate cold seep sediments at Quespos Slide, offshore of Costa Rica. The results demonstrated the efficiency of the benthic methane filter and provided an estimate for its response time (ca. 170 days) to changes in fluid fluxes.
We combined field, laboratory (sediment-flow-through system) and numerical modeling work to...
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