Interannual sedimentary effluxes of alkalinity in the southern North Sea: model results compared with summer observations

Pätsch, Johannes; Kühn, Wilfried; Six, Katharina Dorothea

doi:https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3293-2018

Articles | Volume 15, issue 11

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3293-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Special issue:

Progress in quantifying ocean biogeochemistry – in honour...

https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-3293-2018

© Author(s) 2018. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.

Articles | Volume 15, issue 11

Research article

|

04 Jun 2018

Research article |

| 04 Jun 2018

Interannual sedimentary effluxes of alkalinity in the southern North Sea: model results compared with summer observations

Johannes Pätsch, Wilfried Kühn, and Katharina Dorothea Six

Data sets

Mapping mud content and median grain-size of North Sea sediments - coastMap F.-D. Bockelmann, W. Puls, U. Kleeberg, D. M\"{u}ller, and K.-C. Emeis http://www.hzg.de/institutes_platforms/coastmap

Mapping mud content and median grain-size of North Sea sediments - coastMap_Substrate F.-D. Bockelmann, W. Puls, U. Kleeberg, D. M\"{u}ller, and K.-C. Emeis https://doi.org/10.1594/WDCC/coastMap_Substrate_MGS

Nitrate consumption in sediments of the German Bight (North Sea) - North Sea Profiles A. Neumann, J. E. E. van Beusekom, M. Holtappels, and K. C. Emeis https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.872715,2017

Short summary

Biogeochemical shelf sea modelling has a long tradition. Most models include early diagenesis sediment modules for remineralization of organic matter. The model presented here also simulates alkalinity, which is exported into the pelagic system. There the produced alkalinity joins in the carbonate system and is able to buffer invading atmospheric CO₂. The input of nitrate via rivers stimulates alkalinity generation within the sediment, which in turn reduces the acidification of coastal areas.