Articles | Volume 16, issue 10
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2221-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-2221-2019
© Author(s) 2019. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| 
29 May 2019
Research article |
| 29 May 2019
| 29 May 2019
Fracture-controlled fluid transport supports microbial methane-oxidizing communities at Vestnesa Ridge
Haoyi Yao
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Wei-Li Hong
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
Giuliana Panieri
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Simone Sauer
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Geological Survey of Norway (NGU), Trondheim, Norway
Marta E. Torres
College of Earth, Ocean, and Atmospheric Sciences (CEOAS), Oregon State
University, Corvallis, USA
Moritz F. Lehmann
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Friederike Gründger
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Helge Niemann
Centre for Arctic Gas Hydrate (CAGE), Environment and Climate,
Department of Geosciences, UiT The Arctic University of Norway in Tromsø, Tromsø, Norway
Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Basel, Basel, Switzerland
Royal Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ), Department of
Marine Microbiology and Biogeochemistry, and Utrecht University, den Burg, the
Netherlands
Department of Earth Sciences, Faculty of Geosciences, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
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Carolina F.M. de Carvalho, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Sarah G. Pati
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1193, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-1193, 2025
This preprint is open for discussion and under review for Biogeosciences (BG).
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Using O2 stable isotope analysis, we determined the isotopic fractionation of biological O2 consumption by 10 flavin-dependent and 6 metalloenzymes. Metalloenzymes displayed a narrower range and lower values of isotopic fractionation than flavin-dependent enzymes. This work expands our understanding of the variability of oxygen isotopic fractionation at the enzyme level, improving the ability to study O2 dynamics from molecular to ecosystem scales.
Guangyi Su, Julie Tolu, Clemens Glombitza, Jakob Zopfi, Moritz F. Lehmann, Mark A. Lever, and Carsten J. Schubert
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-437, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-437, 2025
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In Lake Geneva, we studied how different types of organic matter affect methane production. Despite varying sources—like algae and land-based materials, both deep and delta areas are significant methane sources and methane was mainly produced through CO2 reduction. Surprisingly, the origin of organic matter didn’t strongly influence methane production rates or pathways. Our findings highlight the need to better understand microbial processes to predict methane emissions from lakes.
Tim R. de Groot, Julia C. Engelmann, Pierre Ramond, Julia Diorgio, Judith van Bleiswijk, and Helge Niemann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-316, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2025-316, 2025
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In the ocean, the potent greenhouse gas methane is largely produced – but also consumed – in coastal systems before reaching the atmosphere. Rising temperatures and shifting precipitation patterns will likely impact the community composition of aerobic methanotrophic bacteria (MOB). Experiments with North Sea and Wadden Sea water showed that methane availability increased MOB abundance but that different MOB types could thrive under drastically changed environmental conditions.
Seyed Reza Saghravani, Michael Ernst Böttcher, Wei-Li Hong, Karol Kuliński, Aivo Lepland, Arunima Sen, and Beata Szymczycha
Earth Syst. Sci. Data, 16, 3419–3431, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3419-2024, https://doi.org/10.5194/essd-16-3419-2024, 2024
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A comprehensive study conducted in 2021 examined the distributions of dissolved nutrients and carbon in the western Spitsbergen fjords during the high-melting season. Significant spatial variability was observed in the water column and pore water concentrations of constituents, highlighting the unique biogeochemical characteristics of each fjord and their potential impact on ecosystem functioning and oceanographic processes.
Tim René de Groot, Anne Margriet Mol, Katherine Mesdag, Pierre Ramond, Rachel Ndhlovu, Julia Catherine Engelmann, Thomas Röckmann, and Helge Niemann
Biogeosciences, 20, 3857–3872, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3857-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-20-3857-2023, 2023
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This study investigates methane dynamics in the Wadden Sea. Our measurements revealed distinct variations triggered by seasonality and tidal forcing. The methane budget was higher in warmer seasons but surprisingly high in colder seasons. Methane dynamics were amplified during low tides, flushing the majority of methane into the North Sea or releasing it to the atmosphere. Methanotrophic activity was also elevated during low tide but mitigated only a small fraction of the methane efflux.
Valentina Beccari, Ahuva Almogi-Labin, Daniela Basso, Giuliana Panieri, Yizhaq Makovsky, Irka Hajdas, and Silvia Spezzaferri
J. Micropalaeontol., 42, 13–29, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-13-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/jm-42-13-2023, 2023
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Planktonic gastropods (pteropods and heteropods) have been investigated in cores collected in the eastern Mediterranean along the Israeli coast in coral, pockmark, and channel areas. The sediment spans the last 5300 years. Our study reveals that neglecting the smaller fraction (> 63 µm) may result in a misinterpretation of the palaeoceanography. The presence of tropical and subtropical species reveals that the eastern Mediterranean acted as a refugium for these organisms.
Mathew Stiller-Reeve, Claudio Argentino, Kate Alyse Waghorn, Sunil Vadakkepuliyambatta, Dimitri Kalenitchenko, and Giuliana Panieri
Geosci. Commun., 6, 1–9, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-6-1-2023, https://doi.org/10.5194/gc-6-1-2023, 2023
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In this paper, we describe a process in which geoscientists corresponded with school classes in three different countries using handwritten letters and Polaroid photo albums. The stories they told were based on their experiences during a research expedition in the Arctic. We evaluated the process and show some of the benefits the students experienced from their correspondence with the scientists in this way.
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.
Muhammed Fatih Sert, Helge Niemann, Eoghan P. Reeves, Mats A. Granskog, Kevin P. Hand, Timo Kekäläinen, Janne Jänis, Pamela E. Rossel, Bénédicte Ferré, Anna Silyakova, and Friederike Gründger
Biogeosciences, 19, 2101–2120, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2101-2022, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-19-2101-2022, 2022
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We investigate organic matter composition in the Arctic Ocean water column. We collected seawater samples from sea ice to deep waters at six vertical profiles near an active hydrothermal vent and its plume. In comparison to seawater, we found that the organic matter in waters directly affected by the hydrothermal plume had different chemical composition. We suggest that hydrothermal processes may influence the organic matter distribution in the deep ocean.
Tanya J. R. Lippmann, Michiel H. in 't Zandt, Nathalie N. L. Van der Putten, Freek S. Busschers, Marc P. Hijma, Pieter van der Velden, Tim de Groot, Zicarlo van Aalderen, Ove H. Meisel, Caroline P. Slomp, Helge Niemann, Mike S. M. Jetten, Han A. J. Dolman, and Cornelia U. Welte
Biogeosciences, 18, 5491–5511, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5491-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-5491-2021, 2021
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This paper is a step towards understanding the basal peat ecosystem beneath the North Sea. Plant remains followed parallel sequences. Methane concentrations were low with local exceptions, with the source likely being trapped pockets of millennia-old methane. Microbial community structure indicated the absence of a biofilter and was diverse across sites. Large carbon stores in the presence of methanogens and in the absence of methanotrophs have the potential to be metabolized into methane.
Owen A. Sherwood, Samuel H. Davin, Nadine Lehmann, Carolyn Buchwald, Evan N. Edinger, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Markus Kienast
Biogeosciences, 18, 4491–4510, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4491-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4491-2021, 2021
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Pacific water flowing eastward through the Canadian Arctic plays an important role in redistributing nutrients to the northwest Atlantic Ocean. Using samples collected from northern Baffin Bay to the southern Labrador Shelf, we show that stable isotopic ratios in seawater nitrate reflect the fraction of Pacific to Atlantic water. These results provide a new framework for interpreting patterns of nitrogen isotopic variability recorded in modern and archival organic materials in the region.
Sigrid van Grinsven, Kirsten Oswald, Bernhard Wehrli, Corinne Jegge, Jakob Zopfi, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Carsten J. Schubert
Biogeosciences, 18, 3087–3101, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3087-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-3087-2021, 2021
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Lake Lovojärvi is a nutrient-rich lake with high amounts of methane at the bottom, but little near the top. Methane comes from the sediment and rises up through the water but is consumed by microorganisms along the way. They use oxygen if available, but in deeper water layers, no oxygen was present. There, nitrite, iron and humic substances were used, besides a collaboration between photosynthetic organisms and methane consumers, in which the first produced oxygen for the latter.
Yunhua Chang, Yan-Lin Zhang, Sawaeng Kawichai, Qian Wang, Martin Van Damme, Lieven Clarisse, Tippawan Prapamontol, and Moritz F. Lehmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 21, 7187–7198, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7187-2021, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-21-7187-2021, 2021
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In this study, we integrated satellite constraints on atmospheric NH3 levels and fire intensity, discrete NH3 concentration measurement, and N isotopic analysis of NH3 in order to assess the regional-scale contribution of biomass burning to ambient atmospheric NH3 in the heartland of Southeast Asia. The combined approach provides a valuable cross-validation framework for source apportioning of NH3 in the lower atmosphere and will thus help to ameliorate predictions of biomass burning emissions.
Claudio Argentino, Kate Alyse Waghorn, Stefan Bünz, and Giuliana Panieri
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-58, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2021-58, 2021
Preprint withdrawn
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We investigated sulfate and methane cycling in sediments of the SW Barents Sea associated with a shallow gas accumulation. The depth of the sulfate-methane transition zone ranges between 3.5 m and 29.2 m, and all methane is consumed within the sediment. Results from this study are important to better understand the dynamic of the sulfate-methane transition and to predict its response to future scenarios of increasing methane fluxes in Arctic continental shelves affected by ocean warming.
Anna-Neva Visser, Scott D. Wankel, Pascal A. Niklaus, James M. Byrne, Andreas A. Kappler, and Moritz F. Lehmann
Biogeosciences, 17, 4355–4374, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4355-2020, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-17-4355-2020, 2020
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This study focuses on the chemical reaction between Fe(II) and nitrite, which has been reported to produce high levels of the greenhouse gas N2O. We investigated the extent to which dead biomass and Fe(II) minerals might enhance this reaction. Here, nitrite reduction was highest when both additives were present but less pronounced if only Fe(II) minerals were added. Both reaction systems show distinct differences, rather low N2O levels, and indicated the abiotic production of N2.
Adeline N. Y. Cojean, Jakob Zopfi, Alan Gerster, Claudia Frey, Fabio Lepori, and Moritz F. Lehmann
Biogeosciences, 16, 4705–4718, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4705-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-16-4705-2019, 2019
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Our results demonstrate the importance of oxygen in regulating the fate of nitrogen (N) in the sediments of Lake Lugano south basin, Switzerland. Hence, our study suggests that, by changing oxygen concentration in bottom waters, the seasonal water column turnover may significantly regulate the partitioning between N removal and N recycling in surface sediments, and it is likely that a similar pattern can be expected in a wide range of environments.
Christian Berndt, Sverre Planke, Damon Teagle, Ritske Huismans, Trond Torsvik, Joost Frieling, Morgan T. Jones, Dougal A. Jerram, Christian Tegner, Jan Inge Faleide, Helen Coxall, and Wei-Li Hong
Sci. Dril., 26, 69–85, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-26-69-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/sd-26-69-2019, 2019
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The northeast Atlantic encompasses archetypal examples of volcanic rifted margins. Twenty-five years after the last ODP leg on these volcanic margins, the reasons for excess melting are still disputed with at least three competing hypotheses being discussed. We are proposing a new drilling campaign that will constrain the timing, rates of volcanism, and vertical movements of rifted margins.
Yunhua Chang, Yan-Lin Zhang, Jiarong Li, Chongguo Tian, Linlin Song, Xiaoyao Zhai, Wenqi Zhang, Tong Huang, Yu-Chi Lin, Chao Zhu, Yunting Fang, Moritz F. Lehmann, and Jianmin Chen
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 19, 12221–12234, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12221-2019, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-19-12221-2019, 2019
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The present work underscores the value of cloud water dissolved inorganic nitrogen isotopes as carriers of quantitative information on regional NOx and NH3 emissions. It sheds light on the origin and production pathways of nitrogenous species in clouds and emphasizes the importance of biomass-burning-derived nitrogenous species as cloud condensation nuclei in China’s troposphere. Moreover, it highlights the rapid evolution of NOx emissions in China.
Dong-Hun Lee, Jung-Hyun Kim, Yung Mi Lee, Alina Stadnitskaia, Young Keun Jin, Helge Niemann, Young-Gyun Kim, and Kyung-Hoon Shin
Biogeosciences, 15, 7419–7433, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7419-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7419-2018, 2018
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In this study, we provide first evidence of lipid biomarker patterns and phylogenetic identities of key microbes mediating anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) communities in active mud volcanoes (MVs) on the continental slope of the Canadian Beaufort Sea. Our lipid and 16S rRNA results indicate that archaea of the ANME-2c and ANME-3 clades are involved in AOM in the MVs investigated.
Martin Ley, Moritz F. Lehmann, Pascal A. Niklaus, and Jörg Luster
Biogeosciences, 15, 7043–7057, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7043-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-7043-2018, 2018
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Our laboratory study shows how microhabitat formation linked to soil aggregates, litter accumulation and plant soil interactions affects conditions under which
hot momentsof enhanced N2O emissions from floodplain soils during the drying phase after saturation occur. Larger aggregate size led to higher integrated flux rates when soil was unamended or mixed with leaf litter, whereas planting with willow significantly reduced emissions. Also, emission time patterns differed among the treatments.
Yunhua Chang, Yanlin Zhang, Chongguo Tian, Shichun Zhang, Xiaoyan Ma, Fang Cao, Xiaoyan Liu, Wenqi Zhang, Thomas Kuhn, and Moritz F. Lehmann
Atmos. Chem. Phys., 18, 11647–11661, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11647-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/acp-18-11647-2018, 2018
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We demonstrate that it is imperative that future studies, making use of isotope mixing models to gain conclusive constraints on the source partitioning of atmospheric NOx, consider this N isotope fractionation. Future assessments of NOx emissions in China (and elsewhere) should involve simultaneous δ15N and δ18O measurements of atmospheric nitrate and NOx at high spatiotemporal resolution, allowing former N-isotope-based NOx source partitioning estimates to be reevaluated more quantitatively.
Arunima Sen, Emmelie K. L. Åström, Wei-Li Hong, Alexey Portnov, Malin Waage, Pavel Serov, Michael L. Carroll, and JoLynn Carroll
Biogeosciences, 15, 4533–4559, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4533-2018, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-15-4533-2018, 2018
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Diverse benthic communities populate a site of methane seepage on the Arctic shelf. Despite a likely reliance on sulfide as an energy source, Oligobrachia worm distributions did not correlate with sulfide concentrations. We suggest that sulfide and carbon generation linked to microbial activity and high methane fluxes determines their presence or absence. We discuss the site and our results within the context of Arctic ecology and economy as well as the biology of seafloor hydrocarbon seeps.
Pauline Latour, Wei-Li Hong, Simone Sauer, Arunima Sen, William P. Gilhooly III, Aivo Lepland, and Fotios Fouskas
Biogeosciences Discuss., https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-223, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2018-223, 2018
Revised manuscript not accepted
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Dissolved iron is one of the most important nutrients for the marine life. The production and consumption of dissolved iron are therefore closely associated with the carbon cycling in the ocean. We present geochemical data and numerical modeling results to discuss how the supply of dissolved iron, from marine sediments to the ocean, is connected to carbon and sulfur cycles and influence the distribution of animals in environments with high methane supply.
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.
S. D. Wankel, C. Buchwald, W. Ziebis, C. B. Wenk, and M. F. Lehmann
Biogeosciences, 12, 7483–7502, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7483-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-7483-2015, 2015
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In the sediments underlying the global oligotrophic ocean, low levels of microbial activity persist, despite low input of organic matter from surface ocean productivity. Using measured nitrogen and oxygen isotopes of porewater nitrate we estimate the magnitude and extent of microbial nitrogen cycling. We find evidence for the overlap of both denitrification as well as autotrophic pathways such as nitrification and nitrogen fixation, pointing to a relatively large role for subsurface autotrophy.
S. Mau, T. Gentz, J.-H. Körber, M. E. Torres, M. Römer, H. Sahling, P. Wintersteller, R. Martinez, M. Schlüter, and E. Helmke
Biogeosciences, 12, 5261–5276, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5261-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-12-5261-2015, 2015
C. Consolaro, T. L. Rasmussen, G. Panieri, J. Mienert, S. Bünz, and K. Sztybor
Clim. Past, 11, 669–685, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-669-2015, https://doi.org/10.5194/cp-11-669-2015, 2015
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A sediment core collected from a pockmark field on the Vestnesa Ridge (~80N) in the Fram Strait is presented. Our results show an undisturbed sedimentary record for the last 14 ka BP and negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) during the Bølling-Allerød interstadials and during the early Holocene. Both CIEs relate to periods of ocean warming, sea-level rise and increased concentrations of methane (CH4) in the atmosphere, suggesting an apparent correlation with warm climatic events.
C. V. Freymond, C. B. Wenk, C. H. Frame, and M. F. Lehmann
Biogeosciences, 10, 8373–8383, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-8373-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-8373-2013, 2013
M. Alkhatib, P. A. del Giorgio, Y. Gelinas, and M. F. Lehmann
Biogeosciences, 10, 7609–7622, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7609-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-7609-2013, 2013
S. Mau, J. Blees, E. Helmke, H. Niemann, and E. Damm
Biogeosciences, 10, 6267–6278, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6267-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-6267-2013, 2013
R. Zurbrügg, S. Suter, M. F. Lehmann, B. Wehrli, and D. B. Senn
Biogeosciences, 10, 23–38, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-23-2013, https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-10-23-2013, 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.
Qiang Zhang, George Edward Alexander Swann, Vanessa Pashley, and Matthew S. A. Horstwood
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3686, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3686, 2024
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We presents the first coupled record of radiolarian silicon isotopes (δ30Sirad) from paired water column and surface sediment samples in the South China Sea. No significant discrepancies in δ30Sirad values were observed between plankton and sediment samples, implying a minimal impact of dissolution on δ30Sirad during deposition of radiolarian shells. This demonstrates the faithful preservation of the δ30Sirad signature and its potential for studying past changes in the marine silicon cycle.
Frieda P. Giest, Maren Jenrich, Guido Grosse, Benjamin M. Jones, Kai Mangelsdorf, Torben Windirsch, and Jens Strauss
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3683, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-3683, 2024
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Climate warming causes permafrost to thaw, releasing greenhouse gases and affecting ecosystems. We studied sediments from Arctic coastal landscapes, including land, lakes, lagoons, and the ocean, finding that organic carbon storage and quality vary with landscape features and saltwater influence. Freshwater and land areas store more carbon, while saltwater reduces its quality. These findings improve predictions of Arctic responses to climate change and their impact on global carbon cycling.
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.
Vanessa M. Alfonso, Peter M. Groffman, Zhongqi Cheng, and David E. Seidemann
EGUsphere, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1165, https://doi.org/10.5194/egusphere-2024-1165, 2024
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This study sought to explore organic-mineral interactions by investigating the functional performance of exposed clays through measurements of biogeochemical processes occurring on these materials. Results indicate that ancient clays are contributing to contemporary biogeochemical processes at ecosystem and landscape scales by supporting an active microbial community and a wide range of nitrogen cycle processes encompassing mineralization, immobilization, nitrification, and denitrification.
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.
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.
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Short summary
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.
How methane is transported in the sediment is important for the microbial community living on...
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