Articles | Volume 18, issue 6
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2139-2021
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-2139-2021
Research article
 | 
24 Mar 2021
Research article |  | 24 Mar 2021

Organic carbon densities and accumulation rates in surface sediments of the North Sea and Skagerrak

Markus Diesing, Terje Thorsnes, and Lilja Rún Bjarnadóttir

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Cited articles

Aldridge, J. N., Parker, E. R., Bricheno, L., Green, S. L., and van der Molen, J.: Assessment of the physical disturbance of the northern European Continental shelf seabed by waves and currents, Cont. Shelf Res., 108, 121–140, https://doi.org/10.1016/j.csr.2015.03.004, 2015. 
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Short summary
The upper 10 cm of the seafloor of the North Sea and Skagerrak contain 231×106 t of carbon in organic form. The Norwegian Trough, the deepest sedimentary basin in the studied area, stands out as a zone of strong organic carbon accumulation with rates on par with neighbouring fjords. Conversely, large parts of the North Sea are characterised by rapid organic carbon degradation and negligible accumulation. This dual character is likely typical for continental shelf sediments worldwide.
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