Articles | Volume 18, issue 17
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-18-4965-2021
© Author(s) 2021. 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-18-4965-2021
© Author(s) 2021. This work is distributed under
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
the Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 License.
Research article
| Highlight paper
| 
13 Sep 2021
Research article | Highlight paper |
| 13 Sep 2021
| 13 Sep 2021
Geochemical consequences of oxygen diffusion from the oceanic crust into overlying sediments and its significance for biogeochemical cycles based on sediments of the northeast Pacific
Gerard J. M. Versteegh
CORRESPONDING AUTHOR
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, 28759, Germany
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
Andrea Koschinsky
Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, 28759, Germany
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
Thomas Kuhn
Bundesanstalt für Geowissenschaften und Rohstoffe, Hannover, 30655, Germany
Inken Preuss
Department of Physics and Earth Sciences, Jacobs University Bremen, Bremen, 28759, Germany
present address: GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research, Kiel, 24148, Germany
Sabine Kasten
Alfred Wegener Institute, Helmholtz Centre for Polar and Marine Research, Bremerhaven, 27570, Germany
MARUM – Zentrum für Marine Umweltwissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
Faculty of Geosciences, University of Bremen, Bremen, 28359, Germany
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Short summary
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.
Oxygen penetrates sediments not only from the ocean bottom waters but also from the basement....
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