Preprints
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-291
https://doi.org/10.5194/bg-2020-291
31 Aug 2020
 | 31 Aug 2020
Status: this preprint has been withdrawn by the authors.

Rapid abiotic transformation of marine dissolved organic material to particulate organic material in surface and deep waters

Paola Valdes Villaverde, Cesar Almeda Jauregui, and Helmut Maske

Abstract. Marine particulate organic matter (POM) supports the vertical transport of organics in the oceans, and the ecology of microbes and filter feeders. POM is collected on GFF filters and quantified as particulate organic carbon (POC) and nitrogen (PON). The filtrate contains dissolved organic matter (DOM) that partly is abiotically converted into POM and can be collected on GFF filters. We filtered seawater from cultures and the pelagic ocean, after the initial sample filtration yielding the conventional POC/PON sample (POM1), we refiltered the filtrate yielding POM2, refiltering its filtrate we obtained POM3 and so on till POMi. Refiltered POM tended to the same concentration independent of the sample depth and even after a few refiltrations, independent of the original particulate organic load. POM2/POMi for surface water (< 100 m) was about 0.1 and for deep water (> 1000 m) was > 1.0. We considered adsorption of DOM and bacteria that had passed through the first filter but concluded that these could not explain the high POM concentration in the filtrates. We suggest that POM in filtrates represent gels formed due to hydraulic stress during filtration. The ratio of POM2/POMi will partly depend on environmental conditions like turbulent energy. We suggest that the increase of POM2/POMi with depth is related to the lower in situ turbulent energy at greater depth. We discuss aspects of POM methodology, including problems with acidification of samples, and the wider ecological implications of our results.

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Publisher's note: Copernicus Publications remains neutral with regard to jurisdictional claims made in the text, published maps, institutional affiliations, or any other geographical representation in this preprint. The responsibility to include appropriate place names lies with the authors.
Paola Valdes Villaverde, Cesar Almeda Jauregui, and Helmut Maske

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement

Interactive discussion

Status: closed
Status: closed
AC: Author comment | RC: Referee comment | SC: Short comment | EC: Editor comment
Printer-friendly Version - Printer-friendly version Supplement - Supplement
Paola Valdes Villaverde, Cesar Almeda Jauregui, and Helmut Maske
Paola Valdes Villaverde, Cesar Almeda Jauregui, and Helmut Maske

Viewed

Total article views: 876 (including HTML, PDF, and XML)
HTML PDF XML Total Supplement BibTeX EndNote
619 205 52 876 142 47 49
  • HTML: 619
  • PDF: 205
  • XML: 52
  • Total: 876
  • Supplement: 142
  • BibTeX: 47
  • EndNote: 49
Views and downloads (calculated since 31 Aug 2020)
Cumulative views and downloads (calculated since 31 Aug 2020)

Viewed (geographical distribution)

Total article views: 793 (including HTML, PDF, and XML) Thereof 793 with geography defined and 0 with unknown origin.
Country # Views %
  • 1
1
 
 
 
 
Latest update: 06 Dec 2024
Download

This preprint has been withdrawn.

Short summary
The oceans sequester more than 1/4 of the anthropogenic CO2, mainly through the sinking of organic particles (POM) to the seafloor. POM samples are collected on filter; the filtrate is expected to contain only dissolved organic material, but we found unexpectedly high POM when the filtrate was refiltered. We interpret this POM as gels that were formed in the filtrate by hydraulic stress during the filtration. In deep water samples the POM collected can be less than the POM in the filtrate.
Altmetrics