The Carbon Cycle 1: Production and Transformations of Organic Matter Under Aerobic Conditions

2015 ◽  
pp. 469-504
Author(s):  
Ivan Valiela
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Aerobic Conditions

Hydrolysis of organic wastewater particles in laboratory scale and pilot scale biofilm reactors under anoxic and aerobic conditions

1998 ◽  
Vol 38 (8-9) ◽  
pp. 179-188 ◽  
Author(s):  
K. F. Janning ◽  
X. Le Tallec ◽  
P. Harremoës
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Mass Balance ◽  
Particulate Organic Matter ◽  
Removal Rate ◽  
Pilot Scale ◽  
Laboratory Scale ◽  
Synthetic Wastewater ◽  
Aerobic Conditions ◽  
Biofilm Reactors ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

Hydrolysis and degradation of particulate organic matter has been isolated and investigated in laboratory scale and pilot scale biofilters. Wastewater was supplied to biofilm reactors in order to accumulate particulates from wastewater in the filter. When synthetic wastewater with no organic matter was supplied to the reactors, hydrolysis of the particulates was the only process occurring. Results from the laboratory scale experiments under aerobic conditions with pre-settled wastewater show that the initial removal rate is high: rV, O2 = 2.1 kg O2/(m3 d) though fast declining towards a much slower rate. A mass balance of carbon (TOC/TIC) shows that only 10% of the accumulated TOC was transformed to TIC during the 12 hour long experiment. The pilot scale hydrolysis experiment was performed in a new type of biofilm reactor - the B2A® biofilter that is characterised by a series of decreasing sized granular media (80-2.5 mm). When hydrolysis experiments were performed on the anoxic pilot biofilter with pre-screened wastewater particulates as carbon source, a rapid (rV, NO3=0.7 kg NO3-N/(m3 d)) and a slowler (rV, NO3 = 0.3 kg NO3-N/(m3 d)) removal rate were observed at an oxygen concentration of 3.5 mg O2/l. It was found that the pilot biofilter could retain significant amounts of particulate organic matter, reducing the porosity of the filter media of an average from 0.35 to 0.11. A mass balance of carbon shows that up to 40% of the total incoming TOC accumulates in the filter at high flow rates. Only up to 15% of the accumulated TOC was transformed to TIC during the 24 hour long experiment.

scholarly journals Potential Production of Carbon Gases and Their Responses to Paleoclimate Conditions: An Example From Xiaolongtan Basin, Southeast Tibetan Plateau

2021 ◽  
Vol 9 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gen Wang ◽  
Yongli Wang ◽  
Zhifu Wei ◽  
Zepeng Sun ◽  
Wei He ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Low Temperature ◽  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Higher Plants ◽  
The Tibetan Plateau ◽  
Climate Conditions ◽  
Burial Flux ◽  
Carbon Gases

Uplift of the Tibetan Plateau plays a significant and lasting role in the variations of climate conditions and global carbon cycle. However, our knowledge is limited due to the lack of long-sequence records revealing rates of CO2 and CH4 production, hampering our understanding of the relationship between paleoclimatic conditions, carbon cycling and greenhouse gas flux. Here, we present a combination of paleoclimate records and low-temperature thermal simulation results from sediments of the Xiaolongtan Basin at the southeastern margin of the Qinghai-Tibetan Plateau, spanning the late Miocene (14.1 ∼ 11.6 Ma). The n-alkane-derived proxies suggested that the sources of organic matter were obviously different: a mixed source including lower organisms and terrestrial higher plants for the Dongshengqiao Formation from 14.1 to 12.6 Ma, and a predominant contribution from terrestrial higher plants for Xiaolongtan Formation between 12.6 and 11.6 Ma. The paleoclimate was generally warm and humid as reflected by the lipid biomarkers, consistent with previous studies. In addition, the carbon gases (including CO2 and hydrocarbon gases) generated by the low-temperature thermal simulation experiments indicated a production rate of CO2 and CH4 were as high as 88,000 ml/kg rock and 4,000 ml/kg rock, respectively, implying there were certain amounts of carbon gases generated and released into the atmosphere during their shallow burial stage. Besides, the calculated production rate of carbon gases and the estimated burial flux of organic carbon varied in response to the variations of paleoclimate conditions. Based on these observations, we propose that the climate conditions predominantly controlled the formation and accumulation of organic matter, which consequently affected the production of carbon gases and burial flux of organic carbon. The results presented here may provide a significant insight into the carbon cycle in the southeast of the Tibetan Plateau.

Onset of Oceanic Anoxic Event 2 in the Lower Saxony Basin – Insights fromhigh-resolution stable isotope stratigraphy and geochemical modelling

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pia Müller ◽  
Ulrich Heimhofer ◽  
Christian Ostertag-Henning
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
High Resolution ◽  
Stable Isotope ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Geochemical Modelling ◽  
Positive Anomaly ◽  
Lower Saxony ◽  
Data Set ◽  
Oceanic Anoxic Event ◽  
Anoxic Event

<p>The Oceanic Anoxic Event (OAE) 2 spanning the Cenomanian-Turonian boundary (93.5 Ma)<br>represents a major perturbation of the global carbon cycle and is marked by organic-rich<br>sediments deposited under oxygen-depleted conditions. In many studies the eruption of the<br>Caribbean LIP is considered to be the cause for rapidly increasing CO2 concentrations and<br>resulting global warming accompanied by widespread oceanic anoxia. In the Lower Saxony<br>Basin of northern Germany, the deposits of the OAE 2 are exposed in several industry drill<br>cores. In this study, the lower part of the OAE 2 has been studied in the HOLCIM 2011-3 drill<br>core. Sedimentary rocks are composed of limestones, marly limestones, marls and black<br>shales and have been analysed with a high-resolution stable isotope approach<br>(approximately one sample every 2 cm) combined with geochemical modelling. Using stable<br>carbon isotopes, bulk rock parameters and petrographic analysis, the onset of OAE 2 has<br>been investigated in detail. The high-resolution δ<sup>13</sup>C curve exhibits overall stable values<br>around 3 ‰ before the onset of the Plenus event. This background level is interrupted by<br>three short-lived and small but significant negative carbon isotope excursions (CIEs) down to<br>δ<sup>13</sup>C values of 2.5 ‰, 2.7 ‰ and 1.9 ‰. Immediately before the main rise in the Plenus bed,<br>a longer-lasting negative CIE down to 2.8 ‰ is observed, preceding the large positive CIE of<br>the OAE 2 to values of 5.2 ‰ over 33 ka. Thereafter, the δ<sup>13</sup>C values decrease to 3.5 ‰ over<br>a period of approximately 130 ka. The results can be correlated with the lower-resolution<br>data set of Voigt et al. (2008) but enable a more accurate characterization of the subtle<br>features of the CIE and hence events before and during this time interval. Carbon cycle<br>modelling with the modelling software SIMILE using a model based on Kump & Arthur (1999)<br>reveals that the negative excursion before the Plenus bed can be explained by a massive<br>volcanic pulse releasing of 0.95*10<sup>18</sup> mol CO2 within 14 ka. This amount corresponds to only<br>81 % of the calculated volume of CO<sub>2</sub> release during emplacement of the Caribbean LIP by<br>Joo et al. (2020). In the model the volcanic exhalation increases atmospheric CO<sub>2</sub><br>concentrations. This will increase global temperatures, intensify the hydrological cycle and<br>thus increase nutrient input into the ocean, resulting in an expansion of the oxygen minimum<br>zone, the development of anoxic conditions and an increase in the preservation potential for<br>organic material. In the model enhanced primary productivity and organic matter preservation<br>can be controlled by the implemented riverine phosphate input and the preservation factor for<br>organic matter. For the positive anomaly, the riverine phosphate input must be nearly<br>doubled (from 0.01 μmol/kg PO<sub>4 </sub>to 0.019 μmol/kg) for the period of the increasing δ<sup>13</sup>C<br>values (app. 33 ka), with a concomitant rise of the preservation factor from 1 % to 2 %. This<br>model scenario accurately reproduces the major features of the new high-resolution δ<sup>13</sup>C<br>record over the onset of the OAE 2 CIE.</p>

An attempt to understand δ13C cycles with a simple conceptual model.

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Gaelle Leloup ◽  
Didier Paillard
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Conceptual Model ◽  
Carbon Isotope ◽  
Time Scale ◽  
Marine Biology ◽  
Climate Modelling ◽  
Orbital Eccentricity ◽  
Sediment Data ◽  
Geomagnetic Polarity

<div> <div> <p>A correct understanding of the human perturbation on the carbon cycle is a fundamental prerequisite of future climate modelling on large timescales.</p> <p>However, « classical » carbon cycle theories barely take into account the « organic » part of the carbon cycle and are not able to reproduce past δ<sup>13</sup>C data.</p> <p>Analysis of sediment data reveals the presence of cycles in the δ<sup>13</sup>C record. A 400 kyr cycle has been observed at several time periods, from the Eocene to present [1-4]. Moreover, longer cycles have been observed : 2.4, 4.6 and 9 Myr [5-8]. The 9 Myr cycle is present since the start of the Mesozoic. These periodicities seem linked to eccentricity periods.</p> <p>By forcing astronomically the (net) organic matter burial in a carbon cycle conceptual model, Paillard [9] reproduced 400 kyr and 2.4 Myr cycles in δ<sup>13</sup>C.</p> <p>The net organic matter burial has a key role on δ<sup>13</sup>C, as terrestrial and marine biology preferentially use <sup>12</sup>C during photosynthesis. Therefore if the burial of (<sup>12</sup>C rich) organic matter is relatively more important, the δ<sup>13</sup>C of the superficial system will decrease, and inversely.</p> <p>However, this conceptual model was not able to explain longer term cycles at 4.6 and 9 Myr.</p> <p>Here, we develop a new conceptual model based on Paillard [9], which includes the role of oxygen. Indeed, oxygen also influences the organic matter burial.</p> <p>With this new conceptual model coupling carbon and oxygen cycle, it is possible to obtain 400 kyr, 2.4 Myr, but also longer cycles.</p> <p> </p> <p>References :</p> <p>[1] Sexton et al, 2011, Eocene global warming events driven by ventilation of oceanic dissolved organic carbon</p> <p>[2] Pälike et al, 2006 The Heartbeat of the Oligocene Climate System</p> <p>[3] Billups et al, 2004 Astronomic calibration of the late Oligocene through early Miocene geomagnetic polarity time scale</p> <p>[4]Wang et al, 2010, Obscuring of long eccentricity cyclicity in Pleistocene oceanic carbon isotope records</p> <p>[5] Boulila et al, 2012, A ~9 myr cycle in Cenozoic δ13C record and long-term orbital eccentricity modulation: Is there a link?</p> <p>[6] Ikeda et al, 2014, 70 million year astronomical time scale for the deep-sea bedded chert sequence (Inuyama, Japan): Implications for Triassic–Jurassic geochronology.</p> <p>[7] Martinez et al, 2015, Orbital pacing of carbon fluxes by a ∼9-My eccentricity cycle during the Mesozoic</p> <p>[8] Sprovieri M, et al. (2013) Late Cretaceous orbitally-paced carbon isotope stratigraphy from the Bottaccione Gorge (Italy).</p> <p>[9] Paillard, 2017, The Plio-Pleistocene climatic evolution as a consequence of orbital forcing on the carbon cycle.</p> </div> </div>

scholarly journals The carbon cycle and carbon dioxide over Phanerozoic time: the role of land plants

1998 ◽  
Vol 353 (1365) ◽  
pp. 75-82 ◽  
Author(s):  
Robert A. Berner
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Carbon Cycle ◽  
Vascular Plants ◽  
Global Climate ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Field Studies ◽  
Accelerated Weathering ◽  
Fossil Plants ◽  
Factors Affecting ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

A model (GEOCARB) of the long–term, or multimillion year, carbon cycle has been constructed which includes quantitative treatment of (1) uptake of atmospheric CO 2 by the weathering of silicate and carbonate rocks on the continents, and the deposition of carbonate minerals and organic matter in oceanic sediments; and (2) the release of CO 2 to the atmosphere via the weathering of kerogen in sedimentary rocks and degassing resulting from the volcanic–metamorphic–diagenetic breakdown of carbonates and organic matter at depth. Sensitivity analysis indicates that an important factor affecting CO 2 was the rise of vascular plants in the Palaeozoic. A large Devonian drop in CO 2 was brought about primarily by the acceleration of weathering of silicate rock by the development of deeply rooted plants in well–drained upland soils. The quantitative effect of this accelerated weathering has been crudely estimated by present–day field studies where all factors affecting weathering, other than the presence or absence of vascular plants, have been held relatively constant. An important additional factor, bringing about a further CO 2 drop into the Carboniferous and Permian, was enhanced burial of organic matter in sediments, due probably to the production of microbially resistant plant remains (e.g. lignin). Phanerozoic palaeolevels of atmospheric CO 2 calculated from the GEOCARB model generally agree with independent estimates based on measurements of the carbon isotopic composition of palaeosols and the stomatal index for fossil plants. Correlation of CO 2 levels with estimates of palaeoclimate suggests that the atmospheric greenhouse effect has been a major factor in controlling global climate over the past 600 million years.

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