scholarly journals Carbon isotopic evidence for microbial control of carbon supply to Orca Basin at the seawater–brine interface

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (5) ◽  
pp. 3175-3183 ◽  
Author(s):  
S. R. Shah ◽  
S. B. Joye ◽  
J. A. Brandes ◽  
A. P. McNichol
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Microbial Activity ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
Large Reservoir ◽  
Carbon Isotopic ◽  
Orca Basin

Abstract. Orca Basin, an intraslope basin on the Texas-Louisiana continental slope, hosts a hypersaline, anoxic brine in its lowermost 200 m in which limited microbial activity has been reported. This brine contains a large reservoir of reduced and aged carbon, and appears to be stable at decadal time scales: concentrations and isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic (DIC) and organic carbon (DOC) are similar to measurements made in the 1970s. Both DIC and DOC are more "aged" within the brine pool than in overlying water, and the isotopic contrast between brine carbon and seawater carbon is much greater for DIC than DOC. While the stable carbon isotopic composition of brine DIC points towards a combination of methane and organic carbon remineralization as its source, radiocarbon and box model results point to the brine interface as the major source region for DIC, allowing for only limited oxidation of methane diffusing upwards from sediments. This conclusion is consistent with previous studies that identify the seawater–brine interface as the focus of microbial activity associated with Orca Basin brine. Isotopic similarities between DIC and DOC suggest a different relationship between these two carbon reservoirs than is typically observed in deep ocean basins. Radiocarbon values implicate the seawater–brine interface region as the likely source region for DOC to the brine as well as DIC.

scholarly journals Carbon isotopic evidence for microbial control of carbon supply to Orca Basin at the brine-seawater interface

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (12) ◽  
pp. 17913-17937
Author(s):  
S. R. Shah ◽  
S. B. Joye ◽  
J. A. Brandes ◽  
A. P. McNichol
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Source Region ◽  
Microbial Control ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
Large Reservoir ◽  
Dissolved Carbon ◽  
Carbon Isotopic ◽  
Orca Basin

Abstract. Orca Basin, an intraslope basin on the Texas–Louisiana continental slope, hosts a hypersaline, anoxic brine in its lowermost 200 m. This brine contains a large reservoir of reduced and aged carbon, and appears to be stable at decadal time scales: concentrations and the isotopic composition of dissolved inorganic (DIC) and organic carbon (DOC) are similar to previous reports. Both DIC and DOC are more "aged" within the brine pool than in overlying water, and the isotopic contrast between brine carbon and seawater carbon is much greater for DIC than DOC. While the stable carbon isotopic composition of brine DIC points towards a combination of methane and organic carbon re-mineralization as its source, radiocarbon and box model results point to the brine interface as the major source region for DIC with oxidation of methane diffusing upwards from sediments supplying only limited DIC to the brine. This conclusion is consistent with previous studies reporting microbial activity focused at the seawater-brine interface. Isotopic similarities between DIC and DOC suggest a different relationship between these two carbon reservoirs than is typically observed in deep ocean basins. Radiocarbon values implicate the seawater-brine interface region as the likely source region for DOC as well as DIC. Further investigations of the seawater-brine interface are needed to advance our understanding of the specific microbial processes contributing to dissolved carbon storage in the Orca Basin brine.

scholarly journals Carbon isotopic composition of branched tetraether membrane lipids in soils suggest a rapid turnover and a heterotrophic life style of their source organism(s)

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (9) ◽  
pp. 2959-2973 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. H. Weijers ◽  
G. L. B. Wiesenberg ◽  
R. Bol ◽  
E. C. Hopmans ◽  
R. D. Pancost
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Arable Soils ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Δ13c Values ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

Abstract. Branched Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane spanning lipids synthesised by as yet unknown bacteria that thrive in soils and peat. In order to obtain more information on their ecological niche, the stable carbon isotopic composition of branched GDGT-derived alkanes, obtained upon ether bond cleavage, has been determined in a peat and various soils, i.e. forest, grassland and cropland, covered by various vegetation types, i.e., C3- vs. C4-plant type. These δ13C values are compared with those of bulk organic matter and higher plant derived n-alkanes from the same soils. With average δ13C values of −28‰, branched GDGTs in C3 soils are only slightly depleted (ca. 1‰) relative to bulk organic carbon and on average 8.5‰ enriched relative to plant wax-derived long-chain n-alkanes ( nC29–nC33). In an Australian soil dominantly covered with C4 type vegetation, the branched GDGTs have a δ13C value of −18‰, clearly higher than observed in soils with C3 type vegetation. As with C3 vegetated soils, branched GDGT δ13C values are slightly depleted (1‰) relative to bulk organic carbon and enriched (ca. 5‰) relative to n-alkanes in this soil. The δ13C values of branched GDGT lipids being similar to bulk organic carbon and their co-variation with those of bulk organic carbon and plant waxes, suggest a heterotrophic life style and assimilation of relatively heavy and likely labile substrates for the as yet unknown soil bacteria that synthesise the branched GDGT lipids. However, a chemoautotrophic lifestyle, i.e. consuming respired CO2, could not be fully excluded based on these data alone. Based on a natural labelling experiment of a C3/C4 crop change introduced on one of the soils 23 years before sampling and based on a free-air CO2 enrichment experiment with labelled CO2 on another soil, a turnover time of ca. 18 years has been estimated for branched GDGTs in these arable soils.

The Distribution and Stable Carbon Isotopic Composition of Dissolved Organic Carbon in Estuaries

Estuaries ◽  
1994 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 111 ◽  
Author(s):  
Bruce Peterson ◽  
Brian Fry ◽  
Meredith Hullar ◽  
Susan Saupe ◽  
Richard Wright
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Dissolved Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Stable Carbon ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

scholarly journals Carbon isotopic composition of branched tetraether membrane lipids in soils suggest a rapid turnover and a heterotrophic life style of their source organism(s)

2010 ◽  
Vol 7 (3) ◽  
pp. 3691-3734 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. W. H. Weijers ◽  
G. L. B. Wiesenberg ◽  
R. Bol ◽  
E. C. Hopmans ◽  
R. D. Pancost
Keyword(s):  
Organic Carbon ◽  
Isotopic Composition ◽  
Life Style ◽  
Membrane Lipids ◽  
Carbon Isotopic Composition ◽  
Turnover Time ◽  
Arable Soils ◽  
Higher Plant ◽  
Δ13c Values ◽  
Carbon Isotopic

Abstract. Branched Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers (GDGTs) are membrane spanning lipids synthesised by as yet unknown bacteria that thrive in soils and peat. In order to obtain more information on their ecological niche, the stable carbon isotopic composition of branched GDGT-derived alkanes, obtained upon ether bond cleavage, has been determined in various soils, i.e. peat, forest, grassland and cropland, covered by various vegetation types, i.e., C3- vs. C4-plant type. These δ13C values are compared with those of bulk organic matter and higher plant derived n-alkanes from the same soils. With average δ13C values of −28‰, branched GDGTs in C3 soils are only slightly depleted (ca. 1‰) relative to bulk organic carbon and on average 8.5‰ enriched relative to plant wax-derived long-chain n-alkanes (nC29–nC33). In an Australian soil covered with C4 type vegetation, the branched GDGTs have a δ13C value of −18‰, clearly higher than observed in soils with C3 type vegetation. As with C3 vegetated soils, branched GDGT δ13C values are slightly depleted (1‰) relative to bulk organic carbon and enriched (ca. 5‰) relative to n-alkanes in this soil. The δ13C values of branched GDGT lipids being similar to bulk organic carbon and their co-variation with those of bulk organic carbon and plant waxes, suggest a heterotrophic life style and assimilation of relatively heavy and likely labile substrates for the as yet unknown soil bacteria that synthesise the branched GDGT lipids. However, a chemoautotrophic lifestyle, i.e. consuming respired CO2, could not be fully excluded based on these data alone. Based on a natural labelling experiment of a C3/C4 crop change introduced on one of the soils 23 years before sampling and based on a free air CO2 enrichment experiment with labelled CO2 on another soil, a turnover time of ca. 17 years has been estimated for branched GDGTs in these arable soils.

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