scholarly journals Timescales for the development of methanogenesis and free gas layers in recently-deposited sediments of Arkona Basin (Baltic Sea)

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (5) ◽  
pp. 1915-1933 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Mogollón ◽  
A. W. Dale ◽  
H. Fossing ◽  
P. Regnier
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Reactive Transport ◽  
Reaction Pathway ◽  
Organic Matter Degradation ◽  
Muddy Sediment ◽  
Transport Models ◽  
Methane Gas ◽  
Geochemical Profiles ◽  
Arkona Basin

Abstract. Arkona Basin (southwestern Baltic Sea) is a seasonally-hypoxic basin characterized by the presence of free methane gas in its youngest organic-rich muddy stratum. Through the use of reactive transport models, this study tracks the development of the methane geochemistry in Arkona Basin as this muddy sediment became deposited during the last 8 kyr. Four cores are modeled each pertaining to a unique geochemical scenario according to their respective contemporary geochemical profiles. Ultimately the thickness of the muddy sediment and the flux of particulate organic carbon are crucial in determining the advent of both methanogenesis and free methane gas, the timescales over which methanogenesis takes over as a dominant reaction pathway for organic matter degradation, and the timescales required for free methane gas to form.

scholarly journals Timescales for the development of methanogenesis and free gas layers in recently-deposited sediments of Arkona Basin (Baltic Sea)

2011 ◽  
Vol 8 (4) ◽  
pp. 7623-7669 ◽  
Author(s):  
J. M. Mogollón ◽  
A. W. Dale ◽  
H. Fossing ◽  
P. Regnier
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Reactive Transport ◽  
Reaction Pathway ◽  
Organic Matter Degradation ◽  
Muddy Sediment ◽  
Transport Models ◽  
Methane Gas ◽  
Geochemical Profiles ◽  
Arkona Basin

Abstract. Arkona Basin (southwestern Baltic Sea) is a seasonally-hypoxic basin characterized by the presence of free methane gas in its youngest organic-rich muddy stratum. Through the use of reactive transport models, this study tracks the development of the methane geochemistry in Arkona Basin as this muddy sediment becomes deposited during the last 8 kyr. Four cores are modeled each pertaining to a unique geochemical scenario according to their respective contemporary geochemical profiles. Ultimately the thickness of the muddy sediment and the flux of particulate organic carbon are crucial in determining the advent of both methanogenesis and free methane gas, the timescales over which methanogenesis takes over as a dominant reaction pathway for organic matter degradation, and the timescales required for free methane gas to form.

scholarly journals Large variations in iron input to an oligotrophic Baltic Sea estuary: impact on sedimentary phosphorus burial

2018 ◽  
Vol 15 (22) ◽  
pp. 6979-6996 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wytze K. Lenstra ◽  
Matthias Egger ◽  
Niels A. G. M. van Helmond ◽  
Emma Kritzberg ◽  
Daniel J. Conley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Reactive Transport ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Transport Model ◽  
Coastal Sediments ◽  
Estuarine Sediments ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic

Abstract. Estuarine sediments are key sites for removal of phosphorus (P) from rivers and the open sea. Vivianite, an Fe(II)-P mineral, can act as a major sink for P in Fe-rich coastal sediments. In this study, we investigate the burial of P in the Öre Estuary in the northern Baltic Sea. We find much higher rates of P burial at our five study sites (up to ∼0.145 molm-2yr-1) when compared to more southern coastal areas in the Baltic Sea with similar rates of sedimentation. Detailed study of the sediment P forms at our site with the highest rate of sedimentation reveals a major role for P associated with Fe and the presence of vivianite crystals below the sulfate methane transition zone. By applying a reactive transport model to sediment and porewater profiles for this site, we show that vivianite may account for up to ∼40 % of total P burial. With the model, we demonstrate that vivianite formation is promoted in sediments with a low bottom water salinity and high rates of sedimentation and Fe oxide input. While high rates of organic matter input are also required, there is an optimum rate above which vivianite formation declines. Distinct enrichments in sediment Fe and sulfur at depth in the sediment are attributed to short periods of enhanced input of riverine Fe and organic matter. These periods of enhanced input are linked to variations in rainfall on land and follow dry periods. Most of the P associated with the Fe in the sediment is likely imported from the adjacent eutrophic Baltic Proper. Our work demonstrates that variations in land-to-sea transfer of Fe may act as a key control on burial of P in coastal sediments. Ongoing climate change is expected to lead to a decrease in bottom water salinity and contribute to continued high inputs of Fe oxides from land, further promoting P burial as vivianite in the coastal zone of the northern Baltic Sea. This may enhance the role of this oligotrophic area as a sink for P imported from eutrophic parts of the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Microbial Organic Matter Degradation Potential in Baltic Sea Sediments Is Influenced by Depositional Conditions andIn SituGeochemistry

2018 ◽  
Vol 85 (4) ◽  
Author(s):  
Laura A. Zinke ◽  
Clemens Glombitza ◽  
Jordan T. Bird ◽  
Hans Røy ◽  
Bo Barker Jørgensen ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Microbial Communities ◽  
Carbon Cycling ◽  
Marine Sediments ◽  
Abiotic Factors ◽  
Organic Matter Degradation ◽  
Sediment Types ◽  
Polymer Hydrolysis ◽  
Sediment Carbon

ABSTRACTGlobally, marine sediments are a vast repository of organic matter, which is degraded through various microbial pathways, including polymer hydrolysis and monomer fermentation. The sources, abundances, and quality (i.e., labile or recalcitrant) of the organic matter and the composition of the microbial assemblages vary between sediments. Here, we examine new and previously published sediment metagenomes from the Baltic Sea and the nearby Kattegat region to determine connections between geochemistry and the community potential to degrade organic carbon. Diverse organic matter hydrolysis encoding genes were present in sediments between 0.25 and 67 meters below seafloor and were in higher relative abundances in those sediments that contained more organic matter. New analysis of previously published metatranscriptomes demonstrated that many of these genes were transcribed in two organic-rich Holocene sediments. Some of the variation in deduced pathways in the metagenomes correlated with carbon content and depositional conditions. Fermentation-related genes were found in all samples and encoded multiple fermentation pathways. Notably, genes involved in alcohol metabolism were amongst the most abundant of these genes, indicating that this is an important but underappreciated aspect of sediment carbon cycling. This study is a step towards a more complete understanding of microbial food webs and the impacts of depositional facies on present sedimentary microbial communities.IMPORTANCESediments sequester organic matter over geologic time scales and impact global climate regulation. Microbial communities in marine sediments drive organic matter degradation, but the factors controlling their assemblages and activities, which in turn impact their role in organic matter degradation, are not well understood. Hence, determining the role of microbial communities in carbon cycling in various sediment types is necessary for predicting future sediment carbon cycling. We examined microbial communities in Baltic Sea sediments, which were deposited across various climatic and geographical regimes to determine the relationship between microbial potential for breakdown of organic matter and abiotic factors, including geochemistry and sediment lithology. The findings from this study will contribute to our understanding of carbon cycling in the deep biosphere and how microbial communities live in deeply buried environments.

scholarly journals Enhancement of organic matter degradation and methane gas production of anaerobic granular sludge by degasification of dissolved hydrogen gas

2017 ◽  
Vol 244 ◽  
pp. 768-775 ◽  
Author(s):  
Hisashi Satoh ◽  
Wasala M.K.R.T.W. Bandara ◽  
Manabu Sasakawa ◽  
Yoshihito Nakahara ◽  
Masahiro Takahashi ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Granular Sludge ◽  
Gas Production ◽  
Hydrogen Gas ◽  
Anaerobic Granular Sludge ◽  
Organic Matter Degradation ◽  
Methane Gas ◽  
Dissolved Hydrogen

scholarly journals Variations in river input of iron impact sedimentary phosphorus burial in an oligotrophic Baltic Sea estuary

2018 ◽  
Author(s):  
Wytze K. Lenstra ◽  
Matthias Egger ◽  
Niels A. G. M. van Helmond ◽  
Emma Kritzberg ◽  
Daniel J. Conley ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Reactive Transport ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Coastal Sediments ◽  
Estuarine Sediments ◽  
Water Salinity ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Organic Matter Input

Abstract. Estuarine sediments are key sites for removal of phosphorus (P) from rivers and the open sea. Vivianite, an iron (Fe)(II)-P mineral, can act as a major sink for P in Fe-rich coastal sediments. In this study, we investigate the burial of P in the Öre Estuary in the northern Baltic Sea. We find much higher rates of P burial at our five study sites (up to ~ 0.145 mol m−2 yr−1) when compared to more southern coastal areas in the Baltic Sea with similar rates of sedimentation. Detailed study of the sediment P forms at our site with the highest rate of sedimentation reveals a major role for P associated with Fe and the presence of vivianite crystals below the sulfate methane transition zone. By applying a reactive transport model to sediment and porewater profiles for this site, we show that vivianite may account for up to 40 % of total P burial. With the model, we demonstrate that vivianite formation is promoted in sediments with a low bottom water salinity and high rates of sedimentation and Fe oxide input. While high rates of organic matter input are also required, there is an optimum rate above which vivianite formation declines. Distinct enrichments in sediment Fe and sulfur at depth in the sediment are attributed to short periods of enhanced riverine Fe and organic matter input linked to variations in rainfall on land. Most of the P associated with the Fe in the sediment is likely imported from the adjacent eutrophic Baltic Proper. Our work demonstrates that variations in land-to-sea transfer of Fe may act as a key control on burial of P in coastal sediments. Ongoing climate change is expected to lead to a decrease in bottom water salinity and contribute to continued high inputs of Fe oxides from land, further promoting P burial as vivianite in the coastal zone of the northern Baltic Sea. This may enhance the role of this oligotrophic area as a sink for P imported from eutrophic parts of the Baltic Sea.

scholarly journals Cell-free extracellular enzymatic activity is linked to seasonal temperature changes: a case study in the Baltic Sea

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (9) ◽  
pp. 2815-2821 ◽  
Author(s):  
Federico Baltar ◽  
Catherine Legrand ◽  
Jarone Pinhassi
Keyword(s):  
Organic Matter ◽  
Baltic Sea ◽  
Extracellular Enzymes ◽  
Seasonal Pattern ◽  
Critical Factor ◽  
Hydrolytic Activity ◽  
Seasonal Temperature ◽  
The Baltic Sea ◽  
The Baltic ◽  
Hydrolysis Of

Abstract. Extracellular enzymatic activities (EEAs) are a crucial step in the degradation of organic matter. Dissolved (cell-free) extracellular enzymes in seawater can make up a significant contribution of the bulk EEA. However, the factors controlling the proportion of dissolved EEA in the marine environment remain unknown. Here we studied the seasonal changes in the proportion of dissolved relative to total EEA (of alkaline phosphatase (APase), β-glucosidase (BGase), and leucine aminopeptidase (LAPase)), in the Baltic Sea for 18 months. The proportion of dissolved EEA ranged between 37 and 100, 0 and 100, and 34 and 100 % for APase, BGase, and LAPase, respectively. A consistent seasonal pattern in the proportion of dissolved EEA was found among all the studied enzymes, with values up to 100 % during winter and  <  40 % during summer. A significant negative relation was found between the proportion of dissolved EEA and temperature, indicating that temperature might be a critical factor controlling the proportion of dissolved relative to total EEA in marine environments. Our results suggest a strong decoupling of hydrolysis rates from microbial dynamics in cold waters. This implies that under cold conditions, cell-free enzymes can contribute to substrate availability at large distances from the producing cell, increasing the dissociation between the hydrolysis of organic compounds and the actual microbes producing the enzymes. This might also suggest a potential effect of global warming on the hydrolysis of organic matter via a reduction of the contribution of cell-free enzymes to the bulk hydrolytic activity.

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