scholarly journals Modeling benthic-pelagic nutrient exchange processes and porewater distributions in a seasonally-hypoxic sediment: evidence for massive phosphate release by <i>Beggiatoa</i>?

2012 ◽  
Vol 9 (8) ◽  
pp. 11517-11575 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Dale ◽  
V. J. Bertics ◽  
T. Treude ◽  
S. Sommer ◽  
K. Wallmann
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Organic P ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Water Values

Abstract. This study presents benthic data from 12 samplings from February to December 2010 in a 2 m deep channel in the southwest Baltic Sea. In winter, the distribution of solutes in the porewater was strongly modulated by bioirrigation which efficiently flushed the upper 1 cm of sediment, leading to concentrations which varied little from bottom water values. Solute pumping by bioirrigation fell sharply in summer as the bottom waters became severely hypoxic (<2 μM O2). At this point the giant sulfide-oxidizing bacteria Beggiatoa was visible on surface sediments. Despite an increase in O2following mixing of the water column in November, macrofauna remained absent until the end of the sampling. Contrary to expectations, metabolites such as dissolved inorganic carbon, ammonium and hydrogen sulfide did not accumulate in the porewater during the hypoxic period when bioirrigation was absent, but instead tended toward bottom water values. This was taken as evidence for episodic bubbling of methane gas out of the sediment acting as an abiogenic irrigation process. Escaping bubble may provide a pathway for enhanced nutrient release to the bottom water and exacerbate the feedbacks with hypoxia. Subsurface dissolved phosphate (TPO4) peaks in excess of 400 μM developed in autumn resulting in a very large diffusive TPO4 flux to the water column of 0.7 ± 0.2 mmol m−2 d−1. The model was not able to simulate this TPO4 source as release of iron-bound P (Fe–P) or organic P. As an alternative hypothesis, the TPO4 peak was reproduced using new kinetic expressions that allow Beggiatoa to take up porewater TPO4 and accumulate an intracellular P pool during periods with oxic bottom waters. TPO4 is then released during hypoxia, as previous published results with sulfide-oxidizing bacteria indicate. The TPO4 added to the porewater over the year by organic P and Fe–P is recycled though Beggiatoa, meaning that no additional source of TPO4 is needed to explain the TPO4 peak. Further experimental studies are needed to strengthen this conclusion and rule out Fe–P and organic P as candidate sources of ephemeral TPO4 release. A measured C/P ratio of <20 for the diffusive flux at the sediment surface during hypoxia directly demonstrates preferential release of P relative to C under low oxygen bottom waters. Our results suggest that sulfide oxidizing bacteria act as phosphorus capacitors in systems with oscillating redox conditions, releasing massive amounts of TPO4 in a short space of time and dramatically increasing the internal loading of TPO4 in overlying waters.

scholarly journals Modeling benthic–pelagic nutrient exchange processes and porewater distributions in a seasonally hypoxic sediment: evidence for massive phosphate release by <i>Beggiatoa</i>?

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (2) ◽  
pp. 629-651 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. W. Dale ◽  
V. J. Bertics ◽  
T. Treude ◽  
S. Sommer ◽  
K. Wallmann
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Nutrient Release ◽  
Organic P ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Water Values

Abstract. This study presents benthic data from 12 samplings from February to December 2010 in a 28 m deep channel in the southwest Baltic Sea. In winter, the distribution of solutes in the porewater was strongly modulated by bioirrigation which efficiently flushed the upper 10 cm of sediment, leading to concentrations which varied little from bottom water values. Solute pumping by bioirrigation fell sharply in the summer as the bottom waters became severely hypoxic (< 2 μM O2). At this point the giant sulfide-oxidizing bacteria Beggiatoa was visible on surface sediments. Despite an increase in O2 following mixing of the water column in November, macrofauna remained absent until the end of the sampling. Contrary to expectations, metabolites such as dissolved inorganic carbon, ammonium and hydrogen sulfide did not accumulate in the upper 10 cm during the hypoxic period when bioirrigation was absent, but instead tended toward bottom water values. This was taken as evidence for episodic bubbling of methane gas out of the sediment acting as an abiogenic irrigation process. Porewater–seawater mixing by escaping bubbles provides a pathway for enhanced nutrient release to the bottom water and may exacerbate the feedback with hypoxia. Subsurface dissolved phosphate (TPO4) peaks in excess of 400 μM developed in autumn, resulting in a very large diffusive TPO4 flux to the water column of 0.7 ± 0.2 mmol m−2 d−1. The model was not able to simulate this TPO4 source as release of iron-bound P (Fe–P) or organic P. As an alternative hypothesis, the TPO4 peak was reproduced using new kinetic expressions that allow Beggiatoa to take up porewater TPO4 and accumulate an intracellular P pool during periods with oxic bottom waters. TPO4 is then released during hypoxia, as previous published results with sulfide-oxidizing bacteria indicate. The TPO4 added to the porewater over the year by organic P and Fe–P is recycled through Beggiatoa, meaning that no additional source of TPO4 is needed to explain the TPO4 peak. Further experimental studies are needed to strengthen this conclusion and rule out Fe–P and organic P as candidate sources of ephemeral TPO4 release. A measured C/P ratio of < 20 for the diffusive flux to the water column during hypoxia directly demonstrates preferential release of P relative to C under oxygen-deficient bottom waters. This coincides with a strong decrease in dissolved inorganic N/P ratios in the water column to ~ 1. Our results suggest that sulfide oxidizing bacteria could act as phosphorus capacitors in systems with oscillating redox conditions, releasing massive amounts of TPO4 in a short space of time and dramatically increasing the internal loading of TPO4 to the overlying water.

Coupled benthic cycling of iron, phosphorus and sulfur in the Benguela upwelling system

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kristin Anna Ungerhofer ◽  
Gert-Jan Reichart ◽  
Peter Kraal
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Solid Phase ◽  
Oxygen Depletion ◽  
Biogeochemical Cycles ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Upwelling System ◽  
Benguela Upwelling ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
The Impact

&lt;p&gt;The Benguela upwelling system (BUS) offshore Namibia is among the most productive ocean regions worldwide and is a globally important reservoir of biodiversity and biomass. The forcing of cold, nutrient-rich deep waters up the coastal shelf leads to high rates of primary productivity in surface waters, intense carbon remineralization and consequently to (bottom water) oxygen depletion on the shelf that varies temporally and spatially with the intensity of the upwelling.&lt;br&gt;Recurring events of deoxygenation have a severe impact on marine ecosystems, for instance increased mortality and altered biogeochemical cycles of key elements such as carbon (C), iron (Fe), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S). Therefore, it is crucial that we establish a clear mechanistic framework of the impact of oxygen depletion on (global) biogeochemical cycles, not only to allow for the reconstruction of climate-ocean feedbacks in upwelling regions in the past, but to enable predictions of future behavior.&lt;br&gt;During an expedition with &lt;em&gt;RV Pelagia&lt;/em&gt; in February of 2019, we collected water column and sediment samples from the shelf and slope off Namibia (100 to 1517 m water depth, bottom water O&lt;sub&gt;2&lt;/sub&gt; between 0.5 and 175 &amp;#181;mol L&lt;sup&gt;-1&lt;/sup&gt;) and measured nutrient fluxes in on-board sediment incubations to understand the early diagenetic behavior of those key elements and trace metals underlying the (periodically) oxygen-depleted waters of the BUS.&lt;br&gt;We analyzed dissolved concentrations as well as solid-phase speciation of key elements such as iron (Fe), manganese (Mn), phosphorus (P) and sulfur (S) to understand the chemical and physical processes controlling their distribution along the depth/redox-transect.&lt;br&gt;Our results show intense P cycling on the shelf, as evidenced by very high pore-water P concentrations, an enhanced efflux of PO&lt;sub&gt;4&lt;/sub&gt; to suboxic bottom waters and indications of phosphorite formation at depth in the sediment. N/P ratios well below Redfield indicate N depletion and (relative) P accumulation in the water column, a shift in nutrient stoichiometry that can impact the composition of microbial communities in such waters. Meanwhile, the slope sediments are overlain by oxic bottom waters, retain P more efficiently and exhibit N/P ratios close to Redfield stoichiometry.&lt;br&gt;The capacity of the sediment to buffer toxic sulfide and prevent its release to the water column was dependent on the abundance of sulfide oxidizers at the sediment surface. Furthermore, the variable accumulation of sulfide affected Fe speciation and sedimentary P retention.&lt;br&gt;Overall, we show an intimate coupling between sedimentary cycles of essential elements in the Benguela upwelling system, a stark contrast between shelf and slope environments that is further enhanced by local variation of oxygen depletion and a very strong role of microbes in driving the cycles.&lt;/p&gt;

scholarly journals Artificially induced migration of redox layers in a coastal sediment from the Northern Adriatic

2014 ◽  
Vol 11 (8) ◽  
pp. 2211-2224 ◽  
Author(s):  
E. Metzger ◽  
D. Langlet ◽  
E. Viollier ◽  
N. Koron ◽  
B. Riedel ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Experimental Studies ◽  
Geochemical Evolution ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Pore Waters ◽  
In Situ Experiment ◽  
Solid Oxides ◽  
Northern Adriatic ◽  
Entire Height ◽  
Benthic Chambers

Abstract. Long-term experimental studies suggest that, under transient anoxic conditions, redox fronts within the sediment shift upwards, causing sequential rise and fall of benthic fluxes of reduced species (Mn(II), Fe(II) and S(-II)). Infaunal benthic organisms are associated with different redox fronts as micro-habitats and must be affected by such changes during natural hypoxia events. In order to document the geochemical evolution of the sediment during prolonged anoxia in the framework of an in situ experiment designed to mimic natural conditions, benthic chambers were deployed on the seafloor of the Northern Adriatic and sampled after 9, 30 and 315 days of incubation. Oxygen and sulfide were measured continuously in the early stages (9 days) of the experiment. High-resolution pore water profiles were sampled by DET probes and redox-sensitive species (S(VI), Mn(II) and Fe(II)) and alkalinity were measured. Starting oxygen saturation was about 80% within the chamber. After 7 days, anoxia was established in the bottom waters within the chambers. Mn(II) and Fe(II) started diffusing towards the anoxic water column until they reached the surficial sediment. Being reoxidized there, Mn and Fe reprecipitated, giving a rusty coloration to the seafloor. Infaunal species appeared at the sediment surface. After 20 days, all macro-organisms were dead. Decomposition of macro-organisms at the sediment–water interface generated S(-II) within the entire height of the chamber, leading to a downward flux of sulfides into the sediment, where they were quickly oxidized by metallic oxides or precipitated as FeS. S(-II) was below detection in the water column and pore waters at the end of the experiment. Our results suggest that S(-II) enrichment in the water column of coastal systems, which are episodically anoxic, is strongly controlled by the biomass of benthic macrofauna and its decay during anoxia, whereas its residence time in the water column is controlled by iron availability (as solid oxides or as dissolved reduced cations) within the sediment, even without water circulation.

scholarly journals Parameterization of biogeochemical sediment–water fluxes using in situ measurements and a diagenetic model

2016 ◽  
Vol 13 (1) ◽  
pp. 77-94 ◽  
Author(s):  
A. Laurent ◽  
K. Fennel ◽  
R. Wilson ◽  
J. Lehrter ◽  
R. Devereux
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
In Situ Measurements ◽  
Nutrient Loads ◽  
Water Fluxes ◽  
Overlying Water ◽  
Louisiana Shelf ◽  
Biogeochemical Models ◽  
Bottom Waters

Abstract. Diagenetic processes are important drivers of water column biogeochemistry in coastal areas. For example, sediment oxygen consumption can be a significant contributor to oxygen depletion in hypoxic systems, and sediment–water nutrient fluxes support primary productivity in the overlying water column. Moreover, nonlinearities develop between bottom water conditions and sediment–water fluxes due to loss of oxygen-dependent processes in the sediment as oxygen becomes depleted in bottom waters. Yet, sediment–water fluxes of chemical species are often parameterized crudely in coupled physical–biogeochemical models, using simple linear parameterizations that are only poorly constrained by observations. Diagenetic models that represent sediment biogeochemistry are available, but rarely are coupled to water column biogeochemical models because they are computationally expensive. Here, we apply a method that efficiently parameterizes sediment–water fluxes of oxygen, nitrate and ammonium by combining in situ measurements, a diagenetic model and a parameter optimization method. As a proof of concept, we apply this method to the Louisiana Shelf where high primary production, stimulated by excessive nutrient loads from the Mississippi–Atchafalaya River system, promotes the development of hypoxic bottom waters in summer. The parameterized sediment–water fluxes represent nonlinear feedbacks between water column and sediment processes at low bottom water oxygen concentrations, which may persist for long periods (weeks to months) in hypoxic systems such as the Louisiana Shelf. This method can be applied to other systems and is particularly relevant for shallow coastal and estuarine waters where the interaction between sediment and water column is strong and hypoxia is prone to occur due to land-based nutrient loads.

Mesozooplankton community in a seasonally hypoxic and highly eutrophic bay

2015 ◽  
Vol 66 (8) ◽  
pp. 719 ◽  
Author(s):  
Min-Chul Jang ◽  
Kyoungsoon Shin ◽  
Pung-Guk Jang ◽  
Woo-Jin Lee ◽  
Keun-Hyung Choi
Keyword(s):  
High Temperature ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Oxygen Solubility ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Negative Effects ◽  
Mesozooplankton Community ◽  
Seawater Chemistry ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Major Factors

A 2-year survey of seawater chemistry and mesozooplankton abundance was carried out in Masan Bay, South Korea, one of the most eutrophic coastal ecosystems known. The study aimed to identify the major factors contributing to the seasonally persistent hypoxia in the bay, to characterise the Bay’s mesozooplankton community and to examine the effects of low oxygen on the distribution of mesozooplankton. Hypoxia (<2mgO2L–1) was present only in summer, with ultrahypoxia (<0.2mg O2 L–1) in the bottom waters of the inner bay in both years. Low summer oxygen can be attributed to high summer phytoplankton stocks, together with reduced oxygen solubility at high temperature and stratification of the water column that limits downward diffusion of oxygen. A seasonally and spatially distinct mesozooplankton community was identified in summer when there was greater influence of freshwater discharge in the inner bay. Marine cladocerans were very abundant, with a population outburst of Penilia avirostris in the inner bay (>4000 individuals m–3) during summer. During hypoxic events, the abundance of Penilia avirostris was positively related to oxygen levels in the bottom water, suggesting that hypoxic conditions may cause mortality or have sublethal negative effects on population growth of this filter-feeding cladoceran.

scholarly journals Removal of phosphorus and nitrogen in sediments of the eutrophic Stockholm archipelago, Baltic Sea

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (10) ◽  
pp. 2745-2766 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels A. G. M. van Helmond ◽  
Elizabeth K. Robertson ◽  
Daniel J. Conley ◽  
Martijn Hermans ◽  
Christoph Humborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bottom Water ◽  
High Rate ◽  
Sediment Surface ◽  
Organic P ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Fe Oxide ◽  
Annual Cycles ◽  
Hypoxic Conditions ◽  
N Removal ◽  
Stockholm Archipelago

Abstract. Coastal systems can act as filters for anthropogenic nutrient input into marine environments. Here, we assess the processes controlling the removal of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) for four sites in the eutrophic Stockholm archipelago. Bottom water concentrations of oxygen (O2) and P are inversely correlated. This is attributed to the seasonal release of P from iron-oxide-bound (Fe-oxide-bound) P in surface sediments and from degrading organic matter. The abundant presence of sulfide in the pore water and its high upward flux towards the sediment surface (∼4 to 8 mmol m−2 d−1), linked to prior deposition of organic-rich sediments in a low-O2 setting (“legacy of hypoxia”), hinder the formation of a larger Fe-oxide-bound P pool in winter. This is most pronounced at sites where water column mixing is naturally relatively low and where low bottom water O2 concentrations prevail in summer. Burial rates of P are high at all sites (0.03–0.3 mol m−2 yr−1), a combined result of high sedimentation rates (0.5 to 3.5 cm yr−1) and high sedimentary P at depth (∼30 to 50 µmol g−1). Sedimentary P is dominated by Fe-bound P and organic P at the sediment surface and by organic P, authigenic Ca-P and detrital P at depth. Apart from one site in the inner archipelago, where a vivianite-type Fe(II)-P mineral is likely present at depth, there is little evidence for sink switching of organic or Fe-oxide-bound P to authigenic P minerals. Denitrification is the major benthic nitrate-reducing process at all sites (0.09 to 1.7 mmol m−2 d−1) with rates decreasing seaward from the inner to outer archipelago. Our results explain how sediments in this eutrophic coastal system can remove P through burial at a relatively high rate, regardless of whether the bottom waters are oxic or (frequently) hypoxic. Our results suggest that benthic N processes undergo annual cycles of removal and recycling in response to hypoxic conditions. Further nutrient load reductions are expected to contribute to the recovery of the eutrophic Stockholm archipelago from hypoxia. Based on the dominant pathways of P and N removal identified in this study, it is expected that the sediments will continue to remove part of the P and N loads.

scholarly journals Efficient removal of phosphorus and nitrogen in sediments of the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago, Baltic Sea

2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Niels A. G. M. van Helmond ◽  
Elizabeth K. Robertson ◽  
Daniel J. Conley ◽  
Martijn Hermans ◽  
Christoph Humborg ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Bottom Water ◽  
Management Strategies ◽  
Low Oxygen ◽  
Nutrient Input ◽  
Coastal System ◽  
Fe Oxide ◽  
Sediment Organic Carbon ◽  
Bottom Waters ◽  
Stockholm Archipelago ◽  
Burial Rates

Abstract. Coastal systems can act as filters for anthropogenic nutrient input into marine environments. Here, we assess the processes controlling the removal of phosphorus (P) and nitrogen (N) for four sites in the eutrophic Stockholm Archipelago. Bottom water concentrations of oxygen and P are inversely correlated. This is attributed to the seasonal release of P from iron (Fe)-oxide-bound P in surface sediments and from degrading organic matter. The abundant presence of sulfide in the pore water, linked to prior deposition of organic-rich sediments in a low oxygen setting (legacy of hypoxia), hinders the formation of a larger Fe-oxide-bound P pool in winter. Burial rates of P are high at all sites (0.03–0.3 mol m−2 y−1), a combined result of high sedimentation rates (0.5 to 3.5 cm yr−1) and high sedimentary P at depth (~ 30 to 50 μmol g−1). Organic P accounts for 30–50 % of reactive P burial. Apart from one site in the inner archipelago, where a vivianite-type Fe(II)-P mineral is likely present at depth, there is little evidence for sink-switching of organic or Fe-oxide bound P to authigenic P minerals. Denitrification is the major benthic nitrate-reducing process at all sites (0.09 to 1.7 mmol m−2 d−1), efficiently removing N as N2. Denitrification rates decrease seaward following the decline in bottom water nitrate and sediment organic carbon. Our results explain how sediments in this eutrophic coastal system can efficiently remove land-derived P and N, regardless of whether the bottom waters are oxic or frequently hypoxic. Hence, management strategies involving artificial reoxygenation are not expected to be successful in removing P and N, emphasizing a need for a focus on nutrient load reductions.

scholarly journals Carbonate mineral saturation states in the East China Sea: present conditions and future scenario

2013 ◽  
Vol 10 (3) ◽  
pp. 5555-5590 ◽  
Author(s):  
W.-C. Chou ◽  
G.-C. Gong ◽  
C.-C. Hung ◽  
Y.-H. Wu
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
East China Sea ◽  
Bottom Water ◽  
Atmospheric Co2 ◽  
Total Alkalinity ◽  
East China ◽  
The East China Sea ◽  
China Sea ◽  
Plume Area ◽  
Bottom Waters

Abstract. To assess the impact of rising atmospheric CO2 and eutrophication on the carbonate chemistry of the East China Sea shelf waters, saturation states (Ω) for two important biologically-relevant carbonate minerals, calcite (Ωc) and aragonite (Ωa) were calculated throughout the water column from dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) data collected in spring and summer of 2009. Results show that the highest Ωc (~9.0) and Ωa (~ 5.8) values were found in surface water of the Changjiang plume area in summer, whereas the lowest values (Ωc=~2.7 and Ωa=~1.7) were concurrently observed in the bottom water of the same area. This divergent behavior of saturation states in surface and bottom waters was driven by intensive biological production and strong stratification of the water column. The high rate of phytoplankton production, stimulated by the enormous nutrient discharge from the Changjiang, acts to decrease the ratio of DIC to TA, and thereby increases Ω values. In contrast, remineralization of organic matter in the bottom water acts to increase the DIC to TA ratio, and thus decreases Ω values. The projected result shows that continued increases of atmospheric CO2 under the IS92a emission scenario will decrease Ω values by 40–50% by the end of this century, but both the surface and bottom waters will remain supersaturated with respect to calcite and aragonite. Nevertheless, superimposed on such Ω decrease is increasing eutrophication, which would mitigate or enhance the Ω decline caused by anthropogenic CO2 uptake in surface and bottom waters, respectively. Our simulation reveals that under the combined impact of eutrophication and augmentation of atmospheric CO2, the bottom water of the Changjiang plume area will become undersaturated with respect to aragonite (Ωa=~0.8) by the end of this century, which would threaten the health of the benthic ecosystem.

scholarly journals Benthic alkalinity and dissolved inorganic carbon fluxes in the Rhône River prodelta generated by decoupled aerobic and anaerobic processes

2020 ◽  
Vol 17 (1) ◽  
pp. 13-33 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jens Rassmann ◽  
Eryn M. Eitel ◽  
Bruno Lansard ◽  
Cécile Cathalot ◽  
Christophe Brandily ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Water Column ◽  
Pore Water ◽  
Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Iron Sulfide ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Anaerobic Respiration ◽  
River Mouth ◽  
Rhône River ◽  
Rhone River ◽  
Bottom Waters

Abstract. Estuarine regions are generally considered a major source of atmospheric CO2, as a result of the high organic carbon (OC) mineralization rates in their water column and sediments. Despite this, the intensity of anaerobic respiration processes in the sediments tempered by the reoxidation of reduced metabolites near the sediment–water interface controls the flux of benthic alkalinity. This alkalinity may partially buffer metabolic CO2 generated by benthic OC respiration in sediments. Thus, sediments with high anaerobic respiration rates could contribute less to local acidification than previously thought. In this study, a benthic chamber was deployed in the Rhône River prodelta and the adjacent continental shelf (Gulf of Lion, northwestern Mediterranean) in late summer to assess the fluxes of total alkalinity (TA) and dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) from the sediment. Concurrently, in situ O2 and pH micro-profiles, voltammetric profiles and pore water composition were measured in surface sediments to identify the main biogeochemical processes controlling the net production of alkalinity in these sediments. Benthic TA and DIC fluxes to the water column, ranging between 14 and 74 and 18 and 78 mmol m−2 d−1, respectively, were up to 8 times higher than dissolved oxygen uptake (DOU) rates (10.4±0.9 mmol m−2 d−1) close to the river mouth, but their intensity decreased offshore, as a result of the decline in OC inputs. In the zone close to the river mouth, pore water redox species indicated that TA and DIC were mainly produced by microbial sulfate and iron reduction. Despite the complete removal of sulfate from pore waters, dissolved sulfide concentrations were low and significant concentrations of FeS were found, indicating the precipitation and burial of iron sulfide minerals with an estimated burial flux of 12.5 mmol m−2 d−1 near the river mouth. By preventing reduced iron and sulfide reoxidation, the precipitation and burial of iron sulfide increases the alkalinity release from the sediments during the spring and summer months. Under these conditions, the sediment provides a net source of alkalinity to the bottom waters which mitigates the effect of the benthic DIC flux on the carbonate chemistry of coastal waters and weakens the partial pressure of CO2 increase in the bottom waters that would occur if only DIC was produced.

scholarly journals Ocean Acidification and Carbonate System Geochemistry in the Arabian Gulf

2020 ◽  
Author(s):  
Jassem A. Al-Thani ◽  
Connor Izumi ◽  
Oguz Yigiterhan ◽  
Ebrahim Mohd A S Al-Ansari ◽  
Ponnumony Vethamony ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Ocean Acidification ◽  
Water Column ◽  
Dissolved Inorganic Carbon ◽  
Alternative Hypothesis ◽  
Arabian Gulf ◽  
Atmospheric Dust ◽  
Average Decrease ◽  
Nucleation Sites ◽  
Seawater Samples ◽  
The Impact

Alkalinity (Alk) and (dissolved inorganic carbon) DIC were measured on high resolution seawater samples, collected on November 2018 and May 2019 at seven stations in the Exclusive Economic Zone (EEZ) of Qatar. Calculated surface PCO2 averaged 472 matm in 2018 and 447 matm in 2019. Thus, the Arabian Gulf is degassing CO2 at present and will not take up atmospheric CO2 until 2042. Ocean acidification is not yet an issue in the EEZ of Qatar. The elevated PCO2 values are due to CaCO3 formation. Normalized NAlk and NDIC were calculated to remove the impact of increasing salinity. NAlk and NDIC decrease corresponding to a CaCO3/OrgC removal ratio of 2/1. We calculated the nitrate corrected and salinity normalized tracer, Alk*. Values of Alk* were negative, and the change in Alk* relative to Hormuz (DAlk*) indicated that there has been an average decrease of Alk* of -130 mmol kg-1. This decrease is due to CaCO3 formation but previous studies found no evidence for coccolithophorids. One obvious possibility is that Alk removal is due to CaCO3 formation in coral reefs. However, recent study of the composition of particulate matter found that the average particulate Ca concentration was 3.6%, and was easily acid soluble (Yigiterhan et al., 2018). These results suggest that a significant amount of particulate CaCO3 is present in the water column. One hypothesis is that the particulate Ca comes from carbonate rich atmospheric dust. Using Al as a tracer for dust and the average Ca/Al ratio in Qatari dust can only explain about 3% of the particulate Ca. An alternative hypothesis is that particulate CaCO3 may form in the water column due to abiological CaCO3 formation, as proposed recently for the Red Sea (Wurgaft et al., 2016). Precipitation of CaCO3 may be induced by the large inputs of nucleation sites in the form of atmospheric dust.

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