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Radiocarbon in dissolved organic carbon of the South Pacific Ocean
Author(s) -
Druffel E. R. M.,
Griffin S.
Publication year - 2015
Publication title -
geophysical research letters
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.007
H-Index - 273
eISSN - 1944-8007
pISSN - 0094-8276
DOI - 10.1002/2015gl063764
Subject(s) - dissolved organic carbon , deep sea , oceanography , radiocarbon dating , geology , carbon cycle , pacific ocean , carbon fibers , total organic carbon , paleontology , environmental chemistry , chemistry , ecosystem , ecology , materials science , composite number , composite material , biology
Marine dissolved organic carbon (DOC) originates mainly from primary production using dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) that has young 14 C ages. Paradoxically, the 14 C age of deep DOC ranges from 4000 to 6400 14 C years, indicating that a portion of DOC survives multiple, deep ocean mixing cycles. Here we show that 14 C ages of DOC from the deep South Pacific are equal to those from the deep north central Pacific. This is contrary to DIC 14 C ages that increase from south to north in the deep Pacific. We hypothesize that DOC in the South Pacific is influenced by input of ancient DOC from hydrothermal flanks and ridges of the East Pacific Rise. We show that DOC Δ 14 C values in the deep Pacific are not controlled by aging during northward transport of deep waters, indicating that the deep oceanic carbon cycle needs reassessment.