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Organic Carbon Aging During Across‐Shelf Transport
Author(s) -
Bao Rui,
Uchida Masao,
Zhao Meixun,
Haghipour Negar,
Montlucon Daniel,
McNichol Ann,
Wacker Lukas,
Hayes John M.,
Eglinton Timothy I.
Publication year - 2018
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 - 10.1029/2018gl078904
Subject(s) - continental shelf , geology , continental margin , sorting , sedimentary rock , total organic carbon , carbon fibers , radiocarbon dating , grain size , carbon cycle , range (aeronautics) , sediment , sediment transport , oceanography , paleontology , geomorphology , materials science , ecology , ecosystem , biology , composite number , computer science , composite material , tectonics , programming language
Compound‐specific radiocarbon analysis was performed on different grain‐size fractions of surficial sediments to examine and compare lateral transport times (LTTs) of organic carbon. 14 C aging of long‐chain leaf wax fatty acids along two dispersal pathways of fluvially derived material on adjacent continental margins implies LTTs over distances of ~30 to 500 km that range from hundreds to thousands of years. The magnitude of aging differs among grain size fractions. Our finding suggests that LTTs vary both temporally and spatially as a function of the specific properties of different continental shelf settings. Observations suggest that 14 C aging is widespread during lateral transport over continental shelves, with hydrodynamic particle sorting inducing age variations among organic components residing in different grain sizes. Consideration of these phenomena is of importance for understanding carbon cycle processes and interpretation on sedimentary records on continental margins.