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Phosphorus accumulation in marine sediments and the oceanic phosphorus cycle
Author(s) -
Delaney M. L.
Publication year - 1998
Publication title -
global biogeochemical cycles
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 2.512
H-Index - 187
eISSN - 1944-9224
pISSN - 0886-6236
DOI - 10.1029/98gb02263
Subject(s) - authigenic , diagenesis , sink (geography) , geology , total organic carbon , sediment , sedimentary rock , organic matter , continental margin , oceanography , geochemistry , sediment–water interface , phosphorus , geochemical cycle , environmental chemistry , chemistry , paleontology , cartography , organic chemistry , tectonics , geography
Ideas about key factors in the oceanic mass balance of dissolved, reactive phosphate have changed substantially. I present an integrated overview of these here, with an emphasis on evaluating the burial sinks for P and defining areas needing further research. The major source of reactive P to the ocean is river input. Reactive P is delivered to the oceanic sediment‐water interface primarily in particulate organic matter. P scavenged by hydrothermal iron‐rich oxyhydroxide particles, with uptake in proportion to deep water phosphate concentrations, represents a substantially smaller flux to the sediment‐water interface. Diagenetic transformations are important influences on the form of reactive P burial in marine sediments. P burial occurs with organic carbon burial and as P associated with iron‐rich oxyhydroxide particles and coatings. Formation of authigenic P‐rich phases, presumably apatite, at the expense of organic P and oxide‐associated P, is significant in open ocean marine sediments. The authigenic P sink may represent a substantially larger portion of the sedimentary burial than indicated by previous estimates focused on P burial in organic‐rich continental margin sediments.