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Production and Carbon Isotopic Composition of Bacterial CO 2 in Deep Coastal Plain Sediments of South Carolina
Author(s) -
McMahon Peter B.,
Williams Douglas F.,
Morris James T.
Publication year - 1990
Publication title -
groundwater
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 0.84
H-Index - 94
eISSN - 1745-6584
pISSN - 0017-467X
DOI - 10.1111/j.1745-6584.1990.tb01985.x
Subject(s) - coastal plain , sediment , total organic carbon , carbon fibers , environmental chemistry , composition (language) , sedimentary organic matter , geology , organic matter , δ13c , sedimentary rock , dissolved organic carbon , carbonate , isotopes of carbon , aquifer , mineralogy , geochemistry , environmental science , oceanography , stable isotope ratio , chemistry , groundwater , geomorphology , paleontology , philosophy , materials science , linguistics , composite number , composite material , quantum mechanics , physics , organic chemistry , geotechnical engineering
The production and carbon isotopic composition of bacterial CO 2 in cores of deep Coastal Plain sediments from South Carolina were measured. Rates of bacterial CO 2 production in laboratory incubations ranged from 0 to 2,750 nanomoles of CO 2 per gram of sediment per day. On average, C0 2 production was greater in downdip sediments than in updip sediments. There was no relation between CO 2 production and total organic carbon content of the sediment. The carbon isotopic composition of bacterial CO 2 ranged from ‐29.7 to ‐18.0 per mil and is controlled in part by the isotopic composition of the sedimentary organic matter from which the CO 2 is derived. The isotopic composition of CO 2 from downdip sediments was enriched in 13 C by about 5 0 / 00 , on average, relative to CO 2 from updip sediments. Measurements of the production and carbon isotopic composition of bacterial CO 2 given here provide evidence linking bacterial CO 2 to dissolved inorganic carbon in Coastal Plain aquifers of South Carolina.