Abstract
Measurement of the fine-scale distribution of 210Pb, organic carbon and dissolved pore water oxygen has been conducted to determine the organic carbon degradation and benthic activity rates in surface sediments of the NE Atlantic Ocean along the 20°W transect. Use is made of the simple diffusion analogue model to calculate bioturbation rates and its suitability is reviewed in the light of recent thoughts on the mechanisms of bioturbation. Calculated bioturbation rates show a general increase towards the northerly stations. Organic carbon degradation rates show a less well defined increase towards the north. Water column 210Pb data indicate a progressive increase in seasonal biological scavenging efficiency to the north of the transect. Predicted organic carbon flux rates show comparable values throughout the whole transect. The response of the benthic infauna and associated organic carbon degradation is considered to operate on a similar temporal scale to the seasonal biological activity of the water column. Sediments which are highly bioturbated appear to disrupt the dissolved O2 gradient across the sediment-water interface.
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Brand, T., Shimmield, G. (1991). The Use of 210Pb as an Indicator of Biological Processes Affecting the Flux and Sediment Geochemistry of Organic Carbon in the NE Atlantic. In: Kershaw, P.J., Woodhead, D.S. (eds) Radionuclides in the Study of Marine Processes. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3686-0_24
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-011-3686-0_24
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