Organic carbon isotope ratios of sea surface sediments and sea-ice from the Amerasian Continental shelf ...

• Main Authors: Naidu, A Sathy, Cooper, Lee W, Finney, Bruce P, Macdonald, Robie W, Alexander, Clark, Semiletov, Igor P
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2000
• Subjects: Arctic; Beaufort Sea; Chukchi; Phytoplankton; Sea ice; taiga; Tundra
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.712053; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.712053

Organic matter origins are inferred from carbon isotope ratios (delta13C) in recent continental shelf sediments and major rivers from 465 locations from the north Bering-Chukchi-East Siberian-Beaufort Sea, Arctic Amerasia. Generally, there is a cross-shelf increase in delta13C, which is due to progressive increased contribution seaward of marine-derived organic carbon to surface sediments. This conclusion is supported by the correlations between sediment delta13C, OC/N, and delta15N. The sources of total organic carbon (TOC) to the Amerasian margin sediments are primarily from marine water-column phytoplankton and terrigenous C3 plants constituted of tundra taiga and angiosperms. In contrast to more temperate regions, the source of TOC from terrigenous C4 and CAM plants to the study area is probably insignificant because these plants do not exist in the northern high latitudes. The input of carbon to the northern Alaskan shelf sediments from nearshore kelp community (Laminaria solidungula) is generally ... : Supplement to: Naidu, A Sathy; Cooper, Lee W; Finney, Bruce P; Macdonald, Robie W; Alexander, Clark; Semiletov, Igor P (2000): Organic carbon isotope ratios (d13C) of Arctic Amerasian Continental shelf sediments. International Journal of Earth Sciences, 89(3), 522-532 ...