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Organic carbon accumulation and sulfate reduction rates in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea

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Abstract

This study investigated the organic carbon accumulation rates (OCARs) and sulfate reduction rates (SRRs) in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea. These sediments have high organic contents at depths greater than 2,000 m; this is rare for deep-sea sediments, except for those of the Black Sea and Chilean upwelling regions. The mean organic carbon to total nitrogen molar ratio was estimated to be 6.98 in the Ulleung Basin sediments, indicating that the organic matter is predominantly of marine origin. Strong organic carbon enrichment in the Ulleung Basin appears to result from high export production, and low dilution by inputs of terrestrial materials and calcium carbonate. Apparent sedimentation rates, calculated primarily from excess 210Pb distribution below the zone of sediment mixing, varied from 0.033 to 0.116 cm year−1, agreeing well with previous results for the basin. OCARs fluctuated strongly in the range of 2.06–12.5 g C m−2 year−1, these rates being four times higher at the slope sites than at the basin sites. Within the top 15 cm of the sediment, the integrated SRRs ranged from 0.72 to 1.89 mmol m−2 day−1, with rates approximately twice as high in the slope areas as in the basin areas. SRR values were consistently higher in areas of high sedimentation and of high organic carbon accumulation, correlating well with apparent sedimentation rates and OCARs. The sulfate reduction rates recorded in the basin and slope sediments of the Ulleung Basin are higher than those reported for other parts of the world, with the exception of the Peruvian and Chilean upwelling regions. This is consistent with the high organic carbon contents of surface sediments of the Ulleung Basin, suggesting enhanced organic matter fluxes.

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Acknowledgements

The authors would like to thank the captain and crews of the R/V Eardo who were most helpful in all our shipboard operations. We are grateful to Dr. Jeong Hee Shim and Ms. Kyung Hee Kim for their help in sample collection. We also thank Dr. Jeong Hee Han of the Korea Basic Science Institute, Daejeon, South Korea for 210Pb measurements. This study was conducted with the support of KORDI grant PE97603 and PM46401.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Southern Coastal Environment Research Department, KORDI, Geoje, 656-830, South Korea

    Taehee Lee

  2. Department of Environmental Maine Sciences, Hanyang University, Ansan, 426-791, South Korea

    Jung-Ho Hyun & Jin Sook Mok

  3. Marine Environment Research Department, KORDI, Ansan, P.O. Box 29, Seoul, 425-600, South Korea

    Dongseon Kim

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  1. Taehee Lee
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  2. Jung-Ho Hyun
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Correspondence to Dongseon Kim.

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Lee, T., Hyun, JH., Mok, J.S. et al. Organic carbon accumulation and sulfate reduction rates in slope and basin sediments of the Ulleung Basin, East/Japan Sea. Geo-Mar Lett 28, 153–159 (2008). https://doi.org/10.1007/s00367-007-0097-8

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