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Global pulses of organic carbon burial in deep-sea sediments during glacial maxima

Author

Listed:
  • Olivier Cartapanis

    (Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern
    McGill University)

  • Daniele Bianchi

    (McGill University
    School of Oceanography, University of Washington
    University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles)

  • Samuel L. Jaccard

    (Institute of Geological Sciences and Oeschger Centre for Climate Change Research, University of Bern)

  • Eric D. Galbraith

    (McGill University
    Institució Catalana de Recerca i Estudis Avancats (ICREA)
    Universitat Autonoma de Barcelona)

Abstract

The burial of organic carbon in marine sediments removes carbon dioxide from the ocean–atmosphere pool, provides energy to the deep biosphere, and on geological timescales drives the oxygenation of the atmosphere. Here we quantify natural variations in the burial of organic carbon in deep-sea sediments over the last glacial cycle. Using a new data compilation of hundreds of sediment cores, we show that the accumulation rate of organic carbon in the deep sea was consistently higher (50%) during glacial maxima than during interglacials. The spatial pattern and temporal progression of the changes suggest that enhanced nutrient supply to parts of the surface ocean contributed to the glacial burial pulses, with likely additional contributions from more efficient transfer of organic matter to the deep sea and better preservation of organic matter due to reduced oxygen exposure. These results demonstrate a pronounced climate sensitivity for this global carbon cycle sink.

Suggested Citation

  • Olivier Cartapanis & Daniele Bianchi & Samuel L. Jaccard & Eric D. Galbraith, 2016. "Global pulses of organic carbon burial in deep-sea sediments during glacial maxima," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 7(1), pages 1-7, April.
    • Handle: RePEc:nat:natcom:v:7:y:2016:i:1:d:10.1038_ncomms10796
    DOI: 10.1038/ncomms10796
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    Cited by:

    1. Sureth Michael & Kalkuhl Matthias & Edenhofer Ottmar & Rockström Johan, 2023. "A Welfare Economic Approach to Planetary Boundaries," Journal of Economics and Statistics (Jahrbuecher fuer Nationaloekonomie und Statistik), De Gruyter, vol. 243(5), pages 477-542, October.
    2. Liao Chang & Babette A. A. Hoogakker & David Heslop & Xiang Zhao & Andrew P. Roberts & Patrick Deckker & Pengfei Xue & Zhaowen Pei & Fan Zeng & Rong Huang & Baoqi Huang & Shishun Wang & Thomas A. Bern, 2023. "Indian Ocean glacial deoxygenation and respired carbon accumulation during mid-late Quaternary ice ages," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 14(1), pages 1-11, December.
    3. James A. Bradley & Dominik Hülse & Douglas E. LaRowe & Sandra Arndt, 2022. "Transfer efficiency of organic carbon in marine sediments," Nature Communications, Nature, vol. 13(1), pages 1-8, December.

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