Biogeochemical Cycling in the Organic-Rich Coastal Environment

9633456马丁斯在世界海洋大陆边缘埋葬和保存有机质是一个具有全球重要性的过程。事实上，与大气没有直接接触的埋藏不仅是世界各地发现的化石有机质沉积的原因，也是地球大气中分子氧持续存在的原因。可以理解，了解影响近海有机质分解、保存和埋藏的因素一直是低温地球化学的经典问题之一。在这个项目中，一组生物地球化学家将继续他们在这一具有环境和经济重要性的问题上的工作。在他们下一阶段的研究中，重点将放在有机物的分解和保存与单位质量具有较大表面积的沉积颗粒(基本上是沉积物中最细的成分，如粘土矿物)上的有机吸附之间的关系。他们将进行实验室实验，以补充对有机沉积、分解和埋葬的研究，以及四个具有不同有机输入类型和速率以及不同微生物和沉积学特征的对比内陆架野外地点。研究人员预计，这种方法将有助于更好地定量理解有机保存与有机沉积速度、微生物分解过程的差异、溶解有机物在矿物颗粒上的吸附和解吸以及埋藏率等变量的关系。

9633456 Martens The burial and preservation of organic matter on the continental margins of the world ocean is a process of global importance. In fact, burial out of direct contact with the atmosphere is responsible not only for the deposits of fossil organic matter found throughout the world but also for the persistence of molecular oxygen in the Earth's atmosphere. Understanding the factors impacting the decomposition, preservation, and burial of perimarine organic matter has understandably been one of the classical problems of low-temperature geochemistry. In this project, a group of biogeochemists will be continuing their work on this problem of environmental and economic importance. In this next phase of their research, the focus will be on the relationship of organic matter decomposition and preservation to organic sorption onto sedimentary grains with large surface areas per unit mass (essentially the very finest components of sediments, such as clay minerals). They will carry out laboratory experiments to complement studies of organic sedimentation, decomposition, and burial and four contrasting inner-shelf field sites characterized by different types and rates of organic input as well as different microbiological and sedimentological characteristics. The researchers expect that this approach will lead to an improved quantitative understanding of the relationship of organic preservation to such variables as organic deposit rate, differences in microbial decomposition processes, adsorption and desorption of dissolved organic matter on mineral grains, and burial rate.