Abstract
Present estimates of the biogeochemical cycles of calcium, strontium and potassium in the ocean reveal large imbalances between known input and output fluxes. Using pore fluid, incubation and solid sediment data from North Pacific multi-corer cores we show that, contrary to the common paradigm, the top centimetres of abyssal sediments can be an active site of authigenic precipitation of clay minerals. In this region, clay authigenesis is the dominant sink for potassium and strontium and consumes nearly all calcium released from benthic dissolution of calcium carbonates. These observations support the idea that clay authigenesis occurring over broad regions of the world ocean may be a major buffer for ocean chemistry on the time scale of the ocean overturning circulation, and key to the long-term stability of Earth's climate.
Original language | English |
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Article number | e2021GB007270 |
Number of pages | 16 |
Journal | Global Biogeochemical Cycles |
Volume | 36 |
Issue number | 11 |
Early online date | 10 Nov 2022 |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 10 Nov 2022 |
Keywords
- Reverse weathering
- Clay authigenesis
- Calcium
- Potassium
- Porewater
- Strontium
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Porewater and sediment data from the North Pacific CDisK-IV expedition
Steiner, Z. (Contributor), Rae, J. W. B. (Contributor), Berelson, W. M. (Contributor), Adkins, J. F. (Contributor), Hou, Y. (Contributor), Dong, S. (Contributor), Lampronti, G. I. (Contributor), Liu, X. (Contributor), Antler, G. (Contributor), Subhas, A. V. (Contributor), Achterberg, E. P. (Contributor) & Turchyn, A. V. (Contributor), PANGAEA, 2022
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