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The oxygen content of ocean bottom waters, the burial efficiency of organic carbon, and the regulation of atmospheric oxygenData for the burial efficiency of organic carbon with marine sediments have been compiled for 69 locations. The burial efficiency as here defined is the ratio of the quantity of organic carbon which is ultimately buried to that which reaches the sediment-water interface. As noted previously, the sedimentation rate exerts a dominant influence on the burial efficiency. The logarithm of the burial efficiency is linearly related to the logarithm of the sedimentation rate at low sedimentation rates. At high sedimentation rates the burial efficiency can exceed 50% and becomes nearly independent of the sedimentation rate. The residual of the burial efficiency after the effect of the sedimentation rate has been subtracted is a weak function of the O2 concentration in bottom waters. The scatter is sufficiently large, so that the effect of the O2 concentration in bottom waters on the burial efficiency of organic matter could be either negligible or a minor but significant part of the mechanism that controls the level of O2 in the atmosphere.
Document ID
20040090187
Acquisition Source
Headquarters
Document Type
Reprint (Version printed in journal)
Authors
Betts, J. N.
(Harvard University Cambridge, MA 02138, United States)
Holland, H. D.
Date Acquired
August 21, 2013
Publication Date
January 1, 1991
Publication Information
Publication: Global and planetary change
Volume: 97
ISSN: 0921-8181
Subject Category
Exobiology
Funding Number(s)
CONTRACT_GRANT: NAGW-599
Distribution Limits
Public
Copyright
Other
Keywords
Non-NASA Center
NASA Discipline Exobiology
NASA Program Exobiology
NASA Discipline Number 52-20

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