Coupling of benthic oxygen uptake and silica release: implications for estimating biogenic particle fluxes to the seafloor

Silica diagenesis and benthic fluxes in the Arctic Ocean

“…The Arctic Ocean benthic DSi fluxes of 1 to 15 mmol m −2 a −1 are similar to values determined for the Greenland Sea (Schlüter and Sauter, 2000) and the open Atlantic Ocean (e.g., Sayles et al, 1996;Hensen et al, 1998;Ragueneau et al, 2001;Seiter et al, 2010;Ziebis et al, 2012). Conversely, these values are orders of magnitude lower than in the highly productive Southern Ocean where benthic DSi fluxes reach N2000 mmol m − 2 a − 1 (Rabouille et al, 1997;Treguer and De La Rocha, 2013).…”

Sedimentary Diagenesis, Depositional Environments, and Benthic Fluxes

“…The highest percentages of SiO 2 are found where terrigenous sediment supply is low and depth-integrated dissolution is minimized relative to the flux of SiO 2 (e.g., Southern Ocean and Equatorial Pacific) (after Seiter et al, 2004; see also Broecker and Peng, 1982 alteration or authigenic mineral formation. Thus, the kinetics of dissolution and the equilibrium behavior of opaline silica have been incorporated into transport-reaction models in order to predict and interpret the pore water Si(OH) 4 distributions, the recycling fluxes, the spatial patterns of siliceous sediments, and the storage of biogenic silica (Archer et al, 1993;McManus et al, 1995;Rabouille et al, 1997;Schink et al, 1975;Seiter et al, 2010). A typical general kinetic equation quantifying dissolution is (Hurd, 1973;Rickert et al, 2002;Schink et al, 1975; see also Chapter 9.4)…”