Sulfate reduction related to the early diagenetic degradation of organic matter and “black spot” formation in tidal sandflats of the German Wadden Sea (southern North Sea): stable isotope ( 13C, 34S, 18O) and other geochemical results

A stable isotope geochemical investigation ( 34S/ 32S, 13C/ 12C, 18O/ 16O) has been carried out to study the development of anoxic surface sediments (“black spots”) in the backbarrier tidal area of Spiekeroog island (southern North Sea). Microbial sulfate reduction related to the degradation of main...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Organic geochemistry 1998-01, Vol.29 (5), p.1517-1530
Main Authors: Böttcher, Michael E., Oelschläger, Bärbel, Höpner, Thomas, Brumsack, Hans-Jürgen, Rullkötter, Jürgen
Format: Article
Language:English
Subjects:
black spots
carbon isotopes
Earth sciences
Earth, ocean, space
Exact sciences and technology
isotope fractionation
Isotope geochemistry
Isotope geochemistry. Geochronology
Marine and continental quaternary
microbial sulfate reduction
oxygen isotopes
southern North Sea
Spiekeroog island
sulfur isotopes
Surficial geology
tidal sand flats
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Summary:A stable isotope geochemical investigation ( 34S/ 32S, 13C/ 12C, 18O/ 16O) has been carried out to study the development of anoxic surface sediments (“black spots”) in the backbarrier tidal area of Spiekeroog island (southern North Sea). Microbial sulfate reduction related to the degradation of mainly marine organic matter under anaerobic conditions led to the accumulation of hydrogen bisulfide (up to 8 mM) in the interstitial waters of the sandy sediments. While the carbon isotopic composition of organic matter reflected the downcore preferential degradation of labile (marine) organic matter, sulfur and oxygen isotope variations in the dissolved sulfur species provided information about the microbiologically mediated complex interactions between the sulfur, carbon and oxygen cycles.
ISSN:0146-6380
1873-5290
DOI:10.1016/S0146-6380(98)00124-7