Burial fluxes and sources of organic carbon in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area over the past 200 years

Abstract

Long-term changes of composition, sources and burial fluxes of TOC (total organic carbon) in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area and their possible affecting factors are discussed in this paper. Firstly, similarity analysis is employed to confirm that the carbon burial features resulted from two collected cores are typical in the central Yellow Sea mud area where YSWC (Yellow Sea Warm Current) is prevalent. On this basis, the burial flux of TOC here was considered to be 235.5–488.4 μmol/(cm2∙a) since the first industrial revolution, accounting for about 70%–90% among burial fluxes of TC (total carbon) in the sediments. Compared TOC/TC ratio in the two cores with that in other marine sediments worldwide, we suggest that the growth of calcareous/non-calcareous organisms and dissolution of IC (inorganic carbon) are important factors controlling the TOC/TC ratio in sediment. Results of two-end mixed model based on δ13C data indicate that marine-derived organic carbon (OCa) is the main part among total burial organic carbon which accounts for a ratio over 85%. Due to the high TOC/TC ratio in the two cores, TC in the sediments also mainly exists as OCa, and the proportion of OCa is about 60%–80%. Away from the shore and relatively high primary production in upper waters are the main reasons that OCa is predominant among all burial OC in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area. Burial of OC in this mud area is probably mainly influenced by the human activities. Although the economic development during the late 19th century caused by the first industrial revolution in China did not obviously increase the TOC burial fluxes in the sediments, the rise of industry and agriculture after the founding of new China has clearly increased the TOC burial flux since 1950s. Otherwise, we also realize that among TC burial fluxes, TIC account for about 10%–30% in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area, so its burial could not be simply ignored here. Distinct from TOC burial, long-term TIC burial fluxes variations relate with climate changes more closely: the East Asian summer monsoon may influence the strength of the Huanghe River (Yellow River) flood, which could further affect the transport of terrestrial IC from land to the central Yellow Sea as well as the burial of these IC in the sediments.