Seasonal and depth variations in molecular and isotopic alkenone composition of sinking particles from the western North Pacific

Abstract

Seasonal and depth variations in alkenone flux and molecular and isotopic composition of sinking particles were examined using a 21-month time-series sediment trap experiment at a mooring station WCT-2 (39°N, 147°E) in the mid-latitude NW Pacific to assess the influences of seasonality, production depth, and degradation in the water column on the alkenone unsaturation index U K′ 37. Analysis of the underlying sediments was also conducted to evaluate the effects of alkenone degradation at the water–sediment interface on U K′ 37. Alkenone sinking flux and U K′ 37-based temperature showed strong seasonal variability. Alkenone fluxes were higher from spring to fall than they were from fall to spring. During periods of high alkenone flux, the U K′ 37-based temperatures were lower than the contemporary sea-surface temperatures (SSTs), suggesting alkenone production in a well-developed thermocline (shallower than 30 m). During low alkenone flux periods, the U K′ 37-based temperatures were nearly constant and were higher than the contemporary SSTs. The nearly constant carbon isotopic ratios of C 37:2 and C 38:2 alkenones suggest that alkenones produced in early fall were suspended in the surface water until sinking. The alkenone sinking flux decreased exponentially with increasing depth. The decreasing trend was enhanced during the periods of high alkenone flux, suggesting that fresh and labile particles sank from spring to fall, while old and stable particles sank from fall to spring. The U K′ 37-based temperature usually increased with increasing depth. The preservation efficiency of alkenones was ∼2.7–5.2% at the water–sediment interface. Despite the significant degradation of the alkenones, there was little difference in U K′ 37 levels between sinking particles and the surface sediment.