Sedimentary organic matter contents and porewater chemistry at upper bathyal depths influenced by the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake and tsunami

Abstract

Sedimentary organic matter and porewater geochemistry at upper bathyal depths off Tohoku, Japan, were investigated 1 year after the 2011 off the Pacific coast of Tohoku Earthquake. Total organic carbon (TOC) and total nitrogen (TN) concentrations, organic carbon and nitrogen isotopic compositions, dissolved oxygen (DO) concentrations, and bottom water and porewater nutrient concentrations were examined in sediment core samples collected from eight upper bathyal stations. Event deposits 1 to 7 cm thick were observed at all sampling stations, indicating that a vast area off Tohoku has been influenced by sedimentological events caused by the earthquake or subsequent tsunami. Both TOC and TN concentrations were lower in coarse-grained event deposits. Carbon and nitrogen isotopic composition, together with the C/N ratio, suggested that the event deposits, including turbidites, were composed of local sediments that had been transported relatively short distances. Nutrient fluxes across the sediment–water interface correlated with surface TOC and bottom water DO concentrations. However, event deposit thickness showed no correlation with oxygen or nutrient fluxes. The organic matter content of the event deposits was similar to that in the underlying sediments at each site, and thus no apparent effect of event deposits on nutrient fluxes was observed. Our results suggest that biogeochemical cycles in sediments of disturbed areas are affected not only by event deposit thickness, but also by the source of the event deposits.