Abstract
Marine barite (BaSO4) is a relatively ubiquitous, though minor, component of ocean sediments. Modern studies of the accumulation of barite in ocean sediments have demonstrated a robust correlation between barite accumulation rates and carbon export to the deep ocean. This correlation has been used to develop quantitative relationships between barite accumulation rates and export production and is used to reconstruct export production in the geologic past, particularly during times of dynamic changes in the carbon cycle. We review the processes that affect the formation and preservation of marine barite, as well as those controlling the relationship between the barium (Ba) and carbon biogeochemical cycles. Additionally, we take a new approach to modeling the marine Ba cycle as a two-box model, specifically evaluating Ba utilization in the surface ocean and refining the equation describing the relationship between export production and barite formation. We compare these new results with past modeling efforts. The new model demonstrates that increases in export production can lead to sustained increases in barite accumulation in marine sediments without resulting in complete surface water Ba depletion, which is distinctly different from previous modeling results.
Highlights
The carbon (C) cycle plays a critical role in global climate both in today’s environment and in the geologic past (e.g., [1])
The accumulation rate of microcrystals of the mineral barite (BaSO4 ; Figure 1) in marine sediments has been widely used as a proxy for export production and will be reviewed here along with the role barite plays in the Minerals 2020, 10, 421; doi:10.3390/min10050421
Observations show that the highest particulate barite concentration in the water column in most regions of the ocean is associated with the oxygen minimum zone, where most organic carbon (Corg ) degradation occurs, providing further proof of the relationship between barite formation in the water column and organic matter degradation [28,75,76]
Summary
The carbon (C) cycle plays a critical role in global climate both in today’s environment and in the geologic past (e.g., [1]). The accumulation rate of microcrystals of the mineral barite (BaSO4 ; Figure 1) in marine sediments has been widely used as a proxy for export production and will be reviewed here along with the role barite plays in the Minerals 2020, 10, 421; doi:10.3390/min10050421 www.mdpi.com/journal/minerals. 2 2ofof2424 processes that affect the formation and preservation of marine barite in the modern ocean, as well as global marine (Ba) cycle. Document recent processes thatbarium affect formation andgoal preservation of baritelight in the ocean, as well as the formation and preservation of marine barite in the modern ocean, as well as those controlling the progress achievedthe andcoupling identify between gaps in our of the marine Ba cycle,We review and suggest those controlling the knowledge. Recommend future studies that could enhance our ability past export production.
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