Vertical Distribution of Biogenic Elements in Pore Waters of the Bering Sea.

摘要

Piston core samples of Bering Sea sediments were squeezed to obtain the interstitial fluids. Horizons sampled and reported are for 0, 2, 4, 8 and 16 m. These fluids were subsequently analyzed for alkalinity, ammonia, phosphate and silicate. Alkalinity and ammonia concentrations in the pore fluids increased uniformly with respect to depth. The ranges of concentration reported are 2.5 - 73.7 mg-equivalents/liter for alkalinity and 0.2 - 159 mg/liter for ammonia-nitrogen. Nitrogen was also determined in the surface horizon and found to vary between 0.04 and 0.29%. In some cases, phosphate also showed an increase in concentration with respect to depth but the range was only 0.2 - 7.5 PO4 mg/liter. Silicate values varied widely and no definable trends were noted. Concentrations of these biogenic elements in the pore fluids are attributed to the regeneration of biogenic material deposited in the sediments. Regeneration occurs in the uppermost layers for the most part and in some cases continues in deeper layers.