Riverine Carbon and the Sedimentary Record on the Continental Shelves.

摘要

The aim of our contribution (as part of the EuroSTRATAFORM Program) was to improve a more complete understanding of organic matter (OM) transport, deposition and burial in the Gulf of Lions and Adriatic Sea. Continental shelves represent the largest modern repository of particulate organic carbon (OC); nevertheless, some major river systems may be sites where a substantial portion of terrestrial inputs bypass the shelf, and are discharged onto the continental slope and beyond. Characterizing the origin of OM delivered to the ocean and defining the processes that affect its ultimate burial may provide a better understanding of the mechanisms that influence organic carbon preservation in the ocean.