TITLE:
The Distribution of Sedimentary Organic Matter and Implication of Its Transfer from Changjiang Estuary to Hangzhou Bay, China
AUTHORS:
Fanglu Xu, Zhongqiang Ji, Kui Wang, Haiyan Jin, Pei Sun Loh
KEYWORDS:
Changjiang Estuary, Hangzhou Bay, Sedimentary Organic Matter, Lignin
JOURNAL NAME:
Open Journal of Marine Science,
Vol.6 No.1,
January
29,
2016
ABSTRACT: In this study, a
comparison was made between the Changjiang Estuary and the Hanghzou Bay, in
terms of the sources and diagenesis of the sedimentary organic matter (OM). To
achieve this purpose, surface sediments from the estuary and bay were analyzed
for lignin-derived phenols, stable carbon isotope and TOC/TN (total organic
carbon/total nitrogen) molar ratio. The signal of land-derived OM decreased, and
the vanillic acid to vanillin ratio, (Ad/Al)v, increased with increasing
distance from the Changjiang Estuary and the Hangzhou Bay. These results
corresponded with the contribution of the terrigenous OM from the rivers to the
coastal zone, and the predominance ofmarine
OM farther offshore, and that the land-derived OM underwent decomposition
duringtransport along the
estuary and bay. It should be noted that besides the Qiantang River, Hangzhou
Bay is also receiving more than half of its materials from Changjiang Estuary,
which flows into the Hangzhou Bay at the north, and leaves via the southern
part of the bay. This important aspect of the hydrological cycle in Hangzhou
Bay corresponded to higher Λ (total lignin in mg/100 mg OC), higher TOC and C/N
ratios and more elevated (Ad/Al)v and (Ad/Al)s values in the bay than the
Changjiang Estuary, thus, rendering the bay as a site for the accumulation and
rapid cycling of terrigenous OM.