New perspective of Miocene marine hydrocarbon source rocks in deep-water area in Qiongdongnan Basin of northern South China Sea

Drilling wells reveal that the organic matter abundance of Miocene marine source rocks in shallow water area of the Qiongdongnan Basin is relatively low with poor hydrocarbon generation poten- tial. However, in some drilling wells of deep water area close to the central depression belt, Miocene marine source rocks with better organic matter abundance and hydrocarbon generation have been found, which have achieved better source rock standard based on the analysis of geochemical charac- teristics. Although there are no exploratory wells in deep water area of the research region, through the comparative analysis of geochemical data of several typical exploratory wells respectively from shallow water area in the basin, central depression belt margin in deep-water area of the basin and Site 1148 of deep sea drilling in the South China Sea Basin, it reveals that the tendency of the quality of source rocks becomes positive gradually from delta to bathyal environment, which then becomes negative as in deep oceanic environment. Owing to the lack of terrestrial organic matter input, the important controlling factors of Miocene marine source rocks in the Qiongdongnan Basin are ocean productivity and preservation conditions of organic matter. The element geochemistry data indicate that the tendency of the paleoproductivity and the preservation conditions of organic matter become positive as water depth increase from shallow area to bathyal area close to central depression belt. So it is speculated that there must exist high quality source rocks in the central depression area where the preservation conditions of organic matter are much better. Besides, in theory, in oxygen-poor zone of oceanic environment at the water depth 400-1 000 m, the preservation conditions of organic matter are well thus forming high-quality marine source rocks. The result- ing speculation, it is reasonable to consider that there are high hydrocarbon generation potential source rocks in bathyal environment of the Qiongdongnan Basin, especially at the water depth 400- 1 000 m.     

Grain size,La/Yb and Th/Sc of settling particles in the western North Pacific: Evidence for lateral transport of small Asian loess

To understand the transport process of lithogenic particles in the ocean, we measured the grain size distributions of lithogenic particles and measured the opal, La, Yb, Th, and Sc concentrations of the settling particles collected from time-series sediment traps at Sta. KNOT (44°N, 155°E, water depth 5320 m) from June 2002 to May 2004. The annual mean lithogenic particle flux observed at the lower sediment trap (5100 m) was twice as high as that at the upper sediment trap (770 m). The contribution of Asian loess estimated by the La/Yb and the Th/Sc ratios in the lower layer was greater than that in the upper layer. The fluxes of small lithogenic particles with sizes of 3–4 μm at the lower layer (5 to 65 mg/m²/day) were approximately four times larger than that at the upper layer (0.6 to 27 mg/m²/day). These results indicate that the horizontal addition of small particle sizes of Asian loess is a main factor in the increase of lithogenic particles at the lower layer. The temporal variations in the small lithogenic particle flux at the lower layer had a positive correlation with those at the upper layer (r = 0.71). The small lithogenic particle fluxes showed a strong positive correlation with the opal fluxes (r = 0.9). We therefore conclude that the small lithogenic particles were laterally transported and scavenged by the formation of aggregates with opal.     

Particle flux through the Huanghai Sea cold water mass

Settling particulate matter （SPM） was collected by using sediment traps at four stations in a survey section from Qingdao to Cheju-do, across the Huanghai Sea cold water mass （HSCWM）, in August 2002. The sediment traps were planted in three layers： the upper layer of the thermocline （ULT） above the HSCWM, the lower layer of the thermocline （LLT）, and the bottom layer of water column （BL）. To determine the particle flux, the contents of organic carbon （POC）, organic nitrogen （PON）, total carbon （PC）, and total phosphorous （PP） in SPM were analyzed, and two flux models （Ⅰ and Ⅱ） were improved to calculate the resuspension ratio, with an assumption in Model Ⅰ that the vertical flux of SPM in the LLT equals the net vertical flux of SPM in the whole water column. An X value, i.e., the fraction of the resuspension flux originating from the surficial sediments nearby the sampling station, was deduced from Model Ⅰ to estimate the contribution of lateral currents to the total resuspension flux. The results showed that inorganic particles, fecal pellets, and miscellaneous aggregates were the major types of SPM in the HSCWM, and the contents of POC, PON, PC, and PP all decreased with water depth. A great deal of fecal pellets found in the LLT indicates that the main space producing biogenic SPM is the thermocline, and especially the LLT, where the C/N ratio is lower than that in the ULT. The resuspension ratios, 90%-96% among stations, imply strong impact ofresuspension on particle flux in the BL. These values were not significantly different between the two flux models, suggesting that the hypothesis in Model Ⅰ that the flux in the LLT equaling the net flux to the bottom is acceptable for shallow waters with stratification like the HSCWM. The POC export ratio from the HSCWM ranges from 35% to 68%. It benefits from the short sinking distance in shallow water. The upwelling in the HSCWM enhanced the POC flux through the water mass, and the lateral currents provides up to being greater than 50% ofresuspension flux in the BL according to evaluation of the X value.     

基于中国北极考察布放浮标观测和数值模拟的海冰和积雪厚度变化分析

Sea ice and the snow pack on top of it were investigated using Chinese National Arctic Research Expedition(CHINARE) buoy data.Two polar hydrometeorological drifters,known as Zeno? ice stations,were deployed during CHINARE 2003.A new type of high-resolution Snow and Ice Mass Balance Arrays,known as SIMBA buoys,were deployed during CHINARE 2014.Data from those buoys were applied to investigate the thickness of sea ice and snow in the CHINARE domain.A simple approach was applied to estimate the average snow thickness on the basis of Zeno~ temperature data.Snow and ice thicknesses were also derived from vertical temperature profile data based on the SIMBA buoys.A one-dimensional snow and ice thermodynamic model(HIGHTSI) was applied to calculate the snow and ice thickness along the buoy drift trajectories.The model forcing was based on forecasts and analyses of the European Centre for Medium-Range Weather Forecasts(ECMWF).The Zeno~ buoys drifted in a confined area during 2003–2004.The snow thickness modelled applying HIGHTSI was consistent with results based on Zeno~ buoy data.The SIMBA buoys drifted from 81.1°N,157.4°W to 73.5°N,134.9°W in 15 months during2014–2015.The total ice thickness increased from an initial August 2014 value of 1.97 m to a maximum value of2.45 m before the onset of snow melt in May 2015;the last observation was approximately 1 m in late November2015.The ice thickness based on HIGHTSI agreed with SIMBA measurements,in particular when the seasonal variation of oceanic heat flux was taken into account,but the modelled snow thickness differed from the observed one.Sea ice thickness derived from SIMBA data was reasonably good in cold conditions,but challenges remain in both snow and ice thickness in summer.     

Formation and transport of intermediate water masses in a model of the Pacific Ocean

A basin-wide ocean general circulation model of the Pacific Ocean was used to investigate how the interior restoration in the Okhotsk Sea and the isopycnal diffusion affect the circulation and intermediate water masses. Four numerical experiments were conducted, including a run with the same isopycnal and thickness diffusivity of 1.0×103 m2/s, a run employing the interior restoration of temperature and salinity in the Okhotsk Sea with a time scale of 3 months, a run that is the same as the first run except for the enhanced isopycnal mixing, and a final run with the combination of the restoration in the Okhotsk Sea and large isopycnal diffusivity. Simulated results show that the intermediate water masses reproduced in the first run are relatively weak. An increase in isopycnal diffusivity can improve the simulation of both Antarctic and North Pacific intermediate waters, mainly increasing the transport in the interior ocean, but inhibiting the outflow from the Okhotsk Sea. The interior restoration generates the reverse current from the observation in the Okhotsk Sea, whereas the simulation of the temperature and salinity is improved in the high latitude region of the Northern Hemisphere because of the reasonable source of the North Pacific Intermediate Water. A comparison of vertical profiles of temperature and salinity along 50°N between the simulation and observations demonstrates that the vertical mixing in the source region of intermediate water masses is very important.     

Lower Cd/P ratio in settling particles than in surface seawater in the Okinawa Trough

The characteristics of the ratios between cadmium (Cd) and phosphorus (P) in settling particles collected from the Okinawa Trough in the East China Sea were examined using a sediment trap, moored at a depth of 811 m for one year. The Cd/P ratios varied within a narrow range throughout the year, in spite of the large seasonal change in the total dry mass, Cd, and P fluxes. The average Cd/P ratio of settling particles was 0.062 (nmol/μmol), which was obviously lower than that of surface seawater around the study site (0.16). This lower ratio in the Okinawa Trough particles collected using the 811 m-moored trap certainly reflected the mixture of biologically produced organic matter around the study site and other components that were mainly transported as lateral flux from the shelf edge and slope area of the East China Sea.     

Seasonal and annual variations of marine sinking particulate flux during 1993~1996 in the central South China Sea

A total of 67 samples from the upper and lower sediment traps in the central South China Sea were analyzed, which were collected during 1993~1996. It is indicated that the distribution of stable isotope values, surface primary productivity, fluxes of total particulate matter, carbonate, biogenic opal, organic carbon, planktonic foraminiferal species and their total amount exhibit obviously seasonal and annual fluctuations. High values of the fluxes occurred in the prevailing periods of the northeastern and southwestern monsoons, and the low values occurred during the periods between the two monsoons. The fluxes of some planktonic foraminiferal species (Globigerinoides sacculifer, G. ruber, Globigerinita glutinata, Neogloboquadrina dutertrei) and their percentages also exhibit two prominent peaks during the prevailing periods of the northeastern and southwestern monsoons respectively, while those of Globigerina bulloides, Globorotalia menardii and Pulleniatina obliquiloculata only exhibit one peak in the prevailing periods of the northeastern monsoon. In addition, fluxes and percentages of Globigerinoides sacculifer and Globorotalia menardii as well as the fluxes of carbonate and total amount of planktonic foraminifera decrease gradually from 1993 to 1996, and those of Globigerina bulloides, Globigerinita glutinata and biogenic opal increase gradually from 1993 to 1996. The fluxes of carbonate and organic carbon in the upper trap are higher than those in the lower one. The study indicates that the seasonal and annual variations of the sediment fluxes and planktonic foraminiferal species are mainly controlled by the changes of surface primary productivity and hydrological conditions related to the East Asian monsoon. The lower carbonate and organic carbon fluxes in the lower trap are related to the dissolution.     

SPECIFIC GRAVITY OF SEAWATER FROM ESTUARY OF CHANGJIANG RIVER

The specific gravity of 13 sea water samples at 25℃ from the estuary of the Changjiang River has been determined by the pycnometer method. The results are consistent with the values computed from chlorinity by Knudsen's tables within the experimental error of the method, and are lower on an average of about 0.02 in sigma-25 than values computed from salinity by the equation of Cox et al. (1970). The standard deviation of our measurements is estimated at ±0.01 in sigma-25.The differences between the present results and the values computed from chlorinity by the equation of Cox et al. (1970) imply that, for water of the same chlorinity, the sea water at the estuary of the Changjiang River tends to have a lower concentration of dissolved substances than that of the ocean water.Our work shows that the Knudsen's tables may apply to the sea water at the estuary of the Changjiang River and also provides an experimental evidence that the new oceanographic tables can be applied to the studies on the sea water     

The physical structures of snow and sea ice in the Arctic section of 150°-180°W during the summer of 2010

The physical structures of snow and sea ice in the Arctic section of 150°-180°W were observed on the basis of snow-pit, ice-core, and drill-hole measurements from late July to late August 2010. Almost all the investigated floes were first-year ice, except for one located north of Alaska, which was probably multi-year ice transported from north of the Canadian Arctic Archipelago during early summer. The snow covers over all the investigated floes were in the melting phase, with temperatures approaching 0℃ and densities of 295-398 kg/m3 . The snow covers can be divided into two to five layers of different textures, with most cases having a top layer of fresh snow, a round-grain layer in the middle, and slush and/or thin icing layers at the bottom. The first-year sea ice contained about 7%-17% granular ice at the top. There was no granular ice in the lower layers. The interior melting and desalination of sea ice introduced strong stratifications of temperature, salinity, density, and gas and brine volume fractions. The sea ice temperature exhibited linear cooling with depth, while the salinity and the density increased linearly with normalized depth from 0.2 to 0.9 and from 0 to 0.65, respectively. The top layer, especially the freeboard layer, had the lowest salinity and density, and consequently the largest gas content and the smallest brine content. Both the salinity and density in the ice basal layer were highly scattered due to large differences in ice porosity among the samples. The bulk average sea ice temperature, salinity, density, and gas and brine volume fractions were-0.8℃, 1.8, 837 kg/m3 , 9.3% and 10.4%, respectively. The snow cover, sea ice bottom, and sea ice interior show evidences of melting during mid-August in the investigated floe located at about 87°N, 175°W.     

Profile Method for Measuring Apparent Optical Parameters (AOP) Ⅱin Class- Waters

IntroductionTo acquire marine information by applying the satellite has become a subject of concern to the international remote-sensing community and marine community. Ocean water colour remote-sensing is to detect the content of matter in the water by using the satellite-borne optical sensors, and, among others, the water-leaving radiance is the basic physical quantity in ocean water colour remote sensing and the optical manifestation of the water pigment components. In-situ accurate acquisi…     

Vertical transport of organic materials in the northern North Pacific as determined by sediment trap experiment

Sediment traps were deployed at 5 depths of 100 through 5,250 m to collect suspended sediments in the northern North Pacific (47°51.1'N; 176°20.6'E, 5,300 m deep) in the summer of 1978. Fatty acid composition was determined in the samples of phytoplankton, particulate matter, trap sediment and bottom sediment.Fatty acid composition of the trap sediments revealed no significant vertical trend throughout the water column from depths of 100 to 5,250 m, and were also similar to those of the phytoplankton and the particulate matter from the euphotic layer. However, a marked difference in the fatty acid composition was observed between the trap sediments and the particulate matter from deep waters. Therefore, it can be concluded that the source of fatty acids in the trap sediments is the particulate matter from the euphotic layer but not from deep waters.Unsaturated fatty acids highly susceptible to biological agents were rather abundant in the trap sediments as well as in the phytoplankton and particulate matter from the euphotic layer, however no unsaturated fatty acid was found in the particulate matter from deep waters. From these findings, it is clear that the particulate matter of the euphotic layer is transported to deep waters very rapidly. As the sinking rate of fecal pellets produced by zooplankton is in the range of ten to hundreds of meters a day, fecal pellets are assumed to be the most likely carrier of rapid-transport of organic matter including fatty acids from the euphotic layer to deep waters.     

Loss Processes of Sinking Fecal Pellets of Zooplankton in the Mesopelagic Layers of the Antarctic Marginal Ice Zone

A time-series sediment trap deployment was carried out in the marginal ice zone (MIZ) of the Antarctic Ocean (64°42′ S, 139°58′E; sea depth of 2930 m), during the austral summer. Cylindrical fecal pellets were the predominant sinking particles at 537 m in the middle of January and most of them disappeared below that depth, the loss of which were 25.3 mg C m⁻² day⁻¹ in the depth range of 537–796 m. Small-sized sinking particles other than fecal pellets increased in that depth range. Analyses of fecal pellets for remnant DNA corresponding to 16S mitochondrial RNA and 28S ribosomal RNA suggested that the large cylindrical fecal pellets at 537 m were produced by Antarctic krill (Euphausia superba) and copepods. According to the presence of the DNA associated with sinking particles, E. superba fecal pellets rapidly disappeared below 537 m, while copepod fecal pellets still remained in the mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers. Small-sized amorphous sinking particles at 537 m also contained E. superba- and copepod-derived DNA. The abundance of trap-collected copepods (Oithona spp. and Oncaea spp.) which are known to be coprophagous increased at 796 m where many fecal pellets disappeared. We suggest that those rapidly sinking pellets were fragmented by copepods with intensified coprorhexy activity (fragmentation of fecal pellets) in the mesopelagic layers, reducing their sinking rates. These smaller and slower sinking particles can be important food sources for detritivorus or coprophagous animals in mesopelagic and bathypelagic layers in the MIZ. This revised version was published online in July 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Vertical transport of particulate organic matter in the deep Bering Sea and gulf of Alaska

Sediment trap arrays were deployed at two deep ocean stations, one in the Bering Sea and the other in the Gulf of Alaska, in the summer of 1975. The sediment trap was constructed of a pair of polyethylene cylinders (0.185 m² opening) with funnel-shaped bases. The trap is equipped with a lid which is closed before recovery by a tripping messenger system triggered by an electric time release. 37–68% of the total organic carbon fluxes (37–38% in the Bering Sea; 48–68% in the Gulf of Alaska) were represented by large particles (67µm<) such as fecal matter and fecal pellets which contributed minor fractions to the total particulate organic matter concentration in sea water. The total fluxes were 11.1 and 14.2 mg C m^–2d^–1 at 1,510 and 2,610 m respectively at the station (3,800 m) in the Bering Sea, and were 7.60, 4.66 and 3.27 mg C m^–2d^–1 at 900, 1,500 and 1,875 m respectively at the station (4,150 m) in the Gulf of Alaska. The former values are several times greater than the latter, suggesting that there is a regional variation in the vertical carbon flux in deep layers. The fluxes were approximately equivalent to 1 to 3% of primary productivity in the overlying surface layers. These observations suggest that deep-water ecosystems may be influenced by relatively rapid sinking of large particles such as fecal matter and fecal pellets from near surface production.     

An investigation of diel synchronicity between water column marine snow concentration and the flux of organic matter in the Santa Barbara Channel,California

Diel variation in the concentration of marine snow (detrital aggregates >0.5 mm) in the surface ocean has been documented at several locations, but it is not clear whether this water column signal translates into a diel pulse in particle flux out of the upper mixed layer. In this field study we investigated the temporal relationship between the concentration of marine snow in the upper water column and carbon (C) flux as measured by a sediment trap at 100 m in the Santa Barbara Channel, CA. Camera profiles of marine snow displayed two opposing patterns: (1) higher nighttime total (i.e. cumulative) aggregate volume and (2) higher midday total aggregate volume. Increased nighttime total aggregate volume was only observed during a brief study in 1999 and was associated with increased daytime C flux. For the remaining deployments midday increases in total aggregate volume were observed but, depending on the deployment, were associated with (a) higher nighttime C flux, (b) higher daytime C flux, or (c) no diel pattern. Correspondence between water column aggregate concentration and sediment trap flux increased when average aggregate size exceeded a threshold volume of 0.5 mm³ (1.0 mm in diameter). Particles caught in sediment traps generally accounted for a small percentage of decreased marine snow particulate organic carbon (POC) in the upper 100 m. Other aggregate loss terms such as macrozooplankton grazing may dominate. When diel patterns in particle flux did occur, changes between day and night samples ranged from small (14%) to large (>200%). Diel variations in particle flux may impact mid-water and benthic ecology particularly animal grazing strategies, waste production, and reproductive cycles. Pulsed sedimentation may also create patchy vertical distributions of particle-associated biota and remineralization products and pulsed food delivery to the benthos.     

Seasonal and vertical variations of sinking particle fluxes in the West Caroline Basin

A sediment trap experiment was carried out in the West Caroline Basin, located in the equatorial western Pacific between influences of the Asian monsoon and the open ocean. Annual mass flux at the shallow trap at Site 1 was 57.10 g m^-2 yr^-1. Generally, the higher flux of organic matter was associated with higher activities of biogenic opal-producing and carbonate-producing plankton communities. In addition, as the organic matter content increases, the organic carbon/carbonate carbon ratio shows a tendency to increase. Carbonate-producing plankton was predominant during periods 1 and 3 (May to July and November to the beginning of December), which could be due to limited silica supply to the euphotic zone. On the other hand, surface sea water was more nutrient-rich during periods 2 and 4 (August to October and the end of December to April) at Site 1. These high total mass fluxes could be stimulated by wind.The amount of biogenic components collected in the sediment traps and the accumulation in surface sediments at Site 1 could be compared with primary productivity values. Carbonate and biogenic opal fluxes were 99% and 90% less, respectively, in the surface sediments compared to those in the shallow sediment trap. This could be due to the reaction of sinking particles with undersaturated deep sea water just above the sea floor, rather than with the water column during sinking. About 20% of the organic matter was decomposed between the shallow and deep sediment traps and more than 98% between the deep sediment trap and final burial in the surface sediments. The relative amount of organic carbon preserved in surface sediments was about 0.10% of annual primary productivity.     

Fluxes of amino acids and hexosamines to the deep Arabian Sea

Results of organic carbon, total nitrogen, amino acid and hexosamine analyses of samples collected during time-series sediment trap investigations in the Arabian Sea are presented. Samples were taken over a period of years at two depths at each of three locations in the western, central and eastern part of the basin. Seasonal changes in amino acid contents and their spectral distributions show that degradation of organic matter in the water column is reduced during the monsoons, which are the high-flux periods in the western and central Arabian Sea. At the eastern site more degraded material of possibly recycled marine or terrestrial origin reaches the traps during the late summer peak fluxes. The results of hexosamine analyses suggest that bacterial biomass is relatively enriched on particles sinking in the water column and, to a larger extent, at the sediment-water interface. Decomposition between intermediate and deep water results in a loss of 30–40% of total organic carbon and more than 40% of amino acids. Comparison of the measured accumulation rates of organic carbon in sediment traps with those of organic carbon preserved in sediments show that more than 85% is lost before final burial in the sediments. Organic matter preservation in the Arabian Sea is higher than the average for the open ocean; this maybe due to the abundance of refractory organic matter of recycled marine or terrestrial origin.     

Net Zooplankton and the biological pump off Sanriku, Japan

Taxonomic composition, size composition, standing stock, and chemical composition of mesozooplankton were determined to examine the contribution of their fecal pellets to the vertical flux of organic carbon at the outside, the edge, and the center of the warm core ring. The warm core ring significantly affects not only their taxonomic composition and size composition but also their standing stock and chemical composition. The zooplankton at the center of the warm core ring was characterized by the absence of carnivores at the top of the size-trophic relation and filter feeding planktonic tunicates at the bottom. Zooplankton carbon biomass at the outside of the ring was one-third less than that at the center of the ring. The vertical flux of fecal pellets obtained from the pellet volume (12.3 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹) contributed 19 to 96% of the flux (13 to 64 mgC m⁻² d⁻¹) estimated from the body carbon and the fecal pellet production rate. The estimated flux of fecal pellets was 6 to 27% of vertical carbon flux (236 mgC m⁻²d⁻¹) determined by the sediment traps. Microscopic determination of fecal pellets and plankton in the sediment trap samples indicated high grazing activity during the sinking process. Those observations might suggest that particles other than fecal pellets contributed significantly to the vertical carbon flux and fecal pellets were settled directly without loss or being recycled within the surface mixed layer.     

Downward flux of zooplankton fecal pellets in the upper 2,000 m water column of the Izu Trench,western North Pacific

Sinking particulate matter were obtained from twelve depths using free-drifting sediment trap arrays which were deployed in the upper 2,000 m water column of the Izu Trench, northwest Pacific Ocean. The largest flux of 146 mgC m^–2 day^–1 was observed at 150 m depth. The flux generally decreased with depth below the maximum, however, minor flux peaks occurred at 1,000 and 1,250 m depth (>30 mgC m^–2 day^–1). Sinking large particles (>100 µm) were composed of fecal pellets typical of crustaceans, macroscopic aggregates, and planktonic organisms and their fragments. Three major components constituted 19%, 20% and 29%, respectively, of the total carbon flux (averaged from the fluxes at five depths; 50, 100, 150, 1,000 and 2,000 m). Among them, fecal pellet flux and large organism flux were well correlated with the total flux. The close correspondence between the fecal flux and the total carbon flux suggests that the latter is derived from a group of variables including other biogenic matter, among which fecal pellet is one of the leading factors controlling total flux, though the latter is only a minor covariable in quantity. Vertical flux profiles of fecal pellets and their internal constituents revealed some new inputs of feces occurring through the water column. This phenomenon implies that downward transportation of organic material is characterized by feeding and egestion activities of zooplankton, including overlapping processes of sinking and dispersion of large fecal particles and repackaging of dispersed small particles.     

Organic biomarkers in the twilight zone—Time series and settling velocity sediment traps during MedFlux

The transfer of material through the twilight zone of the ocean is controlled by sinking particles that contain organic matter (OM) and mineral ballast. During the MedFlux field program in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea in 2003, sinking particulate matter was collected in time series (TS) and settling velocity (SV) traps and analyzed for amino acids, lipids, and pigments (along with ballast minerals) [Lee, C., Armstrong, R.A., Wakeham, S.G., Peterson, M.L., Miquel, J.C., Cochran, J.K., Fowler, S.W., Hirschberg, D., Beck, A. Xue, J., 2009b. Particulate matter fluxes in time series and settling velocity sediment traps in the northwestern Mediterranean Sea. Deep-Sea Research II, this volume [doi:10.1016/j.dsr2.2008.12.003]]. The goal was to identify how organic chemical compositions of sinking particles varied as a function of their in-situ settling velocity. The TS record was used to define the biogeochemical character and temporal pattern in flux during the period of SV trap deployment. Temporal variations in organic and mineral compositions are consistent with particle biogeochemistry being driven by the seasonal succession of phytoplankton. Spring diatom bloom conditions led to a high flux of rapidly sinking aggregates and zooplankton fecal matter; summer oligotrophy followed and was characterized by a higher proportion of slowly sinking phytoplankton cells. Bacterial degradation is particularly important during the low-flux summer period. Settling velocity traps show that a large proportion of particulate organic matter sinks at 200–500 m d⁻¹. Organic compositions of this fast-sinking material mirrors that of fecal pellets and aggregated material that sinks as the spring bloom terminates. More-slowly sinking OM bears a stronger signature of bacterial degradation than do the faster-sinking particles. The observation that compositions of SV-sorted fractions are different implies that the particle field is compositionally heterogeneous over a range of settling velocities. Thus physical and biological exchange between fast-sinking and slow-sinking particles as they pass down the water column must be incomplete.