Distribution of sedimentary organic matter in Anisian carbonate series of S Poland: evidence of third-order sea-level fluctuations

The stratigraphic distribution of sedimentary organic matter in Anisian carbonate series of southern Poland is studied with respect to relative sea-level fluctuations. Palynofacies patterns clearly reflect transgressive–regressive trends that are interpreted in terms of third-order cyclicity. Major flooding phases are detected by maximum abundance of marine plankton in the upper Bithynian and Pelsonian. Transgressive and highstand deposits are recognized by changes in the terrestrial input of organic particles and the relative percentages and diversity of the plankton group. The palynological data support the sequence stratigraphic interpretation based on sedimentological features and geochemical signatures. The corresponding eustatic signals of sedimentary and organic facies are discussed. The study highlights the potential of palynofacies analysis for sequence stratigraphical interpretation.     

Sedimentary organic matter in condensed sections from distal oxic environments: examples from the Mesozoic of SE France

A detailed analysis of sedimentary organic matter (or palynofacies) was carried out on thermally immature to early mature Upper Jurassic and Hauterivian condensed intervals in deep-sea carbonate–marl alternations outcropping in the Vocontian Basin (SE France). All the condensed sections studied are characterized by intense bioturbation and very low organic carbon content (< 0·25 wt.%), indicative of oxic depositional conditions. Oxic condensed sections display variable palynofacies signatures, which are best illustrated by: (1) the ratio of continental to marine constituents; (2) the ratio of opaque to translucent phytoclasts (i.e. woody debris) and (3) the preservation of palynomorphs (based on fluorescence intensity and morphological preservation state in transmitted light microscopy). Both of the ratios increase with the degree of palynomorph degradation, which shows that phytoclasts, especially the opaque ones, become relatively concentrated in the most degraded facies. These observations lead to the classification of oxic condensed sections into three organic facies types showing different degrees of preservation and palynofacies signatures. Type 1 organic facies display intense degradation and are characterized by high values of the ratio of continental to marine fraction. They record unfavourable depositional environments for preservation of organic matter. Type 2 organic facies are most common and are characterized by a decreasing value of the ratio of continental to marine fraction. Type 3 organic facies display the same trend of the ratio of continental to marine fraction as type 2, but the palynomorph assemblage is better preserved. Type 1 and type 3 organic facies are relatively rare. Recognizing these organic facies types is important when analysing the relationship between sedimentary organic matter and sequence stratigraphy, because it allows the use of the appropriate palynofacies parameters. In particular, the use of the ratio of continental to marine constituents, usually a very good indicator of regressive–transgressive trends, becomes questionable in highly degraded intervals. Moreover, distinguishing between well-preserved or highly degraded palynofacies in condensed intervals provides valuable information on the oxicity of the depositional environment.     

Biomarker geochemistry of marine organic matter in the Hushan and Chaohu areas,Lower Yangtze region

Marine strata are widely exposed in the Hushan and Chaohu areas, Lower Yangtze region. As biomarker geochemistry of the strata has not been well documented, this paper deals with the biomarker composition of representative samples collected from the Silurian, Carboniferous and Triassic systems and their geological implications, thus providing clues to marine organic matter. On the basis of experimental results, it is shown that abundant biomarkers (e.g. n-alkanes, isoprenoids, terpanes and steranes) were detected. As organic matter in the strata is highly to over mature in general based on petrologic microobservation, some biomarkers (mainly n-alkanes) except terpanes and steranes cannot reflect the source, depositional environment and maturity of organic matter. Thus, primarily based on analyses of the terpanes and steranes, it is suggested that organic matter in the Silurian and Carboniferous strata is derived mainly from lower organisms, while higher plants are predominant in the Triassic organic matter. This further indicates that the depositional environment may have transformed from the marine to continental facies in the Late Triassic. These results provide new evidence for the study of regional depositional evolution, and have enriched the study of biological composition of organic matter. In addition, the biomarker geochemistry of organic matter at high to over maturation stage is addressed.     

Palynofacies and sea-level changes in the Upper Cretaceous of the Vocontian Basin, southeast France

Upper Cretaceous platform carbonates of the Vocontian Basin (southeastern France) have been investigated in a cross-section from the proximal deposits exposed in the lower Rhône Valley to the distal part of the basin in the Southern Subalpine Ranges north of Nice. The stratigraphic interval studied in detail spans the uppermost Turonian and Coniacian.Palynofacies patterns were used to detect eustatic signals at a third-order scale and are the tool for correlation of proximal and distal platform deposits. The organic constituents observed in the studied samples have been grouped into a continental fraction, including higher plant debris (phytoclasts) and sporomorphs, and a marine fraction with dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs, prasinophytes, and foraminiferal test linings. The main factors influencing the stratigraphic and spatial distribution of land-derived, allochthonous, and marine, relatively autochthonous, organic particles are the proximity of land, the organic productivity, the degree of biodegradation and the hydrodynamic conditions of the depositional system. Palynofacies parameters used for the sequence stratigraphic interpretation are: (1) the ratio of continental to marine constituents (CONT/MAR ratio); (2) the ratio of opaque to translucent phytoclasts (OP/TR ratio); (3) the phytoclast particle size and shape; and (4) the relative proportion and species diversity of marine plankton. Ternary diagrams illustrating significant proximality changes were used to decipher transgressive-regressive trends within the succession.High amounts of translucent phytoclasts and decreasing values of the CONT/MAR ratio occur during the phase of relative sea-level rise in the upper Turonian. The stratigraphic interval of maximum flooding around the Turonian/Coniacian boundary is marked by the highest abundance and species diversity of dinoflagellate cysts, and by high percentages of opaque, equidimensional particles within the phytoclast group. The OP/TR ratio is still high within the lower Coniacian representing the early highstand deposits, whereas the relative abundance of marine constituents is again decreasing. Sedimentary organic matter of the upper Coniacian is dominated by large, blade-shaped, mainly opaque phytoclasts, which are a characteristic palynofacies signature of late highstand deposits.The present study demonstrates the high potential of palynofacies analysis in high-resolution stratigraphy and correlation of sedimentary series of shallow epeiric seas.     

Origins and accumulation of organic matter in expanded Albian to Santonian black shale sequences on the Demerara Rise, South American margin

Ocean Drilling Program Leg 207 recovered thick sequences of Albian to Santonian organic-carbon-rich claystones at five drill-sites on the Demerara Rise in the western equatorial Atlantic Ocean. Dark-colored, finely laminated, Cenomanian–Santonian black shale sequences contain between 2% and 15% organic carbon and encompass Oceanic Anoxic Events 2 and 3. High Rock-Eval hydrogen indices signify that the bulk of the organic matter in these sequences is marine in origin. However, δ¹³C_org values lie mostly between −30‰ and −27‰, and TOC/TN ratios range from 15 to 42, which both mimic the source signatures of modern C₃ land plants. The contradictions in organic matter source indicators provide important implications about the depositional conditions leading to the black shale accumulations. The low δ¹³C_org values, which are actually common in mid-Cretaceous marine organic matter, are consequences of the greenhouse climate prevailing at that time and an associated accelerated hydrologic cycle. The elevated C/N ratios, which are also typical of black shales, indicate depressed organic matter degradation associated with low-oxygen conditions in the water column that favored preservation of carbon-rich forms of marine organic matter over nitrogen-rich components. Underlying the laminated Cenomanian–Santonian sequences are homogeneous, dark-colored, lower to middle Albian siltstones that contain between 0.2% and 9% organic carbon. The organic matter in these rocks is mostly marine in origin, but it occasionally includes large proportions of land-derived material.     

澳大利亚Bonaparte盆地大陆边缘裂陷期局限海相页岩发育特征与模式

发育于大陆边缘裂陷阶段以局限海相为主要沉积环境的富含浮游藻类泥页岩可能是Bonaparte盆地潜在的重要“油”源岩。从构造地质背景、沉积充填特征以及有机地球化学特征等多方面进行综合分析表明,局限海相页岩形成于大陆边缘裂陷阶段的衰减期,盆地基底的差异裂陷活动为页岩的形成提供了高可容纳空间和欠补偿的沉积环境,同时,“小隆大凹”的沉积格局更加有利于大规模相对稳定的半封闭的局限海沉积环境的形成和海相浮游藻类的繁盛。以扇三角洲和海底扇为主的物源体系带来大量“陆源”营养物质,同时,保持营养物质的供给与欠补偿条件的平衡。局限海相页岩主要形成于弱氧化、陆源物质供给较弱、局限海范围较大的沉积环境;岩性上以海相泥岩为主,陆源孢粉化石与沟鞭藻化石均较发育,或后者含量略高;沉积厚度适中、分布范围局限;有机质丰度相对较高,以混合型有机质为主,成熟度较低,气相色谱以前峰型为主,(nC₂₁+nC₂₂)/(nC₂₈+nC₂₉)和Pr/Ph比值相对较高,甾萜等生物标志化合物参数以低C₁₉三环二萜和C₂₄四环萜烷、高孕甾烷、高αααC₂₇R/αααC₂₉R为特征。     

Why Terrestrial Stable Carbon-isotope Stratigraphy Works: a Review

Carbon-isotope stratigraphy launched since the early technological development of carbon- isotope measurement in 1950s, however, the emergence and advance of terrestrial carbon-isotope stratigraphy took quite a long way. At early stage the exploration of carbon-isotope stratigraphy based on the marine biological shell carbonates was verified by repeatable carbon-isotope stratigraphic data, laboratory chemical experiments and the later laboratory foraminiferal culture experiments. The breakthrough for testifying the fundamentals of terrestrial carbon-isotope stratigraphy lies on the synchronous fluctuations between the carbon-isotope stratigraphic curves derived from marine biological shell carbonates and those derived from terrestrial C3 plants. The character that carbon-isotope stratigraphic curves can be globally synchronously correlated over the marine and terrestrial/atmospheric reservoir mainly excludes the potential biasing factors, such as diagenetic bias, carbon-isotope variations in intra/inter individual plant in same species or between species, ecological changes, changes in aridity, changes in source input and representative sampling. Therefore, the fundamentals of terrestrial carbon-isotope stratigraphy based on C3 plant successfully established. The terrestrial carbon-isotope stratigraphy can be used for global stratigraphic correlation, reconstructing the evolution of atmospheric CO2 and can further verify the published global carbon-cycle models. The terrestrial carbon-isotope stratigraphy based on the compound specific biomarkers and single-grained pollen may be a promising perspective in future.     

基于地球化学的页岩层序地层划分——以浙江煤山地区长页1井上二叠统龙潭组页岩为例

为了更准确地划分地层层序,将有机地球化学和层序地层学方法进行了有机结合。将浙江煤山地区长页1井龙潭组页岩总有机碳含量（TOC）、碳优势指数（CPI）、奇偶优势指数（OEP）、氯仿沥青“A”含量、轻正构烷烃与重正构烷烃比（（nC21+nC22）/（nC28+nC29））以及姥植比（Pr/Ph）等有机地球化学指标与传统的层序划分方式（测井曲线、岩性等）相结合,指出了现今长页1井龙潭组的层序划分所存在的问题,并进行了修正完善。研究表明,TOC、氯仿沥青“A”以及姥植比等指标对层序的划分具有重要指示作用,龙一段、龙二段、龙三段最大海泛面均位于本段TOC极大值位置。龙一段最大海泛面处TOC质量分数为2.46%,龙二段为1.57%,龙三段为4.84%。基于此结果对长页1井的最大海泛面的划分进行了调整。      

Bacteriohopanepolyol biomarker composition of organic matter exported to the Arctic Ocean by seven of the major Arctic rivers

Bacteriohopanepolyols (BHPs) are a diverse group of membrane lipids produced by a wide variety of bacteria and can be used as molecular biomarkers for bacterial processes and populations in both modern and ancient environments. A group of BHPs, including adenosylhopane and structurally related compounds, have been identified as being specific to soils, enabling the transport of terrestrial organic matter (terrOM) to the marine realm to be monitored. Estuary surface sediment samples were obtained from the five Great Russian Arctic Rivers (GRARs; Ob, Yenisey, Lena, Indigirka and Kolyma) and river sediments were obtained from two North American Rivers (Yukon and Mackenzie). Analysis of the BHP signatures, using high performance liquid chromatography–tandem mass spectrometry (HPLC–MSⁿ), indicated the presence of 15 different BHPs originating from a variety of different bacteria, as well as a significant presence of terrestrially derived OM. Total BHP abundance and the contribution of the “soil-marker” BHPs to the total BHP pool increased eastwards among the GRAR sediments. This suggests increasing terrestrial OM or increased preservation of OM as a result of shorter periods of permafrost thawing. The North American rivers showed greatly differing BHP levels between the Yukon and Mackenzie rivers, with a greater BHP input and thus a relatively higher soil OM contribution from the Yukon. The Indigirka River basin in the eastern Siberian Arctic appeared to be the epicentre in the pan-Arctic BHP distribution trend, with the highest “soil-marker” BHPs but the lowest tetrafunctionalised BHPs. Aminobacteriohopanepentol, an indicator of aerobic methane oxidation, was observed in all the sediments, with the source being either the marine environment or methane producing terrestrial environments.     

Spatial and temporal variation of organic carbon in the northern South China Sea revealed by sedimentary records

Three sediment cores were taken from the Pearl River estuary and adjacent northern South China Sea (SCS). These sediment cores span the time interval 1900–2000 AD. The stratigraphy of the concentration, the ratio of total organic carbon (TOC) to total nitrogen (TN) and stable isotope (δ¹³C_org) of organic carbon (OC) from three high-resolution sediment cores were analyzed. The stratigraphic profiles of OC concentration, TOC/TN ratios and δ¹³C_org for the near past 100 yrs indicate that terrestrial organic matter decreases from 68.3% to 27.4% of the TOC in the Pearl River estuary, while Dapeng Bay (offshore east of Hong Kong) apparently had throughout little terrestrial organic matter input. The highest deposited OC occurs at the Humen River mouth and the OC concentrations are higher in the outer estuary than in the inner shelf of the northern SCS. The deposited OC at the River mouth increased with time, which could be caused by the high precipitation of land-derived organic matter and the high input of terrestrial organic matter, which is likely related to the rapid urbanization and industrial development in the Pearl River Delta since the 1970s. The OC concentrations did not exhibit an obvious increase with time in most areas of the Pear River estuary and adjacent inner shelf of the SCS, but the algal-derived OC concentration inferred from the δ¹³C_org values increased with time especially from 1980 to 2000 in the outer Pearl River estuary and Dapeng Bay. This increase is presumably caused by enhanced primary marine productivity supported by higher anthropogenic nutrient inputs.     

基于层序地层格架的有机相研究进展

介绍了３个重要的有机相分类方案,并详细讨论了烃源岩有机相在层序地层格架中的分布特征和变化规律,有机相是沉积环境,有机质类型和成熟度的综合反映,烃源岩有机相主要受气候、陆源有机质产量、海相有机质产率,古氧化体制和海平面变化等多等多种因素的控制,其中产面变化对有机相有着最大复杂的影响,作为一种油气预测手段,层序地层学在有机相研究方面的应用将对油气田、煤田的勘探开发有着重要的作用。     

Architecture and formation of transgressive–regressive cycles in marginal marine strata of the John Henry Member,Straight Cliffs Formation,Upper Cretaceous of Southern Utah,USA

Marginal marine deposits of the John Henry Member, Upper Cretaceous Straight Cliffs Formation, were deposited within a moderately high accommodation and high sediment supply setting that facilitated preservation of both transgressive and regressive marginal marine deposits. Complete transgressive–regressive cycles, comprising barrier island lagoonal transgressive deposits interfingered with regressive shoreface facies, are distinguished based on their internal facies architecture and bounding surfaces. Two main types of boundaries occur between the transgressive and regressive portions of each cycle: (i) surfaces that record the maximum regression and onset of transgression (bounding surface A); and (ii) surfaces that place deeper facies on top of shallower facies (bounding surface B). The base of a transgressive facies (bounding surface A) is defined by a process change from wave‐dominated to tide‐dominated facies, or a coaly/shelly interval indicating a shift from a regressive to a transgressive regime. The surface recording such a process change can be erosional or non‐erosive and conformable. A shift to deeper facies occurs at the base of regressive shoreface deposits along both flooding surfaces and wave ravinement surfaces (bounding surface B). These two main bounding surfaces and their subtypes generate three distinct transgressive – regressive cycle architectures: (i) tabular, shoaling‐upward marine parasequences that are bounded by flooding surfaces; (ii) transgressive and regressive unit wedges that thin basinward and landward, respectively; and (iii) tabular, transgressive lagoonal shales with intervening regressive coaly intervals. The preservation of transgressive facies under moderately high accommodation and sediment supply conditions greatly affects stratigraphic architecture of transgressive–regressive cycles. Acknowledging variation in transgressive–regressive cycles, and recognizing transgressive successions that correlate to flooding surfaces basinward, are both critical to achieving an accurate sequence stratigraphic interpretation of high‐frequency cycles.     

层序地层学应用于陆相湖盆中隐蔽油气藏的成因解释

研究表明 ,赋存于沉积地层中的油气藏与各种级别的层序地层界面存在着密切的联系。陆相盆地中油气受层序界面、初次湖泛面、最大湖泛面以及更次级的层序地层界面的影响与控制 ,形成不同类型的隐蔽型油气藏。因此 ,从层序地层和沉积过程的角度解剖含油气盆地中不同构造和古地理单元岩性—地层油气藏形成的机理和油气藏类型 ,分析主要层序地层界面对沉积地层中油气藏形成和分布的控制作用 ,具有重要的理论和现实意义。本文从层序地层和沉积过程的角度解剖陆相盆地中不同古地理、古地貌单元隐蔽油气藏形成的机理和油气藏类型 ,阐述主要层序地层界面对油气藏形成过程和分布规律的影响与控制作用 ,并进一步对不同成因类型的油气藏提出简要的分类方案。     

Cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system of the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin

Molecular and isotopic compositions of crude oils in the Beaufort–Mackenzie Basin confirm three genetic end-member oil groups and suggest extensive cross-formational hydrocarbon fluid flows in the Tertiary deltaic system. Inter- and intra-fractional variations in the geochemistry of the Tertiary-reservoired oils indicate that the oil source/maturity signatures were substantially masked by biomarkers that were picked up along migration pathways. Thus, many of the previously recognized “immature non-marine oils” are in fact thermally mature, probably derived from unpenetrated deeper marine source rocks. Although the effective source rock volumes have not been evaluated and their exact stratigraphic levels remain unknown, the relative timing of oil generation versus trap formation, rather than poor source quality, may be the cause of under-filled traps in the offshore area.     

The Early Cretaceous drowning unconformities of the Apulia carbonate platform (Gargano Promontory, southern Italy): local fingerprints of global palaeoceanographic events.

Drowning successions which cap carbonate platforms and flanks bear palaeoenvironmental information which is useful for genetic stratigraphy; they constitute predictive key-markers in regional to global correlations. An Early Cretaceous platform-to-basin transition has been investigated in Apulia (southern Italy) and two drowning unconformities, dated as early Valanginian and late early Aptian, have been documented. They occur at the base of thick pelagic tongues wedging toward the platform and mark the base of two depositional sequences showing distinct transgressive–regressive cycles. Timing of drowning processes, based on biostratigraphy and dynamic stratigraphy, allows the correlation of unconformities with global-scale palae- oceanographic events marked, among others, by positive spikes of well-established δ¹³C curves. Drowning signatures in the Apulia carbonates fit the stratigraphic, palaeoecological and possibly geochemical evidence found in global records at the same stratigraphic levels. Moreover, it is proposed that the observed drowning events were caused by palaeoceanographic crises affecting factory productivity.     

层序地层格架下烃源岩地球化学研究:以尼日尔Termit盆地为例

如何利用有限的烃源岩样品的实验分析数据和地质资料尽可能地提高烃源岩评价和预测的精度,是当今烃源岩地球化学研究亟需解决的问题.采用层序地层学与油气地球化学相结合的方法,研究了非洲尼日尔Termit盆地基于层序地层格架下,上白垩统Yogou组烃源岩空间分布特征及有机质地球化学性质,初步展示了层序地层格架下烃源岩地球化学研究的方法、应用效果及优势.Termit盆地上白垩统Yogou组海相泥页岩是该盆地主要的烃源层,自下而上可划分为YSQ1、YSQ2和YSQ3共3个三级层序.根据层序/体系域发育特征、岩性录井和测井曲线响应特征,识别出外陆棚、内陆棚、三角洲、滨岸相泥岩及煤/炭质泥岩共5种不同沉积类型的烃源岩,不同层序与体系域具有不同的烃源岩纵向叠置关系和横向分布特征.不同类型的烃源岩有机质具有明显不同的地球化学性质:外陆棚和内陆棚泥岩有机质丰度中等-好,有机质生物来源中,低等水生生物贡献高,沉积于偏还原的沉积环境.滨岸和三角洲相泥岩有机质丰度高,具有低等水生生物和高等植物来源的双重贡献,沉积于偏氧化的沉积环境.三级层序或其体系域控制下的沉积相分布和演化导致不同类型烃源岩的发育和横向分布特征,同一沉积相类型的烃源岩具有相似的地球化学性质.与传统的以组、段为单元的烃源岩地球化学研究相比,层序地层格架下的烃源岩评价可以刻画不同层序、不同体系域和沉积相带烃源岩有机质地球化学性质的差异,提高资源评价和油-源对比的精度.      

Tracing of variabilities within a geological barrier by molecular organic geochemistry.: Case of the Callovo-Oxfordian sedimentary series in the East of the Paris Basin (France)

The Callovo-Oxfordian claystones located at 500 m depth at Bure (Meuse, France) are currently being investigated by Andra (the French National Radioactive Waste Management Agency) for testing the feasibility of long-term and deep geological nuclear waste disposal. In order to evaluate its potential as a geological barrier, it is very important to study, assess and describe its physico-chemical variability. The molecular biomarker composition of 150 samples of these claystones and their surrounding limestones carry diverse information on the sources of the sedimentary organic matter, the chemistry of the depositional environment, the preservation and diagenesis conditions. It also allows assessing the degree of lateral and vertical variability of the organic matter within these sedimentary series. The abundance of unsaturated biomarkers, the distribution of steroids and hopanoids and CPI values >2 prove the thermal immaturity of the organic matter. The co-occurrence of plankton, bacteria and land plant biomarkers indicate that the organic matter is a mixture of marine and continental contributions. The data also reveal that the organic matter was deposited under oxic and open-sea conditions except for a brief event of photic zone anoxia at the beginning of the Middle Callovian. In the claystones, the geosynthesis of diasterenes is favored to the detriment of the formation of steranes, especially in smectite-rich levels, and the organic matter is rapidly isolated from oxidizing then reducing conditions after the deposition due to the protective effect of clays. On the scale investigated, the claystones are characterized by a unique molecular facies and are thus homogenous from their organic content point of view. Yet, detailed investigation of specific molecular families indicates changes related to major claystone–limestone transitions. The homogeneity of these claystones can be explained by the paleogeographic position of their depositional setting and the plane and sub-horizontal paleotopography on which they were deposited. This study demonstrates the efficiency of organic geochemistry in the assessment of the variability of geological barriers.     

黔西滇东地区二叠纪-三叠纪之交有机碳同位素和生物地层对比

二叠纪-三叠纪之交海、陆相地层对比研究对陆相二叠系-三叠系界线的定义以及全面认识该全球性重大生物与环境突变事件具有重要意义,是当前国际古生物学与地层学研究的重点和难点.选择贵州六盘水仲河二叠系-三叠系界线剖面为研究对象,系统研究了该剖面的化石面貌和有机碳同位素演变特征.结合黔西滇东地区二叠纪-三叠纪之交良好的陆相、海陆过渡相和浅海碎屑岩相地层记录,初步搭建了海、陆相生物地层与有机碳同位素地层对比框架.值得关注的是,综合已有研究的陆相和海陆过渡相剖面植物有机碳同位素和海相剖面无机碳同位素数据,发现均存在相同的碳同位素演变特征,且与生物地层对比方案一致.据此,认为高分辨率的有机碳同位素化学地层是实现海-陆相地层对比的有效手段之一.      

Molecular Geochemical Evidence for the Origin of Natural Gas from Dissolved Hydrocarbon in Ordovician Formation Waters in Central Ordos Basin

1IntroductionTheOrdosBasinisthesecondlargestoilandgas bearingbasininChina .ItislocatedinthePaleo zoicplatformandbelongstoacratonbasin ,whichisincongruencewiththePaleozoicdepressionattheedgesoftheplatformandtheMesozoic Cenozoicdepressionwithintheplatform .SincethediscoveryofnaturalgasesinWellShancan 1andWellYu 3in 1989,theassessmentandexplorationofOrdovicianweatheringcrustnaturalgasesintheOrdosBasinhaveattractedextensiveatten tion (YangJunjieetal.,1996 ;DaiJinxingetal.,1997) .Thecentral…     

From land to sea: provenance,composition, and preservation of organic matter in a marine sediment record from the North-East Greenland shelf spanning the Younger Dryas–Holocene

The organic matter content of marine sediments is often used to infer past changes in ocean conditions. However, the organic carbon pool preserved in coastal sediments is a complex mixture derived from different sources and may not reflect in situ processes. In this study, we combine taxonomic identification of reworked palynomorphs with pyrolysis organic geochemistry and reflected-light organic petrographic microscopy to investigate the provenance, composition and preservation of organic matter in a marine sediment core retrieved from the NE Greenland shelf. Our study reveals continuous yet variable input of land-derived organic carbon to the marine environment throughout the late Younger Dryas–Holocene, with the highest input of inert carbon in the late Younger Dryas. Although the sediments contain some recent marine palynomorphs, there is no other evidence of fresh marine organic carbon. In contrast, our results indicate that these shelf sediments represent a significant sink of recycled organic carbon. The results of pyrolysis geochemistry revealed that ~90% of the total organic carbon in the sediments is inert. The organic petrography analyses revealed that >70–84% of the organic carbon in the sediment core is terrigenous. Reworked dinoflagellate cysts showed a continuous provenance of Cretaceous land-derived material, most likely from the nearby Clavering Island. Our study points to the importance of constraining the organic matter origin, composition and preservation in marine sediments to achieve more accurate palaeoenvironmental reconstructions based on organic proxies.