Spatial Distribution Patterns of GDGTs in the Surface Sediments from the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean and Their Environmental Significances

  • Wang Shougang ,
  • Wang Rujian ,
  • Chen Jianfang ,
  • Chen Zhihua ,
  • Cheng Zhenbo ,
  • Wang Weiguo ,
  • Huang Yuanhui
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  • 1.State Key Laboratory of Marine Geology, Tongji University, Shanghai 200092, China;2.The Second Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration People’s Republic of China, Hangzhou 310012, China; 3.The First Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration People’s Republic of China, Qingdao 266061, China; 4.The Third Institute of Oceanography, State Oceanic Administration People’s Republic of China, Xiamen 361005, China

Received date: 2013-01-16

  Revised date: 2013-01-25

  Online published: 2013-02-10

Abstract

Biomarker Glycerol Dialkyl Glycerol Tetraethers (GDGTs) was analyzed in 65 surface sediments from the Bering Sea and western Arctic Ocean recovered during the 3rd and 4th Chinese National Arctic Expeditions. The distribution patterns of isoprenoid and branched GDGTs concentration are divided by the Chukchi and Beaufort Sea Slope. GDGTs concentration is higher  in the   south of the slope than that in the north, which is controlled by water column productivity and terrestrial organic matter input. GDGTs based BIT suggests that terrestrial organic matter input increases from the north Chukchi Sea to Alpha Ridge, compared with marine organic matter, which is consistent with the results retrieved from organic carbon isotope ratios, suggesting that BIT is a reliable proxy in the Arctic Ocean. Sea Surface Temperatures (SST) derived by TEXL86 are not related to modern annual or summer mean SST, probably because of the mixed signal from terrestrial isprenoid GDGTs and low archaeal productivity in high Arctic region. Cyclisation ratio of Branched Tetraethers (CBT) show strong increase from seasonal sea ice area to permanent sea ice area, which may prove that CBT is sensitive to sea ice coverage. However, its mechanism remained unclear. Reconstructed terrestrial annual mean atmospheric temperature (MAT) and soil pH from branched GDGTs based CBT and Methylation index of Branched Tetraether (MBT) show extremely variability, which is probably affected by complicated sediment sources and soil mixing in transportation process.

Cite this article

Wang Shougang , Wang Rujian , Chen Jianfang , Chen Zhihua , Cheng Zhenbo , Wang Weiguo , Huang Yuanhui . Spatial Distribution Patterns of GDGTs in the Surface Sediments from the Bering Sea and Arctic Ocean and Their Environmental Significances[J]. Advances in Earth Science, 2013 , 28(2) : 282 -295 . DOI: 10.11867/j.issn.1001-8166.2013.02.0282

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