Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in

Sulfur diagenesis and burial on the Amazon shelf: Major control by physical sedimentation processes

  • Published:
Geo-Marine Letters Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Early diagenetic properties of Amazon shelf muds are dominated by nonsulfidic Fe and Mn cycling, resulting in relatively little S deposition compared to previously studied marine margin environments. Despite abundant potential reactants typical of sulfidic deposits, authigenic sulfides represent only ~ 10% of diagenetically reduced Fe, and DOP (degree of pyritization) is only ~0.02. The average C/S (wt wt−1) ratio of buried sediment below the zone of SO4 2- reduction is ~ 7.4, ~ 2.6 times more than the commonly assumed modern shelf average of ~ 2.8. The deltaic burial rate forΣS is ~ 0.65 × 106 tons yr−1. Relatively lowΣS deposition is promoted by terrestrial weathering that delivers reactive oxide debris, but apparently depends most strongly on reoxidation and rapid burial by intense physical reworking and fluid-mud formation. Diagenetic models of S distributions demonstrate rapid sediment reworking (~ 10–100 cm yr−1 as apparent advection), substantialΣS reoxidation (84–98%), and in one case, massive sediment deposition of up to ~ 5 m of sediment in ~ 1 year. Extremely low DOP coupled with dominance by nonsulfidic reduced-Fe minerals and lack of biogenic sedimentary structures may be an indicator in marine organic-rich muds of intense physical reworking under oxygenated waters.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Log in via an institution

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Institutional subscriptions

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  • Aller JY and Stupakoff I (1996) The distribution and seasonal characteristics of benthic communities on the Amazon Shelf as indicators of physical processes. Continental Shelf Research 16

  • Aller JY and Todorov J (1996) Seasonal and spatial patterns of deeply buried calanoid copepods on the Amazon Shelf. Estuarine Coastal and Shelf Science (in press)

  • Aller RC and Yingst JY (1980) Relationships between microbial distributions and anaerobic decomposition of organic matter in surface sediments of Long Island Sound, U.S.A. Marine Biology 56:29–42

    Google Scholar 

  • Aller RC, Mackin JE, and Cox RT (1986) Diagenesis of Fe and S in Amazon inner shelf muds: apparent dominance of Fe reduction and implications for the genesis of ironstones. Continental Shelf Research 6:263–289

    Google Scholar 

  • Aller RC, Blair NE, Xia Q, and Rude PD (1996) Remineralization rates, recycling, and storage of Corg in Amazon Shelf sediments. Continental Shelf Research 16

  • Berner RA (1970) Sedimentary pyrite formation. American Journal of Science 268:1–23

    Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA (1980) Early Diagenesis: A Theoretical Approach. Princeton, New Jersey: Princeton University Press. 241 pp

    Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA (1982) Burial of organic carbon and pyrite sulfur in the modern ocean: Its geochemical and environmental significance. American Journal of Science 282:451–473

    Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA (1984) Sedimentary pyrite formation: an update. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 48:605–615

    Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA (1989) Biogeochemical cycles of carbon and sulfur and their effect on atmospheric oxygen over Phanerozoic time. Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, and Palaeoecology 75:97–122

    Google Scholar 

  • Berner RA and Raiswell R (1984) C/S method for distinguishing freshwater from marine sedimentary rocks. Geology 12:365–368

    Google Scholar 

  • Blair NE and Aller RC (1995) Anaerobic methane oxidation on the Amazon Shelf. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 59:3707–3715

    Google Scholar 

  • Canfield DE (1989) Reactive iron in marine sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 53:619–632

    Google Scholar 

  • Canfield DE, Raiswell R, and Bottrell S (1992) The reactivity of sedimentary iron minerals toward sulfide. American Journal of Science 292:659–683

    Google Scholar 

  • Chaloupka KA and Aller RC (1995) Diagenetic cycling of arsenic in Amazon shelf sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, in press

  • Chanton JP, Martens CS, and Goldhaber MB (1987) Biogeochemical cycling in an organic-rich coastal marine basin, 7. Sulfur mass balance, oxygen uptake and sulfide retention. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 51:1187–1199

    Google Scholar 

  • Cline JD (1969) Spectrophotometric determination of hydrogen sulfide in natural waters. Limnology and Oceanography 14:454–458

    Google Scholar 

  • Curtin TB and Legeckis RV (1986) Physical observations in the plume region of the Amazon River during peak discharge—I. Surface variability. Continental Shelf Research 6:31–51

    Google Scholar 

  • Dukat DA and Kuehl SA (1995) Investigation of non-steady-state210Pb flux and the use of228Ra/226Ra as a geochronometer on the Amazon continental shelf. Marine Geology 125:329–350

    Google Scholar 

  • Geyer WR, Beardsley RC, Candela J, Castro BM, Legeckis RV, Lentz SJ, Limeburner R, Miranda LB, and Trowbridge JH (1991) The physical oceanography of the Amazon outflow. Oceanography 4:8–14

    Google Scholar 

  • Gibbs RJ (1970) Circulation in the Amazon River estuary and adjacent Atlantic Ocean. Journal of Marine Research 28:113–123

    Google Scholar 

  • Goldhaber MB and Kaplan JR (1974) The sulfur cycle. In: Goldberg ED (Ed.), The Sea, 5. New York: Wiley. pp 569–635

    Google Scholar 

  • Iversen N and Jørgensen BB (1993) Diffusion coefficients of sulfate and methane in marine sediments: Influence of porosity. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 57:571–578

    Google Scholar 

  • Jaeger J and Nittrouer CA (1995) Temporal controls for the formation of interbedded and interlaminated sediments at the mouth of the Amazon River. Marine Geology 125:259–281

    Google Scholar 

  • Jørgensen BB (1983) The microbial sulfur cycle. In: Krumbein WE (Ed.), Microbial Geochemistry. Boston: Blackwell. pp 91–124

    Google Scholar 

  • Kineke GC and Sternberg RW (1995) Distribution of fluid muds on the Amazon continental shelf. Marine Geology 125:193–233

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuehl SA, DeMaster DJ, and Nittrouer CA (1986) Nature of sediment accumulation on the Amazon continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 6:209–225

    Google Scholar 

  • Kuehl SA, Pacioni TD, and Rine JM (1995) Seabed dynamics of the inner Amazon continental shelf: Temporal and spatial variability of surficial strata. Marine Geology 125:283–302

    Google Scholar 

  • Li Y-H and Gregory S (1974) Diffusion of ions in seawater and in deep-sea sediments. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 38:703–714

    Google Scholar 

  • Mackin JE, Aller RC, and Ullman WJ (1988) The effects of iron reduction and nonsteady-state diagenesis on iodine, ammonium, and boron distributions in sediments from the Amazon continental shelf. Continental Shelf Research 8:363–386

    Google Scholar 

  • Martens CS and Berner RA (1974) Methane production in the interstitial waters of sulfate-depleted marine sediments. Science 185:1167–1169

    Google Scholar 

  • Milliman JD and Syvitski JPM (1992) Geomorphic/tectonic control of sediment discharge to the ocean: The importance of small mountainous rivers. Journal of Geology 100:525–544

    Google Scholar 

  • Moore WS, DeMaster DJ, Smoak JM, McKee BA, and Swarzenski PW (1996) Isotopic tracers in AmasSeds. Continental Shelf Research, in press

  • Morse JW and Berner RA (1995) What determines sedimentary C/S ratios. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 59:1073–1077

    Google Scholar 

  • Nittrouer CA, Sternberg RW, Carpenter R, and Bennett JT (1979) The use of210Pb geochronology as a sedimentological tool: Application to the Washington continental shelf. Marine Geology 31:297–316

    Google Scholar 

  • Nittrouer CA, Sharara MT, and DeMaster DJ (1983) Variations of sediment texture on the Amazon continental shelf. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 53:179–191

    Google Scholar 

  • Nittrouer CA, DeMaster DJ, Figueiredo AG, and Rine JM (1991) AmasSeds: An interdiciplinary investigation of a complex coastal environment. Oceanography 4:3–7

    Google Scholar 

  • Raiswell R and Al-Biatty HJ (1989) Depositional and diagenetic C-S-Fe signatures in early Paleozoic normal marine shales. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 53:1147–1152

    Google Scholar 

  • Raiswell R and Berner RA (1986) Pyrite and organic matter in Phanerozoic normal marine shales. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta 50:1967–1976

    Google Scholar 

  • Raiswell R, Buckley F, Berner RA, and Anderson TF (1988) Degree of pyritization of iron as a paleoenvironmental indicator of bottom-water oxygenation. Journal of Sedimentary Petrology 58:812–819

    Google Scholar 

  • Sternberg RW, Cacchione DA, Paulson B, Kineke GC and Drake DE (1996) Active sedimentary processes on the Amazon pro delta. Continental Shelf Research 16

  • Stookey LL (1970) Ferrozine—a new spectrophotometric reagent for iron. Analytical Chemistry 42:779–781

    Google Scholar 

  • Ullman WJ and Aller RC (1982) Diffusion coefficients in nearshore marine sediments. Limnology and Oceanography 27:552–556

    Google Scholar 

  • Wallmann K, Hennies K, Konig I, Petersen W, and Knauth H-D (1993) New procedure for determining reactive Fe(III) and F(II) minerals in sediments. Limnology and Oceanography 38:1803–1812

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Marine Sciences Research Center, State University of New York, 11794-5000, Stony Brook, New York, USA

    Robert C. Aller

  2. Marine, Earth, and Atmospheric Sciences, North Carolina State University, 27695-8208, Raleigh, North Carolina, USA

    Neal E. Blair

Authors
  1. Robert C. Aller
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

  2. Neal E. Blair
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Aller, R.C., Blair, N.E. Sulfur diagenesis and burial on the Amazon shelf: Major control by physical sedimentation processes. Geo-Marine Letters 16, 3–10 (1996). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01218830

Download citation

  • Revised:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF01218830

Keywords

Search

Navigation