Can the role of sedimentation in the greenhouse effect at the time scale of orbital cycles be evaluated?

The evolution of the atmospheric CO2 content is partly a response to the lack of balance between oceanic sedimentation and continental weathering, because the oceanic C reservoir tends to balance net inputs or losses from slow processes by rapid exchanges with the atmospheric reservoir. This response strongly depends on both amplitudes and time scales of the related processes. At Milankovitch or lower time scales, global models generally do neglect organic matter fossilisation, but such an assumption is only valid for oligotrophic systems. In eutrophic or mesotrophic systems, organic matter is not negligible and should be considered relatively to the carbonate sedimentation in order to know whether the impact of the sedimentation was a source or a sink for atmospheric CO2. To cite this article: P. Bertrand, C. R. Geoscience 334 (2002) 521–528. [Copyright &y& Elsevier]