Organic and inorganic carbon and their stable isotopes in surface sediments of the Yellow River Estuary

Abstract Studying the carbon dynamics of estuarine sediment is crucial to understanding of carbon cycle in the coastal ocean. This study is to evaluate the mechanisms regulating the dynamics of organic (TOC) and inorganic carbon (TIC) in surface sediment of the Yellow River Estuary (YRE). Based on data of 15 surface sediment cores, we found that TIC (6.3–20.1 g kg−1) was much higher than TOC (0.2–4.4 g kg−1). Both TOC and TIC were generally higher to the north than to the south, primarily due to the differences in kinetic energy level (i.e., higher to the south). Our analysis suggested that TOC was mainly from marine sources in the YER, except in the southern shallow bay where approximately 75% of TOC was terrigenous. The overall low levels of TOC were due to profound resuspension that could cause enhanced decomposition. On the other hand, high levels of TIC resulted partly from higher rates of biological production, and partly from decomposition of TOC associated with sediment resuspension. The isotopic signiture in TIC seems to imply that the latter is dominant in forming more TIC in the YRE, and there may be transfer of OC to IC in the water column.