Organic carbon and humic acids in sediments of the Arabian Sea and factors governing their distribution
Abstract
Organic carbon and humic acids in the sediments of the Arabian Sea show distinct regional variations to the south and north of 15~'N latitude. Significant variations are also observed from the shelf to the slope regions. Organic carbon and humic acids are enriched on the slope compared to the inner and outer shelf. While upwelling, primary productivity and redox conditions at the bottom are known to influence organic matter accumulation in sediments, bacterial population and sediment texture also contribute to the preservation of organic matter and humic acids. A positive ccrrelation (r = 0.716) between total organic carbon and humic acid content in the sediments indicates fairly favourable conditions for the humification of organic matter. The C/N ratio indictes more terrigenous matter on the shelf, whereas organic matter of planktonic origin seems to dominate the slope region
Collections
- Scholarly literature [9074]