Authigenic Formation of Clay Minerals in the Abyssal North Pacific
Rae, James W. B.
Berelson, William M.
Adkins, Jess F.
Hou, Yi
Dong, Sijia
Lampronti, Giulio I.
Liu, Xuewu
Achterberg, Eric P.
Subhas, Adam V.
Turchyn, Alexandra V.
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1029/2021GB007270
Persistent URL: http://resolver.sub.uni-goettingen.de/purl?gldocs-11858/10855
Berelson, William M.; 3 University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
Adkins, Jess F.; 4 Department of Geology and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
Hou, Yi; 3 University of Southern California Los Angeles CA USA
Dong, Sijia; 4 Department of Geology and Planetary Sciences California Institute of Technology Pasadena CA USA
Lampronti, Giulio I.; 5 Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
Liu, Xuewu; 6 College of Marine Science University of South Florida St. Petersburg Campus St. Petersburg FL USA
Achterberg, Eric P.; 1 GEOMAR Helmholtz Centre for Ocean Research Kiel Kiel Germany
Subhas, Adam V.; 7 Department of Chemistry Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Woods Hole MA USA
Turchyn, Alexandra V.; 5 Department of Earth Sciences University of Cambridge Cambridge UK
Abstract
Present estimates of the biogeochemical cycles of calcium, strontium, and potassium in the ocean reveal large imbalances between known input and output fluxes. Using pore fluid, incubation, and solid sediment data from North Pacific multi‐corer cores we show that, contrary to the common paradigm, the top centimeters of abyssal sediments can be an active site of authigenic precipitation of clay minerals. In this region, clay authigenesis is the dominant sink for potassium and strontium and consumes nearly all calcium released from benthic dissolution of calcium carbonates. These observations support the idea that clay authigenesis occurring over broad regions of the world ocean may be a major buffer for ocean chemistry on the time scale of the ocean overturning circulation, and key to the long‐term stability of Earth's climate.
Key Points:
North Pacific red clay sediments are a sink for marine calcium, strontium, and potassium.
Authigenic formation of clay minerals is prevalent in pelagic sediments throughout the North Pacific.
The main mechanism for clay formation is recrystallization of aluminosilicates, neoformation can occur in biogenic silica rich sediments.