Oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon in the Amazon floodplain as a source of atmospheric CO2

Julien Bouchez 1, * Olivier Beyssac 2 Valier Galy 3 Jérôme Gaillardet 1 Christian France-Lanord 4 Laurence Maurice 5 Patricia Moreira-Turcq 5
* Corresponding author
1 IPGP - Institut de Physique du Globe de Paris
2 LGE - Laboratoire de géologie de l'ENS
3 WHOI - Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution
4 CRPG - Centre de Recherches Pétrographiques et Géochimiques
5 LMTG - Laboratoire des Mécanismes et Transfert en Géologie
Abstract : The two long-term sources of atmospheric carbon are CO2 degassing from metamorphic and volcanic activity, and oxidation of organic carbon (OC) contained in sedimentary rocks, or petrogenic organic carbon (OCpetro). The latter fl ux is still poorly constrained. In this study, we report particulate organic carbon content and 14C activity measurements in Amazon River sediments, which allow for estimates of the OCpetro content of these sediments. A large decrease of OCpetro content in riverine sediments is observed from the outlet of the Andes to the mouth of the large tributaries. This loss reveals oxidation of OCpetro during transfer of sediments in the floodplain, and results in an escape of ~0.25 Mt C/yr to the atmosphere, which is on the same order of magnitude as the CO2 consumption by silicate weathering in the same area. Raman microspectroscopy investigations show that graphite is the most stable phase with respect to this oxidation process. These results emphasize the significance of OCpetrooxidation in large river floodplains in the global carbon cycle.
Mots-clés : CARBONE ORGANIQUE GAZ CARBONIQUE SEDIMENT COURS D'EAU SEDIMENTATION FLUVIATILE CYCLE BIOGEOCHIMIQUE MATIERE ORGANIQUE PARTICULEE ANALYSE ISOTOPIQUE PLAINE INONDABLE AMAZONIE ANDES AMAZONE BASSIN VERSANT
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Julien Bouchez, Olivier Beyssac, Valier Galy, Jérôme Gaillardet, Christian France-Lanord, et al.. Oxidation of petrogenic organic carbon in the Amazon floodplain as a source of atmospheric CO2. Geology, Geological Society of America, 2010, 38 (3), pp.255-258. ⟨10.1130/G30608⟩. ⟨ird-00588739⟩

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