Field observations of the isotopic composition of particulate organic carbon in the southern North Sea and adjacent estuaries
Salomons, W.; Mook, W.G. (1981). Field observations of the isotopic composition of particulate organic carbon in the southern North Sea and adjacent estuaries. Mar. Geol. 41(3-4): M11-M20. http://dx.doi.org/10.1016/0025-3227(81)90079-7
The carbon isotopic composition of the organic matter in fluvial sediments and in fluvial suspended matter falls in the range valid for continental organic matter (-25 to -28‰). The d13C values in sediments from marine sedimentation areas and in marine suspended matter varies between -20 and -25‰. The rather low mean values for the deposited sediments of -13.2‰ suggest the presence of relatively large amounts of continental organic matter. This may be a direct supply by the present-day rivers and/or organic matter derived from the erosion of peat layers, even in the marine environment. A distinction between these two sources of detrital continental organic matter is not possible with stable isotopes studies. In the estuaries studied the organic matter contents decrease and the d13C values of the organic matter increase in the seaward direction. These changes are primarily caused by the mixing of fluvial and marine sediments.
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