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Geochemistry

A rusty carbon sink

Nature volume 483, pages 165–166 (2012)Cite this article

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The finding that reactive iron species may have a role in stabilizing organic matter in ocean sediments underlines the tight coupling between the biogeochemical cycles of carbon and iron. See Letter p.198

The sequestration of organic matter in marine sediments is a primary mechanism by which carbon is removed from the atmosphere and stored over geological periods of time. Only a tiny fraction of organic matter produced by the biosphere arrives at, and is eventually buried in, the sediment bed; the vast majority is recycled back to carbon dioxide. But how and why does any organic carbon remain to be incorporated into the sedimentary record? On page 198 of this issue, Lalonde and co-workers1 report findings that might help to solve this puzzle. They reveal that the intimate association of organic matter with iron species in sediments — including some of the iron compounds found in rust — may exert a strong influence on carbon burial.

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References

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  1. Tim I. Eglinton is at the Geologisches Institut, ETH Zürich, 8092 Zürich, Switzerland.,

    Tim I. Eglinton

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  1. Tim I. Eglinton
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Correspondence to Tim I. Eglinton.

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Eglinton, T. A rusty carbon sink. Nature 483, 165–166 (2012). https://doi.org/10.1038/483165a

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