8
Sulfur Cycling and Methane Oxidation
302
Acknowledgements
This is contribution No 0333 of the Research Center
Ocean Margins (RCOM) which is financed by the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at Bremen
University, Germany. BBJ was also supported by the
Max Planck Society and the Fonds der Chemischen
Industrie and SK by the Helmholtz Society.
8.8
Problems
Problem 1
Organic matter is oxidized in the suboxic zone
through iron or manganese reduction. This may be
a direct oxidation by metal reducing bacteria or an
indirect oxidation via sulfate reduction and sulfide
oxidation. Does it matter for the end products
which pathway dominates?
Problem 2
H 2 S can be oxidized completely to sulfate by
manganese oxide in marine sediments although
the chemical reaction oxidizes H 2 S only to
elemental sulfur, S
0
. How is the oxidation to
sulfate then possible?
Problem 3
Which factors determine how large a fraction of
the deposited organic material in the sea bed is
mineralized through sulfate reduction relative to
other mineralization pathways?
Problem 4
Only about 5% of the total mineralized organic
carbon in marine sediments is ultimately degraded
to methane. Why, then, does the anaerobic
oxidation of methane with sulfate often generate
quasi-linear sulfate profiles that indicate methane
to be the dominant energy source for sulfate
reduction?
Problem 5
Which factors may cause a lock-in of a diagenetic
front in the sea bed and thereby lead to the
diagenetic overprinting of paleoceanographic
signals in a specific sediment horizon?
References
Aller, R.C., and Rude, P.D., 1988. Complete oxidation
of solid phase sulfides by manganese and bacteria in
anoxic
marine
sediments.
Geochimica
et
Cosmochimica Acta, 52: 751-765.
Amend, J.P., Edwards, K.J., and Lyons, T.W. (eds),
2004. Sulfur Biogeochemistry - Past and Present.
Geological Society of America Special Paper 379,
Boulder, Colorado, 205 p.
Alperin, M.J., and Reeburgh, W.S., 1988. Carbon and
hydrogen isotope fractionation resulting from anaerobic methane oxidation. Global Biogeoche-mical
Cycles, 2: 279-288.
Bach W., and Edwards, K.J., 2003. Iron and sulfide
oxidation within the basaltic ocean crust: Implications for chemolithoautotrophic microbial biomass
production. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 67:
3871-3887.
Bak, F., and Pfennig, N., 1987. Chemolithotrophic
growth of Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans sp. nov. by
disproportionation of inorganic sulfur compounds.
Archives of Microbiology, 147: 184-189.
Ballbjerg, V., Mouritsen, K.N., and Finster, K., 1998.
Diel cycles of sulfate reduction rates in sediments of
a Zostera marina bed (Denmark). Aquatic Microbial
Ecology, 15: 97-102.
Barnes, R.O., and Goldberg, E.D., 1976. Methane
production and consumption in anoxic marine
sediments. Geology, 4: 297-300.
Berg, P., Rysgaard-Petersen, N. and Rysgaard, S., 1998.
Interpretation of measured concentration profiles in
the sediment porewater. Limnology Oceanography,
43: 1500-1510.
Berner, R.A., 1969. Migration of iron and sulfur within
anaerobic sediments during early diagenesis.
American Journal of Science, 267: 19-42.
Berner, R.A., 1970. Sedimentary pyrite formation. American Journal of Science, 268: 1-23.
Berner, R.A., 1980. Early diagenesis: A theoretical
approach. Princeton University Press, Princeton,
New Jersey.
Berner, R.A., 1981. A new geochemical classification of
sedimentary environments. Journal of Sedimentary
Petrology, 51: 359-365.
Berner, R.A., 1982. Burial of organic carbon and pyrite
sulfur in the modern ocean: Its geochemical and
environmental significance. American Journal of
Science, 282: 451-473.
Berner, R.A., 1984. Sedimentary pyrite formation: An
update. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 48: 605615.
Berner, R.A., 1989. Biogeochemical cycles of carbon
and sulfur and their effect on atmospheric oxygen
over phanerozoic time. Global and Planetary Change
75: 97-122.
Bishop, J.K.B., 1988. The barite-opal-organic carbon
association in oceanic particulate matter. Nature,
332: 341-343.
Boetius, A., and Suess, E., 2004. Hydrate Ridge: a
natural laboratory for the study of microbial life
fueled by methane from near-surface gas hydrates.
Chemical Geology, 205: 291-310.
Boetius, A., Ravenschlag, K., Schubert, C., Rickert, D.,
Widdel, F., Gieseke, A., Amann, R., Jørgensen, B.B.,
Sulfur Cycling and Methane Oxidation
302
Acknowledgements
This is contribution No 0333 of the Research Center
Ocean Margins (RCOM) which is financed by the
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) at Bremen
University, Germany. BBJ was also supported by the
Max Planck Society and the Fonds der Chemischen
Industrie and SK by the Helmholtz Society.
8.8
Problems
Problem 1
Organic matter is oxidized in the suboxic zone
through iron or manganese reduction. This may be
a direct oxidation by metal reducing bacteria or an
indirect oxidation via sulfate reduction and sulfide
oxidation. Does it matter for the end products
which pathway dominates?
Problem 2
H 2 S can be oxidized completely to sulfate by
manganese oxide in marine sediments although
the chemical reaction oxidizes H 2 S only to
elemental sulfur, S
0
. How is the oxidation to
sulfate then possible?
Problem 3
Which factors determine how large a fraction of
the deposited organic material in the sea bed is
mineralized through sulfate reduction relative to
other mineralization pathways?
Problem 4
Only about 5% of the total mineralized organic
carbon in marine sediments is ultimately degraded
to methane. Why, then, does the anaerobic
oxidation of methane with sulfate often generate
quasi-linear sulfate profiles that indicate methane
to be the dominant energy source for sulfate
reduction?
Problem 5
Which factors may cause a lock-in of a diagenetic
front in the sea bed and thereby lead to the
diagenetic overprinting of paleoceanographic
signals in a specific sediment horizon?
References
Aller, R.C., and Rude, P.D., 1988. Complete oxidation
of solid phase sulfides by manganese and bacteria in
anoxic
marine
sediments.
Geochimica
et
Cosmochimica Acta, 52: 751-765.
Amend, J.P., Edwards, K.J., and Lyons, T.W. (eds),
2004. Sulfur Biogeochemistry - Past and Present.
Geological Society of America Special Paper 379,
Boulder, Colorado, 205 p.
Alperin, M.J., and Reeburgh, W.S., 1988. Carbon and
hydrogen isotope fractionation resulting from anaerobic methane oxidation. Global Biogeoche-mical
Cycles, 2: 279-288.
Bach W., and Edwards, K.J., 2003. Iron and sulfide
oxidation within the basaltic ocean crust: Implications for chemolithoautotrophic microbial biomass
production. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 67:
3871-3887.
Bak, F., and Pfennig, N., 1987. Chemolithotrophic
growth of Desulfovibrio sulfodismutans sp. nov. by
disproportionation of inorganic sulfur compounds.
Archives of Microbiology, 147: 184-189.
Ballbjerg, V., Mouritsen, K.N., and Finster, K., 1998.
Diel cycles of sulfate reduction rates in sediments of
a Zostera marina bed (Denmark). Aquatic Microbial
Ecology, 15: 97-102.
Barnes, R.O., and Goldberg, E.D., 1976. Methane
production and consumption in anoxic marine
sediments. Geology, 4: 297-300.
Berg, P., Rysgaard-Petersen, N. and Rysgaard, S., 1998.
Interpretation of measured concentration profiles in
the sediment porewater. Limnology Oceanography,
43: 1500-1510.
Berner, R.A., 1969. Migration of iron and sulfur within
anaerobic sediments during early diagenesis.
American Journal of Science, 267: 19-42.
Berner, R.A., 1970. Sedimentary pyrite formation. American Journal of Science, 268: 1-23.
Berner, R.A., 1980. Early diagenesis: A theoretical
approach. Princeton University Press, Princeton,
New Jersey.
Berner, R.A., 1981. A new geochemical classification of
sedimentary environments. Journal of Sedimentary
Petrology, 51: 359-365.
Berner, R.A., 1982. Burial of organic carbon and pyrite
sulfur in the modern ocean: Its geochemical and
environmental significance. American Journal of
Science, 282: 451-473.
Berner, R.A., 1984. Sedimentary pyrite formation: An
update. Geochimica et Cosmochimica Acta, 48: 605615.
Berner, R.A., 1989. Biogeochemical cycles of carbon
and sulfur and their effect on atmospheric oxygen
over phanerozoic time. Global and Planetary Change
75: 97-122.
Bishop, J.K.B., 1988. The barite-opal-organic carbon
association in oceanic particulate matter. Nature,
332: 341-343.
Boetius, A., and Suess, E., 2004. Hydrate Ridge: a
natural laboratory for the study of microbial life
fueled by methane from near-surface gas hydrates.
Chemical Geology, 205: 291-310.
Boetius, A., Ravenschlag, K., Schubert, C., Rickert, D.,
Widdel, F., Gieseke, A., Amann, R., Jørgensen, B.B.,