VIII
that are involved in the oxidation of sedimentary organic matter: oxygen and nitrate (Christian Hensen
and Matthias Zabel), iron (Ralf R. Haese) and sulfate (Sabine Kasten and Bo. B. Jørgensen). They
close the circle of primary reactions that occur in the early diagenesis of oceanic sediments.
In the ninth chapter, marine carbonates are dealt with as a part of the global carbon cycle which
essentially contributes to diagenetic processes (Ralf R. Schneider, Horst D. Schulz and Christian Hensen).
Ratios of stable isotopes are repeatedly used as proxy-parametes for reconstructing the paleoclimate
and paleoceanography. Hence, in the succeeding chapter, Torsten Bickert discusses the stable isotopes
in the marine sediment as well as the processes which bear influence on them. Geoffrey P. Glasby has
dedicated a considerable part of his scientific work to marine manganese. He visited Bremen several
times as a guest scientist and therefore it goes without saying that we seized the opportunity to appoint
him to be the author of the chapter dealing with nodules and crusts of manganese. Looking at the
benthic fluxes of dissolved and solid/particulate substance across the sediment/water interface, the
processes of early diagenesis contribute primarily to the material budgets in the world’s oceans and thus
to the global material cycles. In chapter 12, Matthias Zabel, Christian Hensen and Michael Schlüter have
ventured to make initial methodological observations on global interactions and balances, a subject which
is presently in a state of flux. A summarizing view on hot vents and cold seeps is represented by a chapter
which is complete in itself . We are indebted to Peter M. Herzig and Mark D. Hannington for having
taken responsibility in writing this chapter, without which a textbook on marine geochemistry would
always have remained incomplete. In the final chapter, conceptual models and their realization into
computer models are discussed. Here, Horst D. Schulz is more concerned with the biogeochemical
processes, their proper comprehension, and with aspects of practical application rather than the
demonstration of ultimate mathematical elegance.
This book could only be written because many contributors have given their support. First of all, we
have to mention the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in this regard, which has generously funded
our research work in the Southern Atlantic for over ten years. This special research project
[Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB 261] entitled “The South Atlantic in the Late Quaternary:
Reconstruction of Material Budget and Current Systems”, covered the joint activities of the
Department of Geosciences at the University Bremen, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and
Marine Research in Bremerhaven, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen.
The marine-geochemical studies are closely related to the scientific publications submitted by our
colleagues from the various fields of biology, marine chemistry, geology, geophysics, mineralogy and
paleontology. We would like to thank all our colleagues for the long talks and discussions we had
together and for the patient understanding they have showed us as geochemists who were not at all
times familiar with the numerous particulars of the neighboring sciences.
We were fortunate to launch numerous expeditions within the course of our studies in which several
research vessels were employed, especially the RV METEOR. We owe gratitude to the captains and
crews of these ships for their commitment and services even at times when duty at sea was rough. All
chapters of this book were subject to an international process of review. Although all colleagues
involved have been mentioned elsewhere, we would like to express our gratitude to them once more at
this point. Owing to their great commitment they have made influential contributions as to contents and
character of this book.
Last but not least, we wish to thank our wives Helga and Christine. Although they never had the
opportunity to be on board with us on any of the numerous and long expeditions, they still have always
understood our enthusiasm for marine geochemistry and have always given us their full support.
Horst D. Schulz and Matthias Zabel
Bremen, May 1999
that are involved in the oxidation of sedimentary organic matter: oxygen and nitrate (Christian Hensen
and Matthias Zabel), iron (Ralf R. Haese) and sulfate (Sabine Kasten and Bo. B. Jørgensen). They
close the circle of primary reactions that occur in the early diagenesis of oceanic sediments.
In the ninth chapter, marine carbonates are dealt with as a part of the global carbon cycle which
essentially contributes to diagenetic processes (Ralf R. Schneider, Horst D. Schulz and Christian Hensen).
Ratios of stable isotopes are repeatedly used as proxy-parametes for reconstructing the paleoclimate
and paleoceanography. Hence, in the succeeding chapter, Torsten Bickert discusses the stable isotopes
in the marine sediment as well as the processes which bear influence on them. Geoffrey P. Glasby has
dedicated a considerable part of his scientific work to marine manganese. He visited Bremen several
times as a guest scientist and therefore it goes without saying that we seized the opportunity to appoint
him to be the author of the chapter dealing with nodules and crusts of manganese. Looking at the
benthic fluxes of dissolved and solid/particulate substance across the sediment/water interface, the
processes of early diagenesis contribute primarily to the material budgets in the world’s oceans and thus
to the global material cycles. In chapter 12, Matthias Zabel, Christian Hensen and Michael Schlüter have
ventured to make initial methodological observations on global interactions and balances, a subject which
is presently in a state of flux. A summarizing view on hot vents and cold seeps is represented by a chapter
which is complete in itself . We are indebted to Peter M. Herzig and Mark D. Hannington for having
taken responsibility in writing this chapter, without which a textbook on marine geochemistry would
always have remained incomplete. In the final chapter, conceptual models and their realization into
computer models are discussed. Here, Horst D. Schulz is more concerned with the biogeochemical
processes, their proper comprehension, and with aspects of practical application rather than the
demonstration of ultimate mathematical elegance.
This book could only be written because many contributors have given their support. First of all, we
have to mention the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft in this regard, which has generously funded
our research work in the Southern Atlantic for over ten years. This special research project
[Sonderforschungsbereich, SFB 261] entitled “The South Atlantic in the Late Quaternary:
Reconstruction of Material Budget and Current Systems”, covered the joint activities of the
Department of Geosciences at the University Bremen, the Alfred-Wegener-Institute for Polar and
Marine Research in Bremerhaven, and the Max-Planck-Institute for Marine Microbiology in Bremen.
The marine-geochemical studies are closely related to the scientific publications submitted by our
colleagues from the various fields of biology, marine chemistry, geology, geophysics, mineralogy and
paleontology. We would like to thank all our colleagues for the long talks and discussions we had
together and for the patient understanding they have showed us as geochemists who were not at all
times familiar with the numerous particulars of the neighboring sciences.
We were fortunate to launch numerous expeditions within the course of our studies in which several
research vessels were employed, especially the RV METEOR. We owe gratitude to the captains and
crews of these ships for their commitment and services even at times when duty at sea was rough. All
chapters of this book were subject to an international process of review. Although all colleagues
involved have been mentioned elsewhere, we would like to express our gratitude to them once more at
this point. Owing to their great commitment they have made influential contributions as to contents and
character of this book.
Last but not least, we wish to thank our wives Helga and Christine. Although they never had the
opportunity to be on board with us on any of the numerous and long expeditions, they still have always
understood our enthusiasm for marine geochemistry and have always given us their full support.
Horst D. Schulz and Matthias Zabel
Bremen, May 1999