科學家揭示海洋缺氧地帶碳-硫循環的機制
作者:
小柯機器人發布時間:2020/12/18 21:54:41
2020年12月17日出版的《科學》雜誌發表了美國加州大學聖塔芭芭拉分校M. R. Raven研究組的最新研究成果。他們的研究揭示了海洋沉積顆粒物中微生物硫酸鹽的還原和有機硫的形成。
在本研究中,研究人員發現在東熱帶太平洋北部的缺氧區沉沒顆粒內存在「神秘的」微生物硫酸鹽還原,並且某些微生物產生的硫化物會迅速反應形成有機酸並可抵抗酸水解。發生在顆粒物中的硫化作用可以增強缺氧地帶水下沉積物中碳的保留,並形成缺氧區擴張和大氣CO2之間的穩定反饋。
類似的機制可能有助於解釋在地球形成過程中,與海洋缺氧有關許多有機碳保存的極端情況。
據介紹,氣候變化推動海洋缺氧地帶的擴大,這可能會改變全球碳、硫、氮和微量金屬循環。 但是,當前人們對缺氧如何影響有機碳循環和沉積的理解有限。
附:英文原文
Title: Microbial sulfate reduction and organic sulfur formation in sinking marine particles
Author: M. R. Raven, R. G. Keil, S. M. Webb
Issue&Volume: 2020/12/17
Abstract: Climate change is driving an expansion of marine Oxygen Deficient Zones, which may alter the global cycles of carbon, sulfur, nitrogen, and trace metals. Currently, however, we lack a full mechanistic understanding of how oxygen deficiency affects organic carbon cycling and burial. Here, we show that 『cryptic』 microbial sulfate reduction occurs within sinking particles from the Eastern Tropical North Pacific Oxygen Deficient Zone, and that some microbially-produced sulfide reacts rapidly to form organic S that is resistant to acid hydrolysis. Particle-hosted sulfurization could enhance carbon preservation in sediments underlying O2-deficient water columns and serve as a stabilizing feedback between expanding anoxic zones and atmospheric CO2. A similar mechanism may help explain more extreme instances of organic carbon preservation associated with marine anoxia in Earth history.
DOI: 10.1126/science.abc6035
Source: https://science.sciencemag.org/content/early/2020/12/16/science.abc6035
Science:《科學》,創刊於1880年。隸屬於美國科學促進會,最新IF:41.037