Hydrological control on benthic alkalinity flux in subtropical estuaries

Estuaries are hotspots for organic carbon remineralization and deposition. Organic carbon burial in estuarine sediments is heavily dependent on hydrological conditions, as rivers deliver both terrestrially produced organic carbon (allochthonous) and nutrients, which drive estuarine productivity (autochthonous). In three subtropical estuaries in the northwestern Gulf of Mexico, with varying hydrological conditions, the burial of organic carbon is examined in the context of reduced sulfur preservation, a product of anaerobic respiration of organic carbon, through which alkalinity is generated. This study will present results on the accumulation of pyrite sulfur in these different environments and discuss the implications of the hydrological cycle on benthic alkalinity production in estuarine environments.

Presentation Preference: Poster

Primary Presenter: Xinping Hu, University of Texas at Austin (xinping.hu@austin.utexas.edu)

Authors:

Hang Yin, University of Texas at Austin  (hangyin.phd@gmail.com)

Aneena Pulliyattukuzhiyil Raju, University of Texas at Austin  (ap67356@my.utexas.edu)