Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
Con en s lis s a ailable a ScienceDi ec
Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s
www.else ie .com/loca e/epsl
Con ols on he abundance, p o enance and age o o ganic ca bon
bu ied in con inen al ma gin sedimen s
Blanca Ausína,b,∗, Elena B unia, Nega Haghipou a,c, Ca oline Wel ea,c,
S e ano M. Be nasconia, Timo hy I. Eglin ona
aGeological Ins i u e, ETH Zu ich, Swi ze land
bGeology Depa men , Salamanca Uni e si y, Salamanca, Spain
cLabo a o y o Ion Beam Physics, ETH Zu ich, Swi ze land
a i c l e i n o a b s a c
A icle his o y:
Recei ed 20 Ma ch 2020
Recei ed in e ised o m 7 Janua y 2021
Accep ed 9 Janua y 2021
A ailable online xxxx
Edi o : Y. Asme om
Keywo ds:
o ganic ca bon
adioca bon age
hyd odynamic so ing
g ain size
con inen al ma gins
Con inen al ma gins play a undamen al ole in he ca bon cycle as p ima y oceanic loca ions o o ganic
ca bon (OC) bu ial. Howe e , gaps emain in ou unde s anding o ac o s con olling he dis ibu ion
and p ese a ion o o ganic ma e (OM) in hese he e ogeneous and dynamic sys ems. In pa icula , he
impac o hyd odynamic p ocesses on he age, abundance, and s able iso opic composi ion o sedimen a y
OC is poo ly cons ained. He e, we cha ac e ize he OC p esen in bulk and g ain-size sedimen ac ions
om se en con inen al ma gin se ings. Ou esul s e eal ha hyd odynamic pa icle so ing p ocesses
exe a ubiqui ous influence on he adioca bon age o OC. Bo h, hyd odynamic cha ac e is ics o mine al
pa icles and he na u e o hei in e ac ions wi h OM influence sedimen a y OC con en , whe eas no
significan influence o ei he e ec is mani es ed in co esponding δ13C alues. Since OC p e e en ially
esides wi hin he fine sil ac ion (2-8 μm), and his ac ion accoun s o a subs an ial ac ion o
he bulk sedimen mass, ansloca ion and subsequen e-deposi ion o dis an fine sil has he g ea es
po en ial o dis o local OC signa u es ela i e o hose associa ed wi h clay o coa se sil ac ions.
We sugges ha he magni ude o di e ences in
14C-age and OC con en among g ain-size ac ions,
de e mined by he in e play o hyd odynamic so ing and o he si e-specific p ocesses, allow h ee
di e en ca ego ies o deposi ional en i onmen o be defined: ini ial, s able, and ma u e. Each domain
is cha ac e ized by di e en deg ees o e ical and la e al OC supply ha eflec influences o local
biological p oduc i i y and ca bon expo om o e lying su ace wa e s and physical o cing ha d i e
hyd odynamic p ocesses. This gene ic amewo k may se e as a guide o efine assessmen o OC bu ial
and o cons ain he magni ude o po en ial aliasing among co-e al p oxy signals in con inen al ma gin
sedimen a y sequences.
©2021 The Au ho (s). Published by Else ie B.V. This is an open access a icle unde he CC BY license
(h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/).
1. In oduc ion
Al hough con inen al ma gins accoun o only 10-20% o he
global ocean floo , hese egions s o e ca. 90% o he o ganic ca -
bon (OC) p ese ed in ma ine sedimen s (Hedges and Keil, 1995;
P emuzic e al., 1982), and hus play a key ole in he global ca -
bon cycle as majo OC sinks. Mo eo e , con inen al ma gins a e
cha ac e ized by apid sedimen accumula ion, and hus o ganic
signa u es p ese ed in ma ine sedimen sequences e ie ed om
hese spa ially he e ogeneous and highly dynamic egions a e o
s a egic alue in s udies o con inen -ocean in e ac ions and pa-
*Co esponding au ho a : Geology Depa men , Salamanca Uni e si y, Sala-
manca, Spain.
E-mail add ess: [email p o ec ed] (B. Ausín).
leoclima e a ia ions a cen ennial o e en highe empo al es-
olu ion. A de ailed unde s anding o he p ocesses a ec ing OC
deposi ion and bu ial in hese con inen -ocean bounda y en i on-
men s is a p e equisi e bo h om he pe spec i e o unde s anding
he C cycle and in e p e a ion o sedimen a y eco ds.
Di e se, and equen ly coupled, ac o s con ibu e o he e -
ficiency o emine aliza ion and na u e o o ganic ma e (OM)
p ese ed in ma ine se ings. Sedimen a ion a e, oxygen exposu e
ime (OET) and mic obial ac i i y, o name a ew, ha e been ound
o influence OC bu ial efficiency (e.g., A nd e al., 2013; Mülle
and Suess, 1979). The obse a ion ha OC con en is b oadly co -
ela ed wi h mine al-specific su ace a ea o con inen al ma gin
sedimen s led Maye (1993) o p opose OM so p ion on mine al
su aces as a mechanism o i s long- e m physical p o ec ion.
Fu he wo k highligh ed he p e e en ial associa ion o OM wi h
fine-g ained, la ge-su ace-a ea mine als, as hese p o ide s onge
h ps://doi.o g/10.1016/j.epsl.2021.116759
0012-821X/©2021 The Au ho (s). Published by Else ie B.V. This is an open access a icle unde he CC BY license (h p://c ea i ecommons.o g/licenses/by/4.0/).
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
Fig. 1. Loca ions o he su ace sedimen samples analyzed in his s udy and sample
SHAK06-5K; 2-3 cm om Magill e al. (2018). The co esponding ac onym o each
si e is shown wi hin b acke s.
p o ec ion agains deg ada ion (Hedges and Keil, 1995; Keil and
Maye , 2014; Keil e al., 1994b; Maye , 1994a,b). Howe e , such
associa ions wi h fine-g ained mine als may expose OC o u he
emine aliza ion i s ong hyd odynamic o cing comes in o play
(Bao e al., 2016, 2018a,c). In addi ion o con olling OC con en
and composi ion (Be gamaschi e al., 1997), di e en mine al pa -
icles may exhibi cohesi e beha io o may be p one o selec i e
mobiliza ion depending on hei size, and on p e ailing hyd ody-
namic condi ions (e.g., shea s ess).
Besides, he po en ial impac s o hyd odynamic so ing p o-
cesses on OM dispe sal and bu ial o e con inen al ma gins, hese
p ocesses aise conce ns wi h espec o he fideli y o o ganic sig-
na u es p ese ed in con inen al ma gin sedimen eco ds (In ho n
e al., 2006). Such p ocesses may induce spa ial and empo al o -
se s be ween sedimen a y cons i uen s esiding in di e en g ain
size ac ions. Indeed, la e al sedimen anspo p ocesses ha e
been in oked o explain olde
14C ages o bulk OC ela i e o co-
deposi ed plank onic o amini e a (e.g., Ausín e al., 2019; Kusch e
al., 2010; Mollenhaue e al., 2005; Ohkouchi e al., 2002). Defini-
i e e idence o his hypo hesis equi es in-dep h in es iga ions
a he mine al g ain-size le el in o de o a ibu e e ec s o hy-
d odynamic so ing. Recen s udies ha e e ealed he la ge ex en
o which OC anspo , ( e)dis ibu ion and p ese a ion a e influ-
enced by hyd odynamic so ing p ocesses in he shallow Chinese
ma ginal seas and on he Washing on ma gin (Bao e al., 2019a,
2016, 2018b). The impac s o hese p ocesses on eco ded paleo-
clima e signals in a sedimen co e om he Ibe ian ma gin ha e
also been documen ed (Magill e al., 2018). Howe e , hese s ud-
ies emain limi ed o ew specific egions, and we cu en ly lack
knowledge o he b oade ele ance o hese p ocesses wi h e-
spec o sedimen a ion and OC bu ial on con inen al ma gins. He e,
we examine geochemical cha ac e is ics (OC-con en , - adioca bon
age, -ca bon iso opes, C/N a io, mine al su ace a ea and g ain
size) o disc e e sedimen g ain-size ac ions collec ed om a
ange o con inen al ma gin se ings and one deep-sea sedimen
d i in o de o assess he p e alence and na u e o hyd odynamic
mine al-so ing influences on sedimen a y OC.
2. Ma e ial and me hods
2.1. Sample desc ip ion
We selec ed sedimen samples om con inen al ma gin sys-
ems spanning a ange o hyd og aphic and deposi ional se ings
ha a y wi h espec o su ace ocean p oduc i i y, sedimen a-
ion a e, and oxygen le els. All si es a e dis al om he influence
o majo i e s o diminish he po en ial con ibu ion o e es ial
OC and cha ac e ized by apid sedimen a ion (>20 cm ky −1) o
minimize bio u ba ion e ec s (Fig. 1).
The Pe u ian ma gin in he equa o ial Pacific is one o he mos
p oduc i e egions o he Wo ld Oceans (100–400 g C m−2y −1,
(Suess, 1973)) as a esul o wind-d i en upwelling. Sample KNR
182/9 MC13 (abb e ia ed he e o “PER”) was e ie ed om he
ou e edge o he con inen al shel , whe e la ge fluxes o labile
ca bon and esul ing oxygen-deficien wa e s esul in e y high
bulk OC con en s o su ace sedimen s (up o 16%) while OM de-
composi ion hinde s ca bona e p ese a ion (A hu e al., 1998).
The Namibian ma gin in he sou heas A lan ic Ocean also sus-
ains high biological p oduc i i y and an in ense oxygen minimum
zone (OMZ) o e he shel (100-400 m dep h) due o he pe -
manen Benguela Upwelling Sys em (Moffi e al., 2015; Schim-
melmann e al., 2016). Sample Mi abilis 2017 26-90 (“NAM”) was
e ie ed in oxic wa e s om he mid-slope, whe e hemipelagic
sedimen a ion, including subs an ial la e al anspo o aged OM
has p e iously been documen ed (In ho n e al., 2006).
The NW A ican ma gin in he sub opical eas e n A lan ic is
pa o he Cana y Upwelling Sys em, cha ac e ized by high o
mode a e a es o biological p oduc i i y. Sample OC437 MC31
(“NAF”) was e ie ed no h o he OMZ ha ex ends sou h o 21◦N
(Moffi e al., 2015) and selec ed conside ing his egion may ex-
hibi minimal hyd odynamic biases gi en synch onous signals ha e
been obse ed be ween OC and plank onic o amini e a in unde -
lying sedimen s (Mollenhaue e al., 2005), con a y o modeling
s udies (Fische e al., 2009).
Sample OCE326 MC2 (“NAT”) was eco e ed om a shallow de-
p ession loca ed on he sou he n New England Mud Pa ch, in he
Mid-A lan ic Bigh con inen al shel . This egion sus ains high o
mode a e p oduc i i y and is cha ac e ized by high a es o fine-
g ained ac i e deposi ion (Twichell e al., 1981).
The San a Ba ba a Basin and San a Monica Basin a e loca ed
nea he coas on he Cali o nia ma gin in he no heas Pacific
Ocean, wi hin a majo eas e n bounda y upwelling sys em. High
p oduc i i y and pa ially es ic ed ci cula ion esul ing in oxygen-
deple ed bo om wa e s p omo e deposi ion o a ed sedimen s
wi h minimum bio u ba ion in hese bo de land basins (Schim-
melmann e al., 2016). Sample SBB4 MC43 (“SBB”) was eco e ed
om he pa ially isola ed and silled San a Ba ba a Basin, cha ac-
e ized by sub-oxic o anoxic bo om wa e s and whe e e idence
o sedimen ocusing and deposi ion o p e-aged OC has p e iously
been documen ed (Mollenhaue and Eglin on, 2007). Sample SMB1
MC49 (“SMB”), loca ed in he San a Monica Basin, was eco e ed
om he well-defined OMZ be ween 500 and 900 m dep h (Mo -
fi e al., 2015).
The Be muda Rise is a deep-ocean sedimen d i in he sub-
opical no hwes A lan ic Ocean. Al hough his si e is no loca ed
on a con inen al ma gin, sample OCE326 BC9 (“BER”) was selec ed
o his s udy gi en ha he la ges
14C age disc epancies be ween
OC and co-deposi ed plank onic o amini e a ha e been epo ed
he e (Ohkouchi e al., 2002), implying s ong hyd odynamic con ol
on sedimen p ope ies in his egion.
Resul s p e iously epo ed om sample SHAK06-5K; 2-3 cm
(“IBE”), e ie ed om he so-called “Shackle on Si es” o he
sou hwes Ibe ian Ma gin (Magill e al., 2018) we e included in
his s udy. This si e is loca ed on he lowe pa o he slope and
ea u es high sedimen a ion a es due o high o mode a e p ima y
p oduc i i y and sedimen ocusing.
Excep o he Ibe ian ma gin, which was sampled using a kas-
en co e , he sedimen -wa e in e ace was p ese ed a all si es,
sampled using a mul i-co e (PER, NAM, NAF, NAT, SBB and SMB)
and a box-co e (BER).
2.2. G ain-size ac iona ion
Sedimen co es we e sec ioned on-boa d e e y 1 cm, and sealed
and s o ed in glass o plas ic con aine s a −20 ◦C un il hey we e
2
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
u he p ocessed o analyses. Be ween 2 o 5 op cm om each
co e (Table 1) we e eeze-d ied, homogenized, and ac iona ed
in o ou di e en g ain size ac ions, namely sand (>300-63 μm);
coa se sil (63-10 μm [CS]); fine sil (10-2 μm [FS]); and clay
(<2μm). Addi ionally, plank onic o amini e a we e picked om a
sub- ac ion (250-300 μm) o he sand ac ion. The g ain-size ac-
ions we e ob ained ollowing he p o ocol in oduced by Magill e
al. (2018).
Only Milli-Q wa e was used o all s eps du ing sample p epa-
a ion. P io o use, all glasswa e was hea - ea ed o e nigh a
450◦C, whe eas sie es and o he me al ools we e cleaned wi h o -
ganic sol en s. Be ween 40-200 g o d y sedimen pe sample we e
we -sie ed wi h a sie ing owe using sie e mesh-sizes o 20, 63,
250, 300 μm. The sand ac ion con aining mos ly o amini e a and
he CS (20-63 μm) ac ion we e ans e ed o glass ja s. Ma e-
ial passing he 20 μm was hen ans e ed o cen i uge ials and
cen i uged a 160 RCF 2 min a maximum speed and 2 min o
slow down. The supe na an con aining he clay ac ion (<2μm)
was eco e ed and ans e ed in o glass ja s. This cycle was e-
pea ed un il he supe na an was clea . To sepa a e he fine sil
ac ion (2-10 μm) om he lowe end o he CS ac ion (10-
20 μm), he emaining ac ion (2-20 μm) was se led in a olu-
me ic flask. Re e ence se ling eloci ies o he 10 μm cu o we e
adop ed om Gibbs e al. (1971). Acco dingly, he 2-10 μm ac-
ion was pipe ed and ma e ial be ween 10-20 μm was combined
wi h he 20-63 μm ac ion o ob ain he CS ac ion (10-63 μm).
All ac ions we e hen immedia ely ans e ed o glass ja s and
ozen a −20◦C p io o eeze-d ying o u he analyses. The
sand ac ion was excluded om he s udy as mic oscopic analy-
sis showed ha his ac ion con ained disc e e pa icula e o ganic
deb is no bound o mine al su aces (Keil e al., 1994b; Ransom
e al., 1998) as well as OM bound wi hin plank ic o amini e a. As
he la e a e assumed o se le apidly wi hou subs an ial la e al
ad ec ion, hei p esence may mask he impac o hyd odynamic
so ing on mine al associa ed OM wi hin his ac ion.
2.3. G ain size and mine al-specific su ace a ea (SA) analyses
Be ween 100-200 mg o eeze-d ied bulk sedimen we e
hea ed in an o en a 350 ◦C o 12 h and cooled down o 40 ◦C a
50◦C pe hou in o de o emo e OM. Samples we e subsequen ly
suspended in a solu ion o 4 mL o sodium hexame aphospha e
(1 g L−1) in Mili-Q wa e and kep in a shaking pla o m un-
il g ain-size analyses we e pe o med wi h a Mas e size 2000.
Polys y ene la ex and sphe ical glass beads o 300 nm-100 μm
we e used as e e ence ma e ials. Samples we e measu ed in ip-
lica es unde condi ions o epea abili y and he a e age and p e-
cision a e epo ed.
Aliquo s o sol en -ex ac ed sedimen s we e hea ed o 150 ◦C
o 24 h o ensu e OM emo al and cooled o oom empe a u e
o ca. 45 min. Ni ogen-based BET (B unaue –Emme –Telle ) su -
ace a ea de e mina ions we e made on sample aliquo s o ∼30
mg on a Quan ach ome NOVA 4000e. Degassing was pe o med
wi h a Quan ach ome FLOVAC degasse a 150 ◦C unde acuum
o e nigh . P ecision was >±0.04 m2/g and <±1.00 m2/g de e -
mined om eplica e measu emen s o low- and high-su ace a ea
Quan ach ome ins umen s s anda ds, espec i ely.
2.4. Radioca bon analyses o plank onic o amini e a and OC
All adioca bon measu emen s we e pe o med using gas ion
sou ce accele a o mass spec ome y (AMS) on he compac Mini
Ca bon Da ing Sys em (MICADAS) a he Labo a o y o Ion Beam
Physics, ETH Zü ich.
An aliquo (12-70 mg) o eeze-d ied sedimen was umiga ed
wi h concen a ed HCl (37%, 72 h) o emo e ino ganic ca bon and
Table 1
Sample loca ions. Mean annual ne p ima y p oduc i i y (NPP) was based on chlo ophyll-a, SST, and PAR sa elli e measu emen s o he MODIS mission (2003-2016) da a. A e age sedimen a ion a e (SR) is adop ed om p e ious
wo ks conduc ed a iden ical o nea by loca ions and wa e dep hs.
Loca ion [ac onym] Sample name C uise/yea Longi ude La i ude Wa e dep h
[m]
NPP
[mg C m−2day−1]
A e age SR
[cm ky −1]
Re e ence Deposi ional se ing/Oxygen
condi ions
Pe u ian ma gin [PER] KNR 182/9 MC13
0-3 cm
KNR 182/9 2005 −78.17 −11.00 326 2773 20.8 We e e al. (1990)Ou e con inen al shel /Anoxic
(OMZ impingemen )
Namibian ma gin [NAM] 2017 26-90
0-3 cm
Mi abilis May 2016 13.3 −26 1277 1431 22 In ho n e al. (2006)Mid-slope/Oxic
NW A ican ma gin [NAF] OC437 MC31
0-3 cm
Chee a C uise 2007 −13.74 27.54 1090 1377 20.3 Mollenhaue e al. (2005)Uppe con inen al slope/Oxic
NW A lan ic ma gin [NAT] OCE326 MC2
0-3 cm
Be muda Rise 1998 −70.54 40.46 80 1276 32 Bo hne e al. (1981)Shel depocen e /Oxic
San a Ba ba a Basin [SBB] SBB4 MC43
0-2 cm
New Ho izon 2001 −119.87 34.33 340 1172 200 Schaa and Thu ow (1995)Lowe flank o he basin/Sub-oxic
(OMZ impingemen )
San a Monica Basin [SMB] SMB1 MC49
1-2 cm
New Ho izon 2001 −119.22 33.90 765 1055 200 Bales a e al. (2018)Sligh ly sloping basin floo /Anoxic
(OMZ impingemen )
Be muda Rise [BER] OCE326 BC9
2-5 cm
Be muda Rise 1998 −57.61 33.69 4517 374 27 Ohkouchi e al. (2002)D i deposi /Oxic
Ibe ian ma gin [IBE] SHAK06-5K
2-3 cm
JC089 2013 −10.09 37.34 2646 1030 22 Magill e al. (2018)D i deposi /Oxic
3
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
subsequen ly kep unde basic a mosphe e (NaOH pelle s, 72 h)
in a desicca o a 60 ◦C. Samples we e hen w apped in in cap-
sules and measu ed by elemen al analyze (EA) – AMS. Fossil (in
house shale) and mode n (in house sedimen ) e e ence ma e ials
we e p epa ed ollowing he same p ocedu e and used as p ocess-
ing blanks. Oxalic acid e e ence ma e ial (NIST SRM 4990C) was
used as no maliza ion s anda d. Capsule con ibu ion and cons an
con amina ion in oduced du ing umiga ion and EA – AMS analy-
ses was assessed and co ec ed o acco ding o Wel e e al. (2018).
Co ec ion pa ame e s we e a ca bon mass o 8 ±4μg wi h a F14C
o 0.6 ±0.2.
Monospecific samples o Globige ina bulloides o Globige inoides
ube (40-100 es s; 0.5-1 mg o ca bona e) we e picked om he
250-300 μm ac ion in six ou o he eigh samples. Mixed plank-
onic o amini e a we e picked om SBB and none o PER due
o he sca ci y o o amini e a. An au oma ed me hod o acid di-
ges ion was applied o leach he ou e shell and emo e su ace
con aminan s (Wacke e al., 2014). In sho , samples we e placed
in sep um-sealed ials and he ou e shell was leached by adding
100 μl o 0.06 M HCl. Subsequen ly, he emaining sample was
acidified a e he addi ion o 100 μl o ul apu e H3PO4(85%).
The CO2o bo h, he leacha e and he main ac ion, was succes-
si ely collec ed on a zeoli e ap o he gas in e ace sys em and
ans e ed in o a sy inge, whe e i was dilu ed wi h He o a 5%
CO2mix u e and measu ed as wo sepa a e samples in he AMS.
Fossil and mode n e e ence ma e ials, i.e. ma ble (IAEA-C1, nomi-
nal alue 0.0020 ±0.0010) and an in-house co al s anda d (CSTD,
nominal alue 0.9447 ±0.0002, G. Dos San os, pe sonal communi-
ca ion), we e p epa ed in he same way as he samples and used,
espec i ely, o blank co ec ion and alida ion pu poses. All a-
dioca bon esul s a e epo ed as ac ion mode n (F14C), which
co esponds o he ac i i y a io o he sample ela i e o a mode n
e e ence ma e ial (Reime e al., 2004). The adioca bon con en o
he OC (14C) con ained wi hin g ain size samples is also epo ed
and calcula ed conside ing F14C and yea o sample collec ion (S u-
i e and Polach, 1977).
2.5. OC con en and p ope ies
The OC con en was measu ed simul aneously wi h OC-14C us-
ing he EA o an accu acy o be e han 0.1% based on s anda ds.
Fo s able ca bon iso opic analyses, aliquo s o up o 200 mg o
eeze-d ied sedimen we e acidified by means o acid insing wi h
5 mL o 6M HCl o emo e ca bona es, subsequen ly neu alized
wi h deionized wa e and d ied in an o en a 50 ◦C. A e sample
homogeniza ion, an aliquo (0.5-100 mg) was measu ed o s able
ca bon iso opic composi ion (δ13COC) on an FlashEA elemen al ana-
lyze coupled in con inuous-flow wi h a Del a V iso ope a io mass
spec ome e (all The moFische Scien ific, B emen, Ge many). Ca -
bon iso ope alues a e epo ed in pe mille no a ion () ela i e
o Vienna Pee Dee Belemni e (VPDB). The p ecision was be e han
0.1(1σ) based on eplica e measu emen s o s anda ds. Sim-
ila ly, 25-30 mg o non-deca bona ed eeze-d ied sedimen was
used o measu e o al ni ogen concen a ion (N o ) and calcula e
he a omic C/N a io.
3. Resul s
3.1. Bulk sedimen cha ac e is ics
The majo i y o sedimen mass is ound in he CS and FS ac-
ions, in ha o de , oge he accoun ing o >80% o he bulk sed-
imen in all samples (Table S1). O e all, sand is he leas abundan
ac ion, ollowed by clay. Mean pa icle size is wi hin he lowe
ange o CS (∼10.5 μm in PER, ∼30 μm in NAM and ∼20 μm in
all he o he si es; Fig. S1A). Excep o BER, which shows a bi-
modal size dis ibu ion cen e ed a 7 and 30 μm, all samples show
a unimodal pa icle diame e anging om 10 o 30 μm (Fig. S1B).
OC con en is highes in sedimen s om he Pe u ian (13.2%)
and Namibian (6.3%) ma gins si es, mode a e in sedimen s om
San a Ba ba a and San a Monica Basins (∼2.25%) and low (<1%) in
sedimen s a he o he si es, eaching minimum alues in Be muda
ise (0.4%) (Table S1). These esul s a e in e y good ag eemen
wi h p e ious wo ks a simila loca ions (A hu e al., 1998;
In ho n e al., 2006; Mollenhaue and Eglin on, 2007; Mollenhaue
e al., 2005; Ohkouchi e al., 2005; Rowe e al., 1988). The δ13COC
alues ange om 19.8 o 23.2and, oge he wi h C/N a ios
be ween 8.7 and 6.0, indica e OM is p edominan ly o ma ine o i-
gin (Meye s, 1994). The nea by basins o San a Ba ba a and San a
Monica show equi alen TOC, δ13COC and C/N alues, e idencing
hei geog aphical p oximi y and simila deposi ional se ings.
3.2. Su ace a ea (SA)
The highes su ace a ea is obse ed o clay and/o FS ac ions,
while CS shows he lowes alues (Fig. 2A). G ain-size ac ions
and bulk sedimen samples om he Pe u ian and he Namibian
ma gin exhibi an OC/SA a io >1 mg OC/m2while samples om
he NW A ican and Cali o nian ma gins show alues be ween 1
and 0.4 mg OC/m2, and hose om he NW A lan ic ma gin and
Be muda ise a e below he 0.4 mg OC/m2 h eshold.
3.3. OC p ope ies: con en and s able iso opic composi ion
The Pe u ian ma gin shows he highes OC con en wi h la ge
a iabili y among g ain-size ac ions in absolu e e ms (5-18%)
(Table S1, Fig. 3A). The opposi e is ue o Be muda Rise, which
has he lowes OC con en and li le a iabili y among ac ions
(0.1-0.5%). O e all, FS hos s he highes p opo ion o OC in all he
si es ollowed by he clay ac ion in h ee o hem. The CS ac ion
is usually he poo es ac ion, while bulk sedimen eflec s in e -
media e OC con en alues wi hin he ange displayed by ela ed
g ain-size ac ions. Clay shows a g ea e a ia ion in OC con en
in ela ion o he o he ac ions.
Co esponding δ13COC alues a y be ween −23.5 and −19.5
(Table S1, Fig. 3B and C). F ac ions show ela i ely homogeneous
alues wi hin each si e, a y wi hin a 1.5 ange o δ13COC, and
no sys ema ic pa e n is e iden among g ain-size sedimen sam-
ples.
Wi h he excep ion o he Pe u ian and he San a Monica Basin
clay ac ions, which show C/N a ios o 14.9 and 12.1, espec i ely,
all samples exhibi a C/N a io be ween 4 and 10 (Table S1, Fig. 3C).
Al hough no clea pa e ns among g ain-sizes a e obse ed, C/N
alues o FS and bulk sedimen a e simila (i no iden ical) o
mos si es.
3.4. Radioca bon con en and age o OC and plank onic o amini e a
Plank onic o amini e a
14C ages a e sys ema ically younge
han co-deposi ed OC o all si es (Fig. 4). Samples om San a Ba -
ba a and San a Monica basins imply inco po a ion o bomb
14C
(Table S2) (Mollenhaue and Eglin on, 2007), meaning he analyzed
o amini e a o igina ed some ime a e he he monuclea weapon
es ing (1960’s) and canno be used o an accu a e assessmen o
o amini e a-g ain size
14C age ela ionships.
Replica e
14C measu emen s on OC om bulk sedimen samples
o 5 ou o 8 si es yielded i ually iden ical esul s (Table S2).
Radioca bon ages o bulk sedimen samples gene ally ep esen
a e age alues wi hin he ange eco ded by ela ed ac ions. Ex-
cep ions a e he wo eplica es o he Be muda Rise bulk sedimen ,
which lie in he uppe ange, bu wi hin he e o ma gin o CS,
4
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
Fig. 2. A) Mine al su ace a ea (SA) and B) OC con en s SA o bulk sedimen and g ain-size ac ions. OC loadings (OC/SA a io) h esholds disc imina e be ween highly
p oduc i e en i onmen s cha ac e ized by sho OET and la ge OC inpu (>1 mg OC m−2) and long OET and efficien OM emine aliza ion ela i e o supply (<0.4 mg OC
m−2), wi h in e media e alues cha ac e izing sedimen s om ypical con inen al shel se ings (Bianchi e al., 2018; Blai and Alle , 2012).
Fig. 3. O ganic ca bon con en and p ope ies in bulk sedimen and co esponding g ain-size ac ions (uppe panels) and g ain-size ac ion alues no malized o he bulk
sedimen alue (lowe panel) o (A) o ganic ca bon con en (w %), (B) s able ca bon iso opes o OC, and (C) a omic C/N a io.
he mos abundan ac ion a his si e, and he NW A ican ma -
gin, whe e bulk sedimen is younge han co esponding g ain-size
classes. Un o una ely, no eplica e is a ailable o his sample.
Excep o BER, he abundance weigh ed a e age F14C and OC
con en o he analyzed g ain-size ac ions (i.e., all ac ions bu
sand) is lowe han alues ob ained o bulk sedimen s, a disc ep-
ancy ha canno be solely accoun ed o he ela i e con ibu ion
o he sand ac ion (Table S2). Sample p epa a ion in ol ing MilliQ
wa e was minimized o a oid OM loss. Ye , p e e en ial solubiliza-
ion o a small ac ion o labile ( ypically younge ) OC in MilliQ
wa e is possible. Likewise, emo al o ca bona es by means o acid
umiga ion can also lead o dec eased F14C in sedimen samples
as a unc ion o ino ganic ca bon con en , en i onmen al ma ix,
and p opo ions o labile and e ac o y OC in he sample (Bao e
al., 2019a,b). The po en ial impac o ei he p ocesses on F14C al-
ues and OC con en canno be disca ded. Ne e heless, ou samples
ep esen a wide a ie y in e ms o he ac o s ha de e mine he
magni ude o he influence o hese p ocesses, and ye , a s ong
14C age-g ain size dependence is appa en in sedimen s om all
si es, whe e clay is he younges ac ion and CS he oldes .
14C
age ela ionships be ween he oldes (CS) and younges (clay) ac-
ions a y om 515 y s o Pe u o 2335 y s o Be muda Rise,
wi h o he si es exhibi ing an in e media e sp ead in ages, mos
commonly wi hin he 1040-1620 y s ange (Table S2).
4. Discussion
4.1. The e ec o hyd odynamics on he cha ac e is ics o bulk OC
The s udied si es eflec a wide a ay o deposi ional se ings,
and ye a s ong and sys ema ic
14C age-mine al g ain-size de-
pendence is appa en in all o hem (Figs. 4and 5). Specifically,
OC in he clay ac ion is he younges , wi h
14C ages inc eas-
ing in he FS and CS, in ha o de . We a ibu e his pa e n o
he ubiqui ous influence o hyd odynamic so ing. McCa e e al.
(1995)de e mined ha pa icles wi hin he 10-63 μm size ange
(i.e., CS, o “so able sil ”) a e non-cohesi e and he e o e exhibi
g ea e p opensi y o esuspension and edis ibu ion dispe sal. Ac-
5

B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
Fig. 4. Radioca bon ages and age ela ionships in bulk sedimen s and g ain-size classes. A)
14C ages o plank onic o amini e a, OC o bulk sedimen and ela ed eplica es,
and OC esiding wi hin each g ain-size sedimen ac ion. Open diamonds indica e o amini e a ha inco po a e bomb
14C. B) Age disc epancy be ween g ain-size ac ions,
bulk sedimen , and o amini e a.
co dingly, OM esiding wi hin CS is mo e likely o expe ience p o-
ac ed ansloca ion, being exposed o aging and selec i e deg a-
da ion, and leading o olde OC and lowe OC con en (Figs. 3A and
4). FS (2-10 μm) beha es in a mo e cohesi e manne (McCa e e
al., 1995), bu can be also winnowed by s onge cu en s (>10-15
cm s−1) (McCa e and Hall, 2006) and deposi ed in dis al loca ions
a e flow educ ion o in e e ence o cohesi e o ces. In con-
as , clays a e cohesi e and show a lowe p opensi y o mobiliza-
ion and dispe sal, which explains he obse a ion o he younges
OC
14C ages o his ac ion (Figs. 4and 5). Whea c o (1992)
demons a ed ha he e ec o bio u ba ion can be pa icle-size
dependen as fine pa icles pene a e deepe in o he sedimen .
High sedimen a ion a es cha ac e is ic o all s udy si es diminish
hei suscep ibili y o bio u ba ion (Table 1). Mo eo e , sub-oxic o
anoxic condi ions (e.g., PER, SBB and SMB) and he p esence o fine
lamina ion in some si es indica e ha bio u ba ion e ec is negli-
gible o absen (Schimmelmann e al., 2016) and ye , he same
14C
age- mine al-size dependence is e iden a all si es.
A compa able OC con en -g ain-size dependence only applies o
FS and CS ac ions, as clay shows he lowes OC con en a PER,
NAM and SMB, in e media e alues in ela ion o FS and CS a SBB
and IBE, and he highes OC con en , compa able o ha obse ed
wi hin FS, a NAF, NAT and BER (Table S1). Such dependence may
be d i en by bo h hyd odynamically-d i en so ing p ocesses and
by o gano-mine al associa ions. The o me ac s h ough p e e en-
ial dispe sal o CS in ela ion o FS and clay ac ions (McCa e
and Hall, 2006; McCa e e al., 1995) wi h subsequen emine al-
iza ion o associa ed OM (Bao e al., 2016), whe eas fine g ain
sizes ha e he la ge so p i e capaci y (g ea e SA) han coa se
g ain sizes (Keil e al., 1994a,b; Maye , 1993; Maye e al., 1988;
P emuzic e al., 1982). The lowe and a iable deg ees o OC as-
socia ion wi h he clay-size ac ion con as wi h p io s udies
whe e clays a e ypically obse ed o hos g ea e p opo ions o
OC ela i e o o he size classes, an obse a ion a ibu ed o he
la ge su ace a ea o clay-size mine als a ailable o OM asso-
cia ion (Be gamaschi e al., 1997; Keil e al., 1994a,b; P emuzic
e al., 1982). Howe e , he e a e a ious po en ial modes o OM-
mine al in e ac ion (Maye , 1993). Fo ins ance, su ace oughness
ea u es like nanopo es may inc ease he amoun o OC embedded
wi hin mine al su aces by one o wo o de s o magni ude (Maye ,
Fig. 5. Radioca bon age-mine al g ain-size ela ionship wi h OC con en . Maximum
and minimum bubble size o OC con en a e adjus ed o he OC con en ange
co e ed by he g ain-size ac ions o each s udy si e.
1993, 1994a). This is pa icula ly so o coa se ac ions, whe eas
clay mine als exhibi li le po en ial o gene a ing su ace ough-
ness (Ransom e al., 1998). Likewise, clay mine alogy (i.e., densi y,
chemis y and floccula ion beha io ) has p o en o play a key ole
in OM-clay mine al associa ions (Maye e al., 2004; Ransom e al.,
1998). Such ac o s may accoun o lowe - han-expec ed OC con-
en s o clay ac ions om some o he samples.
In gene al, δ13COC and C/N alues o bulk sedimen s and g ain
size classes a e consis en wi h ma ine inpu s as he p ima y OM
sou ce (Meye s, 1994) (Table S1, Fig. 3A and B). Highe δ13COC
alues a NAM, NAF and PER ag ee wi h la ge dus annual deposi-
ion om adjacen dese s in hese egions (Jickells e al., 2005),
whe eas mo e nega i e δ13COC alues a e obse ed a BER, he
6
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
Fig. 6. Rela ionship be ween 14C and SA wi h OC con en (A) and δ13COC (B).
mos o sho e loca ion. Despi e significan a iabili y in adioca -
bon composi ion among g ain-size ac ions a each si e, a ia ions
in C/N a ios and s able iso opes a e ela i ely small, and do no
allow o a mo e de ailed disc imina ion o sedimen a y OM o i-
gin. Mo eo e , such pa ame e s may be influenced by selec i e
deg ada ion o specific compounds as a consequence o di e en ial
esuspension and dispe sal o di e en g ain-size classes. Selec i e
emo al o labile sedimen a y OM is expec ed o lead o lowe
14COC (olde
14C ages) and δ13COC ( ia p e e en ial deg ada ion
o
13C-en iched, labile o ganic componen s) alues (Blai and Alle ,
2012; Wang and D u el, 1996). Howe e , he SA-δ13COC ela ion-
ship is less clea han ha o SA wi h 14COC, indica ing ha he
possible influence o hyd odynamic so ing on OC s able iso opic
composi ion h ough selec i e OC deg ada ion wi hin specific ac-
ions does no mani es i sel in δ13COC-g ain-size/SA ela ionships
(Fig. 6). These esul s migh also eflec he influence o sample
ea men (i.e., acid insing) on δ13COC alues. Remo al o ino -
ganic ca bon by means o acid insing can lead o a la ge loss o
OC in ela ion o acid umiga ion (Bao e al., 2019b), he la e em-
ployed he e p io
14C and OC con en analyses. I is possible ha
di e ences in he amoun o OC ha can po en ially be los due o
he applica ion o each o hese acidifica ion ea men s led o he
p ese a ion o appa en pa e ns in ela ion o hyd odynamic con-
ols only on
14C age and OC con en . O e all, he iso opic con as s
be ween mo e and less labile OM appea insufficien o disce n he
possible influence o hyd odynamically d i en-so ing p ocesses.
4.2. The key ole o fine sil in de e mining bulk OC signa u es
The OC-14C age o bulk sedimen samples in es iga ed in
his s udy sys ema ically exceeds ha o co-deposi ed plank onic
o amini e a (Fig. 4A), implying supply o OM ha is olde han
ha deli e ed om o e lying su ace wa e p oduc i i y. Gi en an
absence o significan inpu s o (p e-aged) e es ial OM, hese e-
sul s p o ide e idence o a pe asi e influence o hyd odynamic
so ing on bulk sedimen a y OC
14C (see sec ion 4.1). We a gue
ha di e en ial con ibu ions om g ain-size classes ca ying OM
wi h a ying OC con en s and
14C signa u es a e esponsible o
hese disc epancies. The ela i e impac o each g ain-size ac ion
depends on he in e play be ween hei ac ional con ibu ion o
he sedimen mass, he amoun o OC hey hos , and he specific
p ope ies o he la e (e.g.,
14C and δ13C). Clay con ibu es a neg-
ligible/mino amoun o he bulk sedimen mass, shows a iable
OC con en in compa ison o ela ed CS and FS ac ions wi hin
each si e, and his ac ion always con ains he younges OC (Ta-
ble S1, Fig. 5). OC associa ed wi h FS is sys ema ically olde han
clay and comp ises 34% o bulk sedimen on a e age, while CS
is gene ally he mos abundan ac ion (50% on a e age) hos ing
he oldes OC. Howe e , OC con en s o CS a e subs an ially lowe ,
and he majo i y o OC esides wi hin he FS (Fig. 5). Co espond-
ingly, he la e ac ion exhibi s he g ea es influence on bulk
OC cha ac e is ics. Mo eo e , gi en he p opensi y o his ac ion
o unde go mobiliza ion and ansloca ion, FS has he po en ial o
o e w i e local/con empo aneous signals eco ded in ma ine sed-
imen s. Indeed,
14C ages and C/N a ios o FS a e compa able o
hose o bulk sedimen o mos si es (Fig. 3D, E, F, Table S1).
Ou esul s sugges , he e o e, ha age o se s p e iously obse ed
be ween co-deposi ed bulk OC and plank onic o amini e a (e.g.
Ausín e al., 2019; Kusch e al., 2010; Mollenhaue and Eglin on,
2007; Mollenhaue e al., 2005; Ohkouchi e al., 2002) we e mos
likely due o he influence o p e-aged OC associa ed wi h FS ha
was ad ec ed o he s udy si es.
Olde - han- o amini e al
14C ages o FS and CS sugges he
occu ence o p ocesses such as pos deposi ional al e a ion o sed-
imen a y OC ia bio u ba ion and/o deli e y o alloch honous
OC ia i e ine and ae osol anspo , emobiliza ion o in-si u
sedimen s, and/o ad ec ion o dis an ma e ial. The influence o
bio u ba ion is expec ed o be minimal a all si es. Mo eo e ,
pa icle-size dependen bio u ba ion ypically esul s in younge -
han- o amini e al
14C ages o smalle pa icles (Ba d, 2001;
Whea c o , 1992). The C/N and δ13COC alues sugges ha con-
ibu ions o e es ial OC o FS and CS ac ions (supplied ia
flu ial o aeolian anspo ) a e negligible. The measu emen s pe -
o med in he p esen s udy do no allow us o disce n be ween
emobiliza ion/ e-suspension o p oximal e sus dis al sedimen s.
Howe e , p io s udies specially designed o iden i y hese p o-
cesses sugges ha long-dis ance la e al sedimen anspo is a
majo ansloca ion mechanism on di e se con inen al ma gin sys-
ems including o Namibia (In ho n e al., 2006), Ibe ia (Magill e
al., 2018), Sibe ia (B öde e al., 2018), China and he no hwes e n
US ma gins (Bao e al., 2018b). Deposi ion o la e ally anspo ed
OM associa ed wi h fine-g ained mine als implies he en ainmen
7
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
o alloch honous and p e-aged OC ha migh pe u b he o igi-
nal en i onmen al signals o igina ing om o e lying wa e s (Ausín
e al., 2019). Fu he conside a ion o hese issues, bo h om he
pe spec i e o unde s anding ca bon cycling and in e p e a ion o
con inen al ma gin sedimen a y eco ds is he e o e wa an ed.
4.3. A amewo k o assessing si e-specific a iabili y
Al hough all s udy egions show a s ong dependence o SA,
14C age, and OC con en on g ain-size, he amoun o p ese ed
OC in compa able ac ions and he magni ude o
14C disc epancies
among g ain-size ac ions (Figs. 3A and 4B) a e highly a iable be-
ween si es. Fo ins ance, he g ain-size classes om he Pe u ian
ma gin show simila and ela i ely young
14C ages, bu he la ges
OC con en a iabili y among ac ions o all si es (Figs. 3and 4).
Con e sely, ac ions om Be muda Rise show la ge
14C age a i-
abili y bu uni o mly low alues o OC con en . This obse a ion
is asc ibed o di e ences in he egional condi ions ha cha ac-
e ize each si e, such as p ima y p oduc i i y, sedimen a ion a e,
OET, hyd odynamic egime, and deposi ional se ing, among o he s
(A na son and Keil, 2007; Mülle and Suess, 1979). Indeed, co -
esponding OC loadings (OC/SA a ios; Fig. 2B) indica e ha esh
OM supply p edomina es on he high p oduc i e Pe u ian ma -
gin despi e s ong coas al cu en s, whe eas he opposi e occu s in
Be muda Rise, cha ac e ized by oligo ophic o e lying wa e s, long
OETs and s ong ad ec i e cu en s and sedimen ocusing (Mc-
Ca e, 2002). These wo si es can be conside ed as end-membe s
wi hin he s udied deposi ional se ing ange (Fig. 7), and p o ide
dis inc in o ma ion abou he ole o OM-mine al associa ions and
hyd odynamic p ocesses on he a e o OC p ese ed in ma ine
sedimen s. A si es like he Pe u ian ma gin (and NAM o a lesse
ex en ), he e ec o hyd odynamic so ing – while no iceable in
he
14C age-g ain size ela ionship – is bu e ed in he bulk sedi-
men by he la ge and con inuous e ical flux o esh OM. He e,
14C age-g ain size ela ionship p o ides in o ma ion on he po en-
ial o each ac ion o associa e wi h OC and hos i a an ea ly
s age. In con as , he majo i y o deposi ed OM a si es such as
he Be muda Rise (and IBE o a lesse ex en ) has p e iously been
exposed o s ong hyd odynamic o cing ( ia en ainmen wi hin
u bidi y cu en s o in e media e/bo om nepheloid laye s, and/o
esuspension cycles), while labile biological deb is se ling om
he o e lying wa e column has expe ienced ex ensi e deg ada-
ion du ing e ical ansi and sedimen a ion. Long- e m oxygen
exposu e may also ha e played a ole hough he des uc ion o
o ganic-mine al agg ega es (A na son and Keil, 2007). The la e
condi ions, which may lead o simila OC con en in each o he
ac ions ega dless o hei ini ial po en ial o hos OM, ep esen
a “ma u e” sys em ha may in o m abou he impac o p olonged
and s ong hyd odynamic p ocesses on sedimen a y OC. Si es ex-
hibi ing in e media e
14C age and OC con en disc epancies be-
ween g ain-size classes ep esen sys ems ha in o m abou he
po en ial o each ac ion o p o ec OC om he e ec s o hyd o-
dynamic p ocesses. These loca ions also show in e media e mine al
su ace a ea-no malized OC loadings (0.4-1 mg OC m−1) (Fig. 2B)
co esponding o ela i ely s able OM-mine al associa ions (Blai
and Alle , 2012), implying p o ec ion om emine aliza ion (Keil
e al., 1994b). Howe e , we a gue ha hese si es ep esen a s a-
ble si ua ion ha is no necessa ily pe manen . Ashi owa ds
s onge hyd odynamic o cing may emobilize hese sedimen s,
exposing associa ed OM o u he decomposi ion and shi ing
esidual ma e ials owa ds a mo e ma u e end-membe . S udy si es
a e classified wi hin one o hese sys ems acco ding o OC/SA al-
ues and so ed as a unc ion o co esponding PP, OC con en - and
14C-disc epancy alues. In e es ingly, wa e dep h inc eases con in-
uously om s able o ma u e sys ems, in ag eemen wi h p e ious
wo k in he Chinese Ma ginal Seas ha e idence inc easing
14C age
Fig. 7. Concep ual model summa izing he cha ac e is ics o he “Ini ial”, “S able”,
and “Ma u e” sys ems as explained in sec ion 4.3.
disc epancies be ween g ain-size sedimen ac ions wi h inc eas-
ing dep h (Bao e al., 2019a). Ou esul s confi m such ela ionship
in a b oade con ex o s able and ma u e sys ems, whe eas o
ini ial sys ems, high PP and e ical inpu o esh OM likely mask
he impac o any pos -deposi ional sedimen a ion p ocess on
14C
age disc epancies. Mo eo e , i is likely ha he ela i e con ibu-
ion o e ac o y OC inc eases p og essi ely om ini ial o ma u e
sys ems, due o lowe e ical fluxes o labile OC and selec i e
p ese a ion o e igenous and elic OM du ing la e al anspo
(Mollenhaue and Eglin on, 2007). In his con ex , ca bon fluxes
(p oduc i i y), wa e dep h, OET, and mine al g ain size – he la -
e influencing bo h he capaci y o hos OM and p opensi y o
( e)mobiliza ion and la e al anspo – each play a key ole in dic-
a ing he amoun , p o enance, composi ion, and in age o o ganic
ca bon signa u es p ese ed in con inen al ma gin sedimen s.
5. Conclusions
We find ha hyd odynamically-d i en p ocesses exe a pe a-
si e influence on he OM con en and composi ion o con inen al
ma gin sedimen s, and a e mani es ed in he
14C age a iabili y o
OC esiding in bulk sedimen s and co esponding g ain-size ac-
ions. Mo eo e , o gano-mine al in e ac ions exe a dual influence
on sedimen a y OC, wi h espec o bo h OM p o ec ion and i s
p opensi y o mobiliza ion and edis ibu ion.
OC is p e e en ially associa ed wi h he fine sil ac ion in all
si es. Due o i s highe OC con en and con ibu ion o bulk sedi-
men mass, his ac ion s ongly influences bulk sedimen OC
14C
age and C/N o OC. Gi en i s p opensi y o esuspension and ad-
ec ion unde s ong cu en s, ansloca ed (alloch honous) OC as-
socia ed wi h fine sil may supp ess and/o dis o p ima y signals
o igina ing om o e lying su ace wa e s p ese ed wi hin con i-
nen al ma gin sedimen s.
Based on obse ed ela ionships be ween p oduc i i y, oxygen
exposu e, wa e dep h, and mine al g ain size, we sugges ha di -
e en deposi ional en i onmen s can be ca ego ized as “ini ial”,
“s able” (quasi-s eady s a e), and “ma u e” phases. These a e dis-
inguished based on
14C-age and OC con en ela ionships among
g ain-size classes ha eflec he in e play o hyd odynamic so -
ing and o he egional condi ions. Deposi ional sys ems eflec ing
he “ini ial” phase include hose wi h high p oduc i i y, low oxy-
gen exposu e and local deposi ion (i.e., Pe u ian and Namibian
ma gins), and a e cha ac e ized by small
14C age- bu la ge OC
con en -disc epancies among g ain-size ac ions. “S able” phases
o deposi ion occu in sys ems ha a e cha ac e ized by high o
mode a e p oduc i i y and sedimen ocussing (e.g. NW A lan ic,
and NW A ican ma gins), and ea u e mode a e
14C age- and OC
con en -disc epancies among g ain-size ac ions. Addi ional ac-
o s, such as a iabili y in oxygen exposu e (e.g., SBB, SMB) con-
ibu e o composi ional he e ogenei y wi hin s able deposi ional
se ings. “Ma u e” sys ems, which exhibi la ge
14C age disc epan-
cies bu smalle a ia ions in OC con en among g ain-size classes
(i.e., Be muda Rise and SW Ibe ian ma gin o a lesse ex en ), a e
8
B. Ausín, E. B uni, N. Haghipou e al. Ea h and Plane a y Science Le e s 558 (2021) 116759
cha ac e ized by weak e ical OC expo and s ong ad ec i e cu -
en s and la e al anspo , eflec ing he impac o p olonged ex-
posu e o hyd odynamic p ocesses on sedimen a y OC. This simple
in e p e a ional amewo k may help o assess he ex en o which
down-co e a ia ions in con inen al ma gin sedimen a y eco ds
eflec hyd odynamic e sus o he en i onmen al changes.
CRediT au ho ship con ibu ion s a emen
B.A. and T.I.E. planned his in es iga ion. N.H. and C.W. assis ed
wi h adioca bon analyses. E.B. assis ed wi h g ain-size and su -
ace a ea analyses. S.M.B. assis ed wi h s able ca bon iso ope and
ni ogen de e mina ions. B.A. p epa ed he samples, analyzed he
esul s, and w o e he manusc ip wi h con ibu ions by all coau-
ho s.
Decla a ion o compe ing in e es
The e a e no in e es s o decla e.
Acknowledgemen s
We would like o hank Madalina Jaggi and Daniel Mon luçon
o hei assis ance du ing s able iso ope and su ace a ea analyses.
We acknowledge he Regional G adua e Ne wo k o Oceanog aphy
(RGNO) Disco e y Camps, suppo ed by he Agou on Ins i u e, he
Simons Founda ion, he Scien ific Commi ee o Oceanog aphic
Resea ch (SCOR), he Minis y o Fishe ies and Ma ine Resou ces
(MFMR), he Na ional Ma ine In o ma ion and Resea ch Cen e
(Na MIRC), he Uni e si y o Namibia (UNAM), ETH Zu ich and
he Swiss i- esea ch & aining ins i u e, as well as scien is s and
c ew o he R/V Mi abilis o ealiza ion o Namibian ma gin sam-
pling. We g ea ly app ecia e he anonymous e iewe o hei
ca e ul eading o ou manusc ip and hei many insigh ul com-
men s. This s udy was suppo ed by he p ojec “TRAMPOLINE”
(200021_175823) unded by he Swiss Na ional Science Founda-
ion, g an ed o T.I.E. and B.A.
Appendix A. Supplemen a y ma e ial
Supplemen a y ma e ial ela ed o his a icle can be ound on-
line a h ps://doi .o g /10 .1016 /j .epsl .2021.116759.
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