Marine sedimentary carbon cycling

The removal of carbon from the surface of the planet is a critical component of the long-term carbon cycle; this removal is through the deposition and subsequent burial of organic carbon and carbonate minerals in the ocean. Sedimentary, post-depositional, processes play a key role in the global carbon cycle as much of the organic carbon deposited in marine sediments is broken down through a series of microbial reactions, releasing the organic carbon and directly impacting the stability of carbonate minerals. In this talk I will discuss two research projects based on laboratory, fieldwork, and modelling data which are furthering our understanding of the microbial reactions that are occurring in the subsurface and the impact that these reactions can have on recorded chemical signals in marine sediments.