Continental margin sediments have been recognized as a major source of dissolved iron to the global ocean. The focus of this study was to build an early diagenetic model that can be used to simulate iron fluxes from continental margins and thereby identify key controlling factors. The model uses the...
Stratigraphy and chronology are essential to sedimentological study of Earth system histories. And, stratigraphy and chronology are often challenging and interesting problems themselves. The Quaternary (2.588 Ma - present) experienced paleoenvironmental and paleo-geomagnetic variability well outside the range of the recent instrumental record, providing the opportunity to place recent observations...
The rare earth elements (REEs) have been established as powerful tracers for a range of physiochemical processes occurring in the natural environment. They also hold significant economic importance as many technological advancements are reliant upon the REEs for their unique magnetic, luminescent, and electrochemical characteristics. In sedimentary settings, understanding the...
Quantifying the mass transport through marine sediments, and the geochemical response to such flow with numerical models has become a common and powerful approach for geochemical data interpretation. In this dissertation, I developed and applied transport-reaction models to unravel complex and interdependent reactions involving carbon, sulfur and silica transformations in...
A study of the effect of mixing on the oxygen uptake rate of
estuarine bottom deposits is presented. The method of study involved
the mixing of samples of bottom deposits with the overlying water to
result in concentrations of suspended matter in the same order as
observed in the estuary....
The biochemical degradation of domestic sludge deposits exposed to benthic marine conditions was investigated using a laboratory Deep Sea Simulator. The rate and extent of deposit stabilization were determined for select hydrostatic pressures and hydrogen acceptor conditions by monitoring depletion of particulate organic carbon in 2.0 and 3.0 centimeter deposits....
Trace metals in the aquatic environment are generally concentrated
on the surface of solid geochemical phases which eventually become incorporated
into estuarine and marine sediments. The mechanism of trace
metal concentration is believed to be adsorption with various geochemical
phases such as hydrous metal oxides, clays, and organic matter.
Metals...
Quartz is an ubiquitous component of marine sediments. Textural
characteristics of this component reflect the dynamics of its transport
and at the same time are indicative of its source.
Quartz may be extracted from marine sediments by means of a
sodium pyrosulfate fusion and hydrofluosilicic acid dissolution without
significantly modifying...