Effect of sediment mixing on the rate of calcite dissolution by fossil fuel CO2

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Abstract
As the CO2 produced by the combustion of fossil fuels reaches the deep sea it will attack the calcite stored in abyssal sediments. This reaction will significantly augment the ocean's capacity for this combustion product. Hence it is of interest to define the kinetics of this dissolution process. One aspect, the role of bioturbation, is dealt with in this paper. We show that the bioturbation rates obtained from the core top 210Pb and 14C distributions are sufficiently rapid so that the turbated zone can be treated as well mixed in dissolution models. No significant buildup of the non‐calcite residue will occur in the upper few millimeters of sediment where dissolution takes place. Rather it will be "stirred" into the mixed layer with sufficient rapidity that its influence will not become significant until the mixed layer as a whole drops in calcite content.