Correlation of carbon and nitrogen stable isotope ratios in sedimentary organic matter 1

Open Access

1 July 1978

journal article
research article
Published by Wiley in Limnology and Oceanography

Vol. 23 (4) , 598-604
https://doi.org/10.4319/lo.1978.23.4.0598

Abstract

Samples of organic matter separated from nearshore sediments of the Northeast Pacific are characterized by a linear correlation between ¹³C:¹²C versus ¹⁵N:¹⁴N. This correlation appears to represent the mixing of marine and terrestrial “end members” of refractory organic matter. Exceptions to the linear plot include organic matter from riverbeds draining agricultural areas, eutrophic lakes or lagoons with large algal populations, and some other exotic environments.

Keywords

This publication has 3 references indexed in Scilit:

Nitrogen fixation in the North Pacific Ocean
Marine Biology, 1974
δ13C analyses of oceanic particulate organic matter
Marine Chemistry, 1973
Variations of Nitrogen-15 Abundance in Soils
Science, 1964