Skip to main content
SpringerLink
Log in
Book cover

Organic Geochemistry pp 255–268Cite as

The Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter: Reaction at the Air-Sea Interface

  • Chapter

Part of the book series: Topics in Geobiology ((TGBI,volume 11))

Abstract

The central question of this chapter is to what extent are oceanic or atmospheric organic materials altered as a result of having spent time at or passed through the air-sea interface. Such alterations are not, strictly speaking, diagenetic, because they occur before the organic materials are deposited in sediments, but they are worthy of consideration if they affect what is eventually preserved relative to what was produced in the ocean or supplied from the atmosphere. In addition to products destined for ocean sediments, alterations at the air—sea interface may result in products which leave the ocean for the atmosphere. One can imagine, for example, photochemical processes at the interface which produce volatile products “lost” to the atmosphere and residual materials which eventually settle to the seafloor. There may be more evidence for interfacial processes leading to atmospheric products than for processes leading to sedimentary products, but the discussion in this chapter will be confined to the latter.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution.

Chapter
USD   29.95
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
eBook
USD   129.00
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Available as PDF
  • Read on any device
  • Instant download
  • Own it forever
Softcover Book
USD   179.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Compact, lightweight edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info
Hardcover Book
USD   169.99
Price excludes VAT (USA)
  • Durable hardcover edition
  • Dispatched in 3 to 5 business days
  • Free shipping worldwide - see info

Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout

Purchases are for personal use only

Learn about institutional subscriptions

Preview

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.

References

  • Adamson, A. W., 1982, Physical Chemistry of Surfaces, 4th ed., John Wiley & Sons, New York, p. 470.

    Google Scholar 

  • Bacon, M. P., and Elzerman, A. W., 1980, Enrichment of 210Pb and 210Po in the sea-surface microlayer, Nature 284:332–334.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Barker, D. R., and Zeitlin, H., 1972, Metal-ion concentrations in sea-surface microlayer and size-separated aerosol samples in Hawaii, J. Geophys. Res. 77:5076–5086.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bezdek, H. F., and Carlucci, A. F., 1974, Concentration and removal of liquid microlayers from a seawater surface by bursting bubbles, Limnol. Oceanogr. 19:126–132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Biddleman, T. G., and Olney, C. E., 1974, Chlorinated hydrocarbons in the Sargasso-Sea atmosphere and surface water, Science 183:516–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Bilkadi, Z., and Neuman, R. D., 1979, Effect of humidity of monolayer desorption at the air-water interface, Nature 278:842.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Bishop, J. K. B., Collier, R. W., Kettens, D. R., and Edmond, J. M., 1980, The chemistry, biology, and vertical flux of particulate matter from the upper 1500 m of the Panama Basin, Deep-Sea Res. 27:615–640.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Blanchard, D. C., and Woodcock, A. H., 1957, Bubble formation and modification in the sea and its meteorological significance, Tellus 9:145–158.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Boehm, P. D., and Quinn, J. G., 1973, Solubilization of hydrocarbons by the dissolved organic matter in sea water, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 37:2459–2477.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brewer, P. G., Nozaki, Y., Spencer, D. W., and Fleer, A. P., 1980, Sediment trap experiments in the deep North Atlantic: Isotopic and elemental abundances, J. Mar. Res. 38:703–728.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brophy, J. E., and Carlson, D. J., 1989, Production of biologically-refractive dissolved organic carbon by natural seawater microbial populations, Deep-Sea Res. 36:497–507.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Brownawell, B. J., and Farrington, J. W., 1985, Partitioning of PCB’s in marine sediments, in: Marine and Estuarine Geochemistry (A. C. Sigleo and A. Hattori, eds.), Lewis Publishers, Chelsea, Michigan, pp. 97–120.

    Google Scholar 

  • Broze, G., Jerome, R., and Teyssie, Ph., 1981, Halato-telechelic polymers. 1. Gel formation and its dependence on the ionic content, Macromolecules 14:224–225.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., 1982a, A field evaluation of plate and screen micro-layer sampling techniques, Mar. Chem. 11:189–208.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., 1982b, Surface microlayer phenolic enrichments indicate sea surface slicks, Nature 296:426–429.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., 1982c, Phytoplankton in marine surface microlayers, Can. J. Microbiol. 28:1226–1234.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., 1983, Dissolved organic materials in surface micro-layers: Temporal variability and relation to sea state, Limnol. Oceanogr. 28:415–431.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., 1987, Viscosity of sea-surface slicks, Nature 329: 823–825.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., Mayer, L. M., Brann, M. L., and Mague, T. H., 1985, Binding of monomeric organic compounds to macromolecular dissolved organic matter in seawater, Mar. Chem. 16:141–153.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Carlson, D. J., Cantey, J. L., and Cullen, J. J., 1988, Description of and results from a new surface microlayer sampling device, Deep-Sea Res. 35:1205–1213.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Cullen, J. J., McIntyre, H. L., and Carlson, D. J., 1989, Distributions and photosynthesis of phototrophs in sea-surface films. Mar. Ecol. Prog. Ser. 55:271–278.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Daumas, R. A., Laborde, P. L., Marty, J. C., and Saliot, A., 1976, Influence of sampling method on the chemical composition of the water surface film, Limnol. Oceanogr. 21:319–326.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dawson, R., and Duursma, E. K., 1981, State of the art, in: Marine Organic Chemistry (E. K. Duursma and R. Dawson, eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 497–512.

    Google Scholar 

  • Degens, E. T., 1970, Molecular nature of organic nitrogen compounds in seawater and recent marine sediments, in: Organic Matter in Natural Waters (D. W. Hood, ed.), University of Alaska, Fairbanks, pp. 77–106.

    Google Scholar 

  • Dietz, A. S., Albright, L. J., and Tuominen, T., 1976, Heterotrophic activities of bacterioneuston and bacterioplankton, Can. J. Microbiol. 22:1699–1709.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Dragcevic, D., Vukovic, M., Cukman, D., and Pravdic, V., 1979, Properties of the seawater-air interface. Dynamic surface tension studies, Limnol. Oceanogr. 24:1022–1030.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Duce, R. A., Quinn, J. G., Olney, C. E., Piotrowicz, S. R., Ray, B. J., and Wade, T. L., 1972, Enrichment of heavy metals and organic compounds in the surface microlayer of Narragansett Bay, Rhode Island, Science 176:161–164.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ehrhardt, M., and Petrick, G., 1984, On the sensitized photo-oxidation of alkylbenzenes in seawater, Mar. Chem. 15:47–58.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Eisenreich, S. J., 1982, Overview of atmospheric inputs and losses from films, J. Great Lakes Res. 8:241–242.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Elliot, H. A., and Huang, C., 1980, Adsorption of some copper (II)-amino acid complexes at the solid-solution interface. Effect of ligand and surface hydrophobicity, Environ. Sci. Technol. 14: 87–93.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Elzerman, A. W., and Armstrong, D. E., 1979, Enrichment of Zn, Cd, Pb, and Cu in the surface microlayer of Lakes Michigan, Ontario, and Mendota, Limnol. Oceanogr. 24:133–144.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ferguson, J., Hudson, N. E., Warren, B. C. H., and Tomatarian, A., 1987, Phase changes during elongational flow of polymer solutions, Nature 325:234–236.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gagosian, R. B., and Lee, C., 1981, Processes controlling the distribution of biogenic organic compounds in seawater, in: Marine Organic Chemistry (E. K. Duursma and R. Dawson, eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 91–123.

    Google Scholar 

  • Gershey, R. M., 1983a, Characterization of seawater organic matter carried by bubble-generated aerosols, Limnol. Oceanogr. 28: 309–319.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gershey, R. M., 1983b, A bubble adsorption device for the isolation of surface-active organic matter in seawater, Limnol. Oceanogr. 28:395–400.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gershfeld, N. L., 1982, The liquid condensed/liquid expanded transition in lipid films: A critical analysis of the film balance experiment, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 85:28–40.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gonzalez, G., and MacRitchie, F., 1970, Equilibrium adsorption of proteins, J. Colloid. Interface Sci. 32:55–61.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Gordon, D. C., Keizer, P. D., and Aldous, D. G., 1976, Fate of crude oil spilled on seawater contained in outdoor tanks, Environ. Sci. Technol. 10:580–585.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Graham, W. F., Piotrowicz, S. R., and Duce, R. A., 1979, The sea as a source of atmospheric phosphorus, Mar. Chem. 7:325–342.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hansen, H. P., 1975, Photochemical degradation of petroleum hydrocarbon surface films on seawater, Mar. Chem. 3:183–195.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy, J. T., Apts, C. W., Crecelius, E. A., and Bloom, N. S., 1985a, Sea-surface microlayer metals enrichments in an urban and rural bay, Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci. 20:299–312.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hardy, J. T., Apts, C. W., Crecelius, E. A., and Fellingham, G. W., 1985b. The sea-surface microlayer: Fate and residence times of atmospheric metals, Limnol. Oceanogr. 30:93–101.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, G. R., Boran, D. A., Chesal, L. A., and Tokar, J. M., 1983, The structure of marine humic acids, Mar. Chem. 12:119–132.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Harvey, R. W., Lion, L. W., Young, L. Y., and Leckie, J. O., 1982, Enrichment and association of lead and bacteria at particulate surfaces in a salt-marsh surface layer, J. Mar. Res. 40:1201–1211.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hassett, J. P., and Anderson, M. A., 1979, Association of hydrophobic organic compounds with dissolved organic matter in aquatic systems, Environ. Sci. Technol. 13:1526–1529.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hedges, J. I., 1978, The formation and clay mineral reactions of melanoidins, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 42:69–86.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Henrichs, S. M., and Williams, P. M., 1985, Dissolved and particulate amino acids and carbohydrates in the sea surface micro-layer, Mar. Chem. 17:141–163.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Heyraud, M., and Cherry, R. D., 1983, Correlation of 210Pb and 210Po enrichments in the sea-surface microlayer with neuston biomass, Cont. Shelf Res. 1:283–293.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Hoffman, E. J., and Duce, R. A., 1976, Factors influencing the organic carbon content of marine aerosols: A laboratory study, J. Geophys. Res. 81:3667–3670.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Honjo, S., Manganini, S. J., and Cole, J. J., 1982, Sedimentation of biogenic matter in the deep ocean, Deep-Sea Res. 29:609–625.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Horsey, B. E., and Whitten, D. G., 1978, Environmental effects on photochemical reactions: Contrasts in the photooxidation behavior of protoporphyrin IX in solution, monolayer films, organized monolayer assemblies, and micelles, J. Am. Chem. Soc. 100:1293–1295.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, K. A., 1980, Processes affecting particulate trace metals in the sea surface microlayer, Mar. Chem. 9:49–70.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Hunter, K. A., and Liss, P. S., 1981, Organic sea surface films, in: Marine Organic Chemistry (E. K. Duursma and R. Dawson, eds.), Elsevier, Amsterdam, pp. 259–298.

    Google Scholar 

  • Ichikawa, T., 1980, Particle formation from dissolved material by the use of a continuous harvesting system, Rep. Fac. Sci., Kagoshima Univ. 13:131–144.

    Google Scholar 

  • Jarvis, N. L., Garrett, W. D., Scheiman, M. A., and Timmons, C. O., 1967, Surface chemical characterization of surface-active material in seawater, Limnol. Oceanogr. 12:88–96.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, B. D., and Cooke, R. C., 1981, Generation of stabilized microbubbles in seawater, Science 213:209–211.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Johnson, B. D., and Wangersky, P. J., 1987, Microbubbles: Stabilization by monolayers of adsorbed particles, J. Geophys. Res. 92: 14641–14647.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Khundzhua, G. G., Gusev, A. M., Andreyev, Y. G., Gurov, V. V., and Skorohkvatov, N. A., 1977, Structure of the cold surface film of the ocean and heat transfer between the ocean and the atmosphere, Izv. Atmos. Ocean. Phys. 13(7):506–509.

    Google Scholar 

  • Lee, R. F., and Williams, P. M., 1974, Copepod “slick” in the northwest Pacific Ocean, Naturwissenschaften 61:505–506.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Lyons, W. B., Pybus, M. J. S., and Coyne, J., 1980, The seasonal variation in the nutrient chemistry of the surface microlayer of Galway Bay, Ireland, Oceanol. Acta 3:151–155.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacRitchie, F., 1963, Collapse of protein monolayers, J. Colloid Sci. 18:555–561.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • MacRitchie, F., 1986, Spread monolayers of proteins, Adv. Colloid Interface Sci. 25:341–385.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Marty, J. C., Saliot, A., Buat-Menard, P., Chesselet, R., and Hunter, K. A., 1979, Relationship between the lipid compositions of marine aerosols, the sea surface microlayer, and subsurface water, J. Geophys Res. 84:5707–5716.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McAlister, E. D., and McLeish, W., 1969, Heat transfer in the top millimeter of the ocean, J. Geophys. Res. 74:3408–3414.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • McAlister, E. D., and McLeish, W., 1970, A radiometer system for measurement of total heat flow from the sea surface, Appl. Opt. 9:2697–2705.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • McLeish, W., and Putland, G. E., 1975, Measurements of wind-driven flow profiles in the top millimeter of water, J. Phys. Oceanogr. 5:516–518.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Means, J. C., and Wijayaratne, R., 1982, Role of natural colloids in the transport of hydrophobic pollutants, Science 215: 968–970.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Mills, G. L., Hanson, A. K., Quinn, J. G., Lammela, W. R., and Chasteen, N. D., 1982, Chemical studies of copper-organic complexes isolated from estuarine waters using C-18 reverse-phase liquid chromatography, Mar. Chem. 11:355–377.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Minones, J., Fernandez, S. G., Irigarnegaray, E., and Pedrero, P. S., 1973, The interaction of silicic acid with protein monolayers: Effect of pH and ionic strength of substrate, J. Colloid. Interface Sci. 42:503–515.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Pattenden, N. J., Cambray, R. S., and Playford, K., 1981, Trace and major elements in the sea-surface microlayer, Geochim. Cosmochim. Acta 45:93–100.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Peters, J., and Heller, W., 1970, Mechanical and surface coagulation. II. Coagulation by stirring of α-FeOOH sols, J. Colloid Interface Sci. 33:578–585.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Platford, R. F., 1982, Pesticide partitioning in artificial surface films, J. Great Lakes Res. 8:307–309.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Ray, A., Reynolds, J. A., Polet, H., and Steinhardt, J., 1966, Binding of large organic anions and neutral molecules by native bovine serum albumin, Biochemistry 5:2606–2616.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Reynolds, J., Herbert, S., and Steinhardt, J., 1968, The binding of some long-chain fatty acid anions and alcohols by bovine serum albumin, Riochemistry 7:1357–1361.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Rice, C. P., Meyers, P. A., and Brown, G. S., 1983, Role of surface microlayers in the air-water exchange of PCBs, in: Physical Rehavior of PCRs in the Great Lakes (D. Mackay, S. Paterson, S. J. Eisenreich, and S. S. Milagros, eds.), Ann Arbor Science, Ann Arbor, Michigan, pp. 157–179.

    Google Scholar 

  • Schulman, J. H., and Rideal, E. K., 1937a, Molecular interactions in monolayers: II—The action of haemolytic and agglutinizing agents on lipo-protein monolayers, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 122:46–57.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Schulman, J. H., and Rideal, E. K., 1937b, Molecular interactions in monolayers: I—Complexes between large molecules, Proc. R. Soc. London, Ser. B 122:29–45.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Seba, D. B., and Corcoran, E. F., 1969, Surface slicks as concentrators of pesticides in the marine environment, Pestic. Monit. J. 3:190–193.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sieburth, J. McN., Willis, P. J., Johnson, K. M., Burney, C. M., Lavoie, D. M., Hinga, K. R., Caron, D. A., French, F. W., Johnson, P. W., and Davis, P. G., 1976, Dissolved organic matter and heterotrophic microneuston in surface microlayers of the North Atlantic, Science 194:1415–1418.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sugimura, Y., and Suzuki, Y., 1988, A high temperature catalytic oxidation method of non-volatile organic carbon in seawater by direct injection of liquid sample, Mar. Chem. 24:105–131.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sullivan, K. F., Atlas, E. L., and Giam, C.-S., 1982, Adsorption of phthalic acid esters from seawater, Environ. Sci. Technol. 16: 428–432.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Sutcliffe, W. H., Sheldon, R. W., Prakash, A., and Gordon, D. C., 1971, Relations between wind speed, Langmuir circulation, and particle concentration in the ocean, Deep-Sea Res. 18: 639–643.

    Google Scholar 

  • Waite, T. D., Sawyer, D. T., and Zafiriou, O. C., 1988, Oceanic reactive chemical transients, Appl. Geochem. 3:9–17.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, G. T., 1982, The association of copper, mercury and lead with surface-active organic matter in coastal seawater, Mar. Chem. 11:379–394.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wallace, G. T., and Duce, R. A., 1975, Concentration of particulate trace metals and particulate organic carbon in marine surface waters by a bubble flotation mechanism, Mar. Chem. 3: 157–181.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, J. R., 1972, Some effects of solar levels of ultraviolet radiation on lipids in artificial seawater, J. Geophys. Res. 77: 5302–5306.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wheeler, J. R., 1975, Formation and collapse of surface films, Limnol. Oceanogr. 20:338–342.

    Article  Google Scholar 

  • Whitehouse, B., 1985, The effects of dissolved organic matter on the aqueous partitioning of polynuclear aromatic hydrocarbons, Estuarine Coastal Shelf Sci. 20:393–402.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Whitten, D. G., Hopf, F. R., Quina, F. H., Sprintschnik, G., and Sprintschnik, H. W., 1977, Photochemistry of organic chromo-phores incorporated into fatty acid monolayers, Pure Appl. Chem. 49:379–388.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P. M., and Robertson, K. J., 1975, Chlorinated hydrocarbons in sea-surface films and subsurface waters at nearshore stations and in the north central Pacific gyre, Fish Bull. 73: 445–447.

    CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P. M., Van Vleet, E. S., and Booth, C. R., 1980, In situ measurements of sea-surface film potentials, J. Mar. Res. 38: 193–204.

    Google Scholar 

  • Williams, P. M., Carlucci, A. F., Henrichs, S. M., Van Vleet, E. S., Horrigan, S. G., Reid, F. M. H., and Robertson, K. J., 1986, Chemical and microbiological studies of sea-surface films in the southern Gulf of California and off the west coast of Baja California, Mar. Chem. 19:17–98.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Wu, T. L., Lambert, L., Hastings, D., and Banning, D., 1980, Enrichment of the agricultural herbicide atrazine in the microsurface water of an estuary, Bull. Environ. Contam. Toxicol. 24:411–414.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zepp, R. G., Wolfe, N. L., Gordon, J. A., and Baughman, G. L., 1975, Dynamics of 2,4-D esters in surface water, Environ. Sci. Technol. 9:1144–1150.

    Article  CAS  Google Scholar 

  • Zika, R. G., and Cooper, W. J. (eds.), 1987, Photochemistry of Environmental Aquatic Systems, ACS Symposium Series No. 327, American Chemical Society, Washington, D. C.

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. TOGA/COARE International Project Office, UCAR, Boulder, Colorado, 80307, USA

    David J. Carlson

Authors
  1. David J. Carlson
    View author publications

    You can also search for this author in PubMed Google Scholar

Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. School of Geology and Geophysics, The University of Oklahoma, Norman, Oklahoma, USA

    Michael H. Engel

  2. Department of Environmental Sciences, University of Virginia, Charlottesville, Virginia, USA

    Stephen A. Macko

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

Copyright information

© 1993 Springer Science+Business Media New York

About this chapter

Cite this chapter

Carlson, D.J. (1993). The Early Diagenesis of Organic Matter: Reaction at the Air-Sea Interface. In: Engel, M.H., Macko, S.A. (eds) Organic Geochemistry. Topics in Geobiology, vol 11. Springer, Boston, MA. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2890-6_12

Download citation

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4615-2890-6_12

  • Publisher Name: Springer, Boston, MA

  • Print ISBN: 978-1-4613-6252-4

  • Online ISBN: 978-1-4615-2890-6

  • eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive

Publish with us

Policies and ethics

Search

Navigation