Mapping spatial and temporal variation of seafloor organic matter Delta C-14 and delta C-13 in the Northern Gulf of Mexico following the Deepwater Horizon Oil Spill
Research output: Contribution to journal › Journal article › Research › peer-review
Following the Deepwater Horizon oil spill of 2010, large amounts of biodegraded oil (petrocarbon) sank to the seafloor. Our objectives were to 1) determine post-spill isotopic values as the sediments approached a new baseline and 2) track the recovery of affected sediments. Sediment organic carbon Delta C-13 and Delta C-14 reached a post spill baseline averaging -21.2 +/- 0.9 parts per thousand (n = 129) and-220 +/- 66 parts per thousand (n = 95). Spatial variations in seafloor organic carbon baseline isotopic values, C-13 and C-14, were influenced by river discharge and hydrocarbon seepage, respectively. Inverse Distance Weighting of surface sediment Delta C-14 values away from seep sites showed a 50% decrease in the total mass of petrocarbon, from 2010 to 2014. We estimated a rate of loss of -2 x 10(9) g of petrocarbon-C/year, 2-11% of the degradation rates in surface slicks. Despite the observed recovery in sediments, lingering residual material in the surface sediments was evident seven years following the blowout.
Original language | English |
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Article number | 112076 |
Journal | Marine Pollution Bulletin |
Volume | 164 |
Number of pages | 10 |
ISSN | 0025-326X |
DOIs | |
Publication status | Published - 2021 |
- Deepwater Horizon, Radiocarbon, Sediments, Gulf of Mexico, Carbon isotopes, Petrocarbon
Research areas
ID: 260031416