Origin of sedimentary organic matter at the Northern Cascadia Margin

Gas hydrate in marine sediments may have important roles on global carbon cycle and climatic change. We examined origins of sedimentary organic matter and bacterial activity in deep and hydrate-bearing sediment cored in Site U1327 and U1328 at northern Cascadia Margin by IODP Exp311, using σ13C of total organic carbon (TOC), σ15N of total nitrogen (TN), σ34S of total sulfur (TS), and σ13C of biomarkers in hydrocarbon fraction. In both sites, TOC/TN ratios and σ13C of TOC values ranged from 5.5 to 18.0 and -25.7 to -21.5 ‰, respectively, suggesting that sedimentary organic matter is a mixture of terrestrial and marine sources. Long chain (n)-alkanes (C27, C29, and C30), known as biomarkers of terrestrial higher plant were most abundant components (up to ~50 μg/gCorg) through down to 300 mbsf, and their σ13C values (-34.3 to -28.7 ‰) reveal their C3 plant origin. In addition, very long-chain alkene (C37) occurred in some sediments, which suggests the blooming by coccolithophore in the past. σ34S of TS values at both sites show large variation between -30 to +20 ‰. Most of σ34S of TS values were less than present σ34S value of seawater sulfate (+20.3 ‰). This is attributable to isotope fractionation during microbial sulfate reduction. Crocetenes including one double bond occurred in deep sediments with higher σ13C values (-23 ‰) than the reported σ13C values (< ~ -100 ‰, Elvert et al, 2000), providing possibility of heterotrophic archaea using marine organic matter as a carbon source. Pentamethylicosane (PMI) was detected in relatively high concentrations at 249 mbsf at Site U1328 and its σ13C value was -46.4 ‰. This PMI could be chemoautotrophic archaea in origin such as methanogen. Diploptene was also detected in most sediments with the σ13C value of -37 to -35 ‰, probably being characteristic of chemoautotrophic bacteria.