Volume 54

A negligible contribution in terms of dissolved inorganic carbon from Haima cold seep in the South China Sea Jing-Chun Feng, Chaofeng Cai, Xiao Chen, Jinyi Liu, Si Zhang, Zhifeng Yang

Abstract

Cold seep can generate dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) through various processes, such as anaerobic oxidation of methane. The DIC can be emitted into the sea surface via vertical movement of the water column. This part of DIC can bare the possibility of being released to the atmosphere through air-sea exchange. In this way, cold seep can be a carbon source. Yet the contribution in terms of DIC of cold seep has not been considered hitherto. The present study collected samples from four stations in the Haima cold seep from the South China Sea and measured the carbon content and isotope. The results show that cold seep is not a carbon source because of ocean fertilization by methane. Also, cold seep is not the only contribution of DIC. This part of the contribution demands more study to differentiate.

Keywords Haima Cold Seep, Dissolved Inorganic Carbon, Carbon Isotope, Negligible Contribution