Earth’s Cryosphere, 2011, Vol. XV, № 4, p. 87-90

ORGANIC COMPONENTS IN BOTTOM SEDIMENTS FROM THE LOWER YENISEI, THE GYDA BAY, AND THE KARA SEA SHELF

L.Z. Granina, E.L. Goldberg, V.S. Panov*, N.N. Sushenzeva*,
Yu.V. Sryvkina*, T.V. Khodzher

Limnological Institute, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 3, Ulan-Batorskaya str., Irkutsk, 664033, Russia; khodzher@lin.irk.ru
*Institute of Archaeology and Ethnography, Siberian Branch of the Russian Academy of Sciences, 17, Akad. Lavrentieva, Novosibirsk, 630090, Russia; pvs7zeitlos@gmail.com

Samples of bottom sediments from the Yenisei lower reaches, the Gyda Bay, and the Kara Sea shelf have been analyzed for organic carbon and nitrogen. The contents of both organic carbon and organic nitrogen depend on the grain size of sediments and are controlled by deposition conditions (sedimentation rates, provenance, etc.). The carbon-to-nitrogen ratios (C/N), as well as the carbon isotope composition (δ ¹³C), indicate the terrigenous component in organic matter to decrease off the shore. The vertical patterns of the same parameters have implications for the steadiness of sedimentation.

---