Source, settling and degradation of branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers in the marine water column

Branched glycerol dialkyl glycerol tetraethers (branched GDGTs) are commonly found in distal marine sediments. However, their presence in the water column, source and delivery process are not fully understood. In this study, we examined seasonal and depth variation in the flux of branched GDGTs in sinking particles and underlying sediment at 39°N, 147°E in the mid-latitude NW Pacific from November 1997 to August 1999.Branched GDGTs showed synchronous variation in their sinking flux at different depths, and the variation was similar to that of lithogenic material of eolian dust origin. Their degrees of cyclization and methylation were nearly constant and bear some resemblance to those of alkaline soils. This suggests that westerly winds transport branched GDGTs to the study site via the atmosphere from continental Asia. The sinking flux of branched GDGTs was higher in 1999 than in 1998, presumably reflecting changes in the migration path of Asian dust in response to the El Niño-Southern Oscillation.Synchronous variation in branched GDGT concentrations at different depths implies rapid vertical transport of branched GDGTs to deep water with a sinking velocity exceeding 260 m d−1. The sinking flux of the branched GDGTs decreased with increasing depth, but the rate of decrease was much smaller than those of other compounds. The preservation efficiency of branched GDGTs was 3.5-6.4% of surface inputs at the water-sediment interface, which is much higher than those of isoprenoid GDGTs (1.0-1.3%) and other compounds. The branched and isoprenoid tetraether (BIT) index values were extremely low (i.e. <0.0015) in comparison with any other studies so far. The BIT values in the surface sediment were five times higher than those in sinking particles, which is attributed to the preferential preservation of branched GDGTs in oxic environments.