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Journal ArticleDOI

Transfer of particulate organic carbon and nitrogen from the Yangtze River to the ocean

John D. Milliman, +2 more
- 01 Sep 1984 - 
- Vol. 284, Iss: 7, pp 824-834
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TLDR
The Yangtze River transports 12 million tons of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the oceans annually, with a computed yield of 6 t km/sup -2/ of drainage basin area as discussed by the authors.
Abstract
The Yangtze River transports 12 million tons of particulate organic carbon (POC) to the oceans annually, with a computed yield of 6 t km/sup -2/ of drainage basin area. Concentrations of POC can exceed 80 mg/L in near bottom waters but generally range from 4 to 40 mg/L throughout the water column. Most POC percentages (in suspended matter) vary from 1.7 to 4.0 percent, the percentage decreasing with increasing suspended matter concentration although at lesser gradient than that predicted by Meybeck. The divergence from Meybeck's world curve may be related to the high degree of human activity in the Yangtze drainage basin, or it may reflect lack of data from large rivers with high suspended loads. If the Yangtze values are representative of other turbid Asian rivers, present global estimates of fluvially-derived POC may be as much as 50% too low. 17 references, 8 figures, 1 table.

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Predicting the oceanic input of organic carbon by continental erosion

TL;DR: In this paper, the authors established the empirical relations existing between the observed organic carbon fluxes and the climatic, biologic, and geomorphologic patterns characterizing the river basins.
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TL;DR: In this article, the authors examined the linkages between the carbon cycle and sedimentary processes on land and found that sedimentation on land can bury vast quantities of organic carbon, roughly 1015 g C yr−1.
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Revised budget for the oceanic uptake of anthropogenic carbon dioxide

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Transport and transformation of dissolved and particulate materials on continental margins influenced by major rivers: benthic boundary layer and seabed processes

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Journal ArticleDOI

Carbon, alkalinity and nutrient budgets on the East China Sea continental shelf

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