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Pore Waters

  • Reference work entry
Encyclopedia of Geobiology

Part of the book series: Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series ((EESS))

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Synonyms

Interstitial waters

Definition

The term pore water refers to the water contained in the interstices/pore space of aquatic sediments.

Introduction

Extracting pore waters and analyzing various dissolved constituents is a central approach in marine sediment geochemistry, biogeochemistry, and geo(micro)biology. The ensuing pore-water concentration-depth profiles are used (a) to characterize the geochemical environment and redox zonation of aquatic sediments (Froelich et al., 1979; Berner, 1981; Postma and Jakobsen, 1996), (b) to infer and identify early diagenetic and biogeochemical processes by compounds which are either consumed or released by the particular reaction (Reeburgh, 1969; Froelich et al., 1979), (c) to calculate diffusive fluxes of dissolved constituents (Hensen et al., 2006; Zabel and Hensen, 2006), and (d) to model reaction and turnover rates of biogeochemical and diagenetic processes – including mineral dissolution and precipitation (Berner, 1980; Van Cappellen...

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Author information

Authors and Affiliations

  1. Alfred Wegener Institute for Polar and Marine Research, Am Handelshafen 12, 27570, Bremerhaven, Germany

    Sabine Kasten

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  1. Sabine Kasten
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Editor information

Editors and Affiliations

  1. University of Göttingen, Göttingen, Germany

    Joachim Reitner  & Volker Thiel  & 

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Kasten, S. (2011). Pore Waters. In: Reitner, J., Thiel, V. (eds) Encyclopedia of Geobiology. Encyclopedia of Earth Sciences Series. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-1-4020-9212-1_167

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