Scholz, Florian; Wallmann, Klaus (2025): Natural ocean alkalinization through erosion of glacial till and weathering at the seafloor: solid phase data from AL543 [dataset]. PANGAEA, https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.986505
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Published: 2025-10-08 • DOI registered: 2025-11-06
Abstract:
Climate change-driven deglaciation and erosion in high-latitude regions enhance the flux of terrigenous material to the coastal ocean. Newly exposed land surfaces left behind by retreating glaciers are covered by glacial till, which is rich in fine-grained minerals. Many of these minerals are undersaturated in seawater and thus prone to dissolution (i.e., seafloor weathering). Consequently, intensified erosion and mineral weathering may act as an additional CO₂ sink while supplying alkalinity to coastal waters.
To evaluate this hypothesis, we carried out a sediment geochemical study in the southwestern Baltic Sea, where coastal erosion of glacial till is the dominant source of terrigenous material to offshore depocenters. We analyzed glacial till from coastal cliffs, sediments, and pore waters for major element composition using inductively coupled plasma optical emission spectroscopy and an elemental analyzer. Water samples were further analyzed for dissolved redox species and dissolved silica by photometry and ion chromatography. These data were then used to quantify mineral dissolution and precipitation processes and to assess their net effect on inorganic carbon cycling.
Supplement to:
Scholz, Florian; Börker, Janine; Vogt, Christoph; Wallmann, Klaus (accepted): Natural ocean alkalinization through erosion of glacial till and weathering at the seafloor. Communications Earth & Environment
Funding:
Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft, Bonn (DFG), grant/award no. 283168947: Iron Cycling in Continental Margin Sediments and the Nutrient and Oxygen Balance of the Ocean (ICONOX)
Coverage:
Median Latitude: 54.585517 * Median Longitude: 10.145076 * South-bound Latitude: 54.472000 * West-bound Longitude: 9.946450 * North-bound Latitude: 54.748000 * East-bound Longitude: 10.313000
Date/Time Start: 2020-08-24T07:17:59 * Date/Time End: 2020-08-28T07:42:00
Minimum DEPTH, sediment/rock: 0.005 m * Maximum DEPTH, sediment/rock: 0.280 m
Event(s):
AL543_3-2 * Latitude Start: 54.472000 * Longitude Start: 10.313000 * Latitude End: 54.472000 * Longitude End: 10.313000 * Date/Time Start: 2020-08-24T07:17:59 * Date/Time End: 2020-08-24T07:20:42 * Elevation Start: -18.0 m * Elevation End: -18.0 m * Location: Baltic Sea * Campaign: AL543 * Basis: Alkor (1990) * Method/Device: MiniCorer (MIC)
AL543_4-3 * Latitude Start: 54.529000 * Longitude Start: 10.042000 * Latitude End: 54.529000 * Longitude End: 10.042000 * Date/Time Start: 2020-08-24T11:40:35 * Date/Time End: 2020-08-24T11:43:37 * Elevation Start: -28.0 m * Elevation End: -28.0 m * Location: Baltic Sea * Campaign: AL543 * Basis: Alkor (1990) * Method/Device: MiniCorer (MIC)
AL543_5-3 * Latitude Start: 54.702000 * Longitude Start: 10.250000 * Latitude End: 54.702000 * Longitude End: 10.250000 * Date/Time Start: 2020-08-25T08:46:44 * Date/Time End: 2020-08-25T08:49:27 * Elevation Start: -24.0 m * Elevation End: -24.0 m * Location: Baltic Sea * Campaign: AL543 * Basis: Alkor (1990) * Method/Device: MiniCorer (MIC)
Parameter(s):
| # | Name | Short Name | Unit | Principal Investigator | Method/Device | Comment |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 1 | Event label | Event | Scholz, Florian | |||
| 2 | DEPTH, sediment/rock | Depth sed | m | Scholz, Florian | Geocode | |
| 3 | Salinity correction factor | SCF | Scholz, Florian | |||
| 4 | Aluminium | Al | mg/g | Scholz, Florian | ||
| 5 | Sodium | Na | mg/g | Scholz, Florian | ||
| 6 | Magnesium | Mg | mg/g | Scholz, Florian | ||
| 7 | Potassium | K | mg/g | Scholz, Florian | ||
| 8 | Calcium | Ca | mg/g | Scholz, Florian | ||
| 9 | Carbon, inorganic, total | TIC | % | Scholz, Florian |
License:
Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International (CC-BY-4.0)
Status:
Curation Level: Enhanced curation (CurationLevelC)
Size:
681 data points