Biogeosciences, 11, 157–172, 2014 Open Access www.biogeosciences.net/11/157/2014/ doi:10.5194/bg-11-157-2014 Biogeosciences © Author(s) 2014. CC Attribution 3.0 License. Biogeochemical characterization of the riverine particulate organic matter transferred to the NW Mediterranean Sea M. Higueras1,2, P. Kerhervé1,2, A. Sanchez-Vidal3, A. Calafat3, W. Ludwig1,2, M. Verdoit-Jarraya1,2, S. Heussner1,2, and M. Canals3 1University Perpignan Via Domitia, CEntre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UMR5110, 66860, Perpignan, France 2CNRS, CEntre de Formation et de Recherche sur les Environnements Méditerranéens, UMR5110, 66860, Perpignan, France 3GRC Geociències Marines, Departament d’Estratigrafia, Paleontologia i Geociències Marines, Facultat de Geologia, Universitat de Barcelona, 08028 Barcelona, Spain Correspondence to: M. Higueras (
[email protected]) Received: 19 July 2013 – Published in Biogeosciences Discuss.: 8 August 2013 Revised: 29 November 2013 – Accepted: 2 December 2013 – Published: 10 January 2014 Abstract. A large amount of terrestrial organic matter is an- the E–NE. In addition, the spatial evolution of water dis- nually delivered by rivers to the continental shelf, where this charges shows a different hydrological regime of the Rhône material is either degraded, buried or transferred to the deep River, with relatively constant and high water stages and sea by hydrodynamic processes such as storms. The rela- TSM concentrations when compared to coastal rivers, char- tive amount of terrestrial organic matter in the marine sed- acterized by long periods of low water stages. TSM concen- iments is often determined by analysing the stable isotopes trations are positively correlated to water discharges (high (δ13C and δ15N) and the C / N ratio of organic matter be- water flows resuspended riverbed sediments) but show an in- cause the various particulate organic matter (POM) sources verse relationship with POC and PN relative contents (mostly have distinct isotopic compositions.