Transport, Origin and Source of Dissolved Organic Carbon

Abstract

This chapter discusses both the transport of dissolved and particulate carbon by rivers to the ocean and the origin and source of organic carbon in fresh waters. The transport of organic carbon to the ocean is an important part of the carbon cycle, especially to those studying the nature and fate of organic compounds in aquatic environments. Transport of organic carbon is a poorly understood process; therefore, this chapter gives only a summary of mass-balance calculations that have been done on riverine organic carbon.