Quantification of early diagenesis: Dissolved constituents in pore water and signals in the solid phase

Abstract

A chapter on the pore water of sediments and the processes of early diagenesis, reflected by the concentration profiles therein, can certainly be structured in different ways. One possibility is, for example, to start with the sample-taking strategies, followed by the analytical treatment of the samples, then a model presentation to substantiate the processes, and finally a quantitative evaluation of the measured profiles with regard to material fluxes and reaction rates. The reader who would prefer this sequence is recommended to begin with the Sections 3.3, 3.4, 3.5 and to consult the Sections 3.1 and 3.2 later. However, in our opinion, marine geochemistry departed from its initial development stage of sample collection and anlysis some years ago. This book is therefore written with a different structure from earlier texts. The well understood theoretical knowledge on concentration profiles has to be introduced from the beginning. Only then do problems arise which necessitate the investigation of particular substances in pore water and the application of specific methods of sampling and analysis.