Glacial troughs as centres of organic carbon accumulation on the Norwegian continental margin

Abstract

The role of continental margin sediments in the carbon cycle and the associated management potential for climate mitigation are currently poorly understood. Previous work has indicated that margin sediments store significant amounts of organic carbon, but few studies have quantified the rates at which organic carbon is accumulated. Here, we use machine learning to make spatial predictions of the organic carbon stocks and accumulation rates of sediments on the Norwegian continental margin. We show that surface sediments (upper 10 cm) store 814 Tg and accumulate 6 Tg yr−1 of organic carbon. Shelf-incised glacial troughs account for 39% of the stocks and 48% of the accumulation, with the main accumulation hotspot located in the Skagerrak. Continental margin sediments accumulate organic carbon at scales much larger than vegetated coastal ecosystems in Norway because of their larger extent. Future studies should explore to what extent management interventions could increase accumulation rates, e.g., by minimising anthropogenic disturbance of seafloor sediments.