| > Oceanography > Issues > Archive > Volume 20, Number 2 |
2007, Oceanography 20(2):117–123, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.55
The Sulfur Cycle
Authors | First Paragraph | Full Article | Citation
Authors
Stefan M. Sievert | Biology Department, Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution, Woods Hole, MA, USA
Ronald P. Kiene | Department of Marine Sciences, University of South Alabama, Mobile, AL, USA
Heide N. Schulz-Vogt | Institute for Microbiology, Leibniz University, Hannover, Germany
First Paragraph
The ocean represents a major reservoir of sulfur on Earth, with large quantities in the form of dissolved sulfate and sedimentary minerals (e.g., gypsum and pyrite). Sulfur occurs in a variety of valence states, ranging from –2 (as in sulfide and reduced organic sulfur) to +6 (as in sulfate). Sulfate is the most stable form of sulfur on today's oxic Earth; weathering and leaching of rocks and sediments are its main sources to the ocean. In addition, the reduced inorganic forms of sulfur, with oxidation states of –2 and 0 (as in elemental sulfur) are quite common in anoxic environments, with sulfur compounds of mixed valence states (e.g., thiosulfate and polythionates) produced transiently. The natural release of volatile organic sulfur compounds from the ocean, mainly as dimethyl sulfide (DMS), transports sulfur from the ocean to terrestrial regions, and it also affects atmospheric chemistry and the climate system (Figure 1). While they remain very important, natural sulfur emissions have currently been overtaken by anthropogenic emissions, primarily from the burning of fossil fuels.
Full Article
Citation
Sievert, S.M., R.P. Kiene, and H.N. Schulz-Vogt. 2007. The sulfur cycle. Oceanography 20(2):117–123, http://dx.doi.org/10.5670/oceanog.2007.55.