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Citation
Stark, J.S. and Stark, S.C. (2015) Total organic material and grain size data in marine sediment samples taken as part of the Davis Sewage Treatment Project, summer 2009/10, Ver. 1, Australian Antarctic Data Centre - https://data.aad.gov.au/metadata/DAVIS_STP_TotalOrganicMaterial_GrainSize, Accessed: 2026-05-13
Title
Total organic material and grain size data in marine sediment samples taken as part of the Davis Sewage Treatment Project, summer 2009/10
Data Centre
Australian Antarctic Data Centre, Australia
Created Date
2015-12-01
Revision Date
2018-02-09
Expected Date of Data Release
None
Data Version
1
Parent record
DAVIS_STP_Chemistry

Description

Total Organic Carbon
A 2 g homogenised wet sediment sub-sample from each core was weighed into a pre-combusted crucible and dried at 105 degrees C. The dried sample was reweighed before being analysed for total carbon by mass loss on ignition at 550 degrees C, the sample was placed in the muffle furnace for 4 hours.
Samples 56698, 57062, 56837, 57058, and 580792 were analysed in triplicate to assess the reproducibility of the analytical procedure. (Total number of analyses was 117).

- TOC
- For the 107 samples:
- Mean and SD: 3 plus or minus 4 % DMB, range: 0.16-15 %, n=107
- Considering the mean values for the 27 site locations:
- Range: 0.33-14 % DMB, mean and SD: 3.3 plus or minus 3.7 % DMB, n=27
- Analytical uncertainty
- Analytical precision: 5 samples analysed in triplicate:
- RSD = 6 plus or minus 5% range 1-11%, n=5
- Site heterogeneity: reproducibility (RSD) of mean data from site replicate samples was 26% (mean, SD 15%, range 10-57%, n=27)
- From the limited data on reproducibility summarised above, it can be concluded that site heterogeneity contributes most to the uncertainty of the TOC data for the site locations.

- DMF
- For the 107 samples:
- Mean and SD: 0.57 plus or minus 0.23 %, range: 0.09-0.85, n=107
- Considering the mean values for the 27 site locations:
- Range:0.17-0.83, mean and SD: 0.57 plus or minus 0.22, n=27
- Analytical uncertainty
- Analytical precision: 5 samples analysed in triplicate:
- RSD = 2 plus or minus 2% range 0.8-5%, n=5
- Site heterogeneity: reproducibility (RSD) of mean data from site replicate samples (mostly quadruplicates) was 10% (mean, SD 10%, range 1-37%, n=27)
- From the limited data on reproducibility summarised above, it can be concluded that site heterogeneity contributes most to the uncertainty of the DMF data for the site locations.

Collection of sediment cores
Sediment for grain size and various chemical analysis were sampled using a core of PVC tubing (15cm long x 5cm diameter) pushed 10cm into the sediment. These cores were kept upright at all times to ensure the stratigraphy remained intact and frozen in the core tube at -20 degrees C.

Grain size analysis
The outer 5 mm edge of the core was removed with a scalpel blade and placed in a clean, dried preweighed beaker. The sample was weighed and placed in an oven at 45 degrees C to dry. Once dry the sample was reweighed and then sieved through a 2 mm sieve, any residual sediment in the beaker was weighed and the weight recorded. The less than 2 mm fraction and the greater than 2 mm fraction were separately collected and weighed. A 5 g sample of the less than 2 mm fraction was taken for grain size analysis which was carried out using the Mastersizer 2000 Particle Size Analyser by Associate Professor Damian Gore at the Department of Physical Geography, Macquarie University, Sydney.

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Purpose

To determine the total organic carbon content of marine sediment samples taken as part of the Davis Sewage Treatment Project around Davis Station during the 2009/10 austral summer.

Access

These data are not yet publicly available.

Temporal Coverages

Spatial Coverages

Science Keywords

Additional Keywords

  • Carbon
  • Sediment
  • Sewage

Locations

  • GEOGRAPHIC REGION > POLAR
  • CONTINENT > ANTARCTICA
  • VERTICAL LOCATION > SEA FLOOR
  • OCEAN > SOUTHERN OCEAN

Platforms

  • LABORATORY

Instruments

    None

Researchers

  • stark, jonathan (INVESTIGATOR,TECHNICAL CONTACT)
  • stark, scott (INVESTIGATOR,TECHNICAL CONTACT)
  • johnstone, glenn (DIF AUTHOR)

Use Constraints

This data set conforms to the CCBY Attribution License (http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/).

Please follow instructions listed in the citation reference provided at http://data.aad.gov.au/aadc/metadata/citation.cfm?entry_id=DAVIS_STP_TotalOrganicMaterial_GrainSize when using these data.

Project

    ISO Topic

    • ENVIRONMENT
    • OCEANS

    Dataset Language

    • English

    Orignating Centre

    • Australian Antarctic Division

    Dataset Progress

    • COMPLETE

    IDN Node

    • AMD/AU
    • AMD
    • CEOS

    Publications

    • Stark, J.S., Bridgen, P., Dunshea, G., Galton-Fenzi, B., Hunter, J., Johnstone, G., King, C., Leeming, R., Palmer, A., Smith, J., Snape, I., Stark, S., Riddle, M. (2016) Dispersal and dilution of wastewater from an ocean outfall at Davis Station, Antarctica, and resulting environmental contamination, Chemosphere, 152, 142-157

    Metadata Revision History

      2015-12-01 - record created by Glenn Johnstone. 2018-01-10 - Record updated by Dave Connell after Glenn Johnstone sent some new information. 2018-02-09 - record updated by Dave Connell to add a publication at the request of Glenn Johnstone.

    Creative Commons License