Burial fluxes of organic carbon and biogenic silica were determined in 17 continental shelf sediment cores collected from the northern Weddell Sea, the Bransfield Strait, and the southern Drake Passage. Coring sites included open-shelf stations as well as slope and glacial trough environments, with water depths varying from 220 to 760 m. Apparent ²¹⁰Pb accumulation rates from these cores ranged from 0.04 g m⁻²y⁻¹ to 0.21 g m⁻²y⁻¹ (1 to 3 mm y⁻¹), with organic carbon burial rates ranging from 3 to 15 g OC m⁻²y⁻¹ and biogenic silica accumulation rates ranging from 15 to 126 g SiO₂ m⁻²y⁻¹. OC contents below the surface mixed layer ranged from 0.26 to 1.51 wt. % (avg. 0.64 %). Biogenic silica contents at depth ranged from 2.3 to 11.2 wt. % (avg. 7.5%), with an average bSi/OC ratio (wt. %/wt. %) at depth of 12. Annual OC primary production rates and biogenic silica production rates in the euphotic zone were estimated from satellite chlorophyll-a data in the literature and from a seasonal model for biogenic particle export from surface waters. Based on these biogeochemical data, preservation efficiencies (i.e., mass burial rate/water column production rate) were calculated for organic carbon and biogenic silica. These preservation efficiency values ranged from 2 to 18% (avg. 9%) for OC and 8 to 106% (avg. 54%) for bSi. These relatively high preservation efficiencies resulted from extensive lateral sediment focusing (²¹⁰Pb Psi (Ψ) values [burial flux/water column production rate] ranging from 2 to 33; avg. of 16), cold bottom water temperatures (2 to −2°C), and relatively high biogenic Si and OC production rates in the euphotic zone. The enhanced preservation efficiency for bSi relative to OC (i.e., 54% vs. 9%) in these Antarctic settings is consistent with the change in the phytoplankton bSi/OC (wt. %/wt. %) value of 2 for this area to the burial bSi/OC value of 12. Excess ²¹⁰Pb activities in surface sediments varied from 4 to 47 dpm g⁻¹. The surface mixed layer in the seabed varied in thickness from 0 to 4 cm. The penetration of excess ²¹⁰Pb into these Antarctic Peninsula sediments varied from 6 to 28 cm (avg. 18 cm). The inventory of excess ²¹⁰Pb in the seabed varied from 13 to 230 dpm cm⁻² (avg. 110 dpm cm⁻²). Although ²¹⁰Pb was the only radionuclide measured in this study, “apparent” ²¹⁰Pb sediment accumulation rate (SAR) values from these 17 cores (assuming that deep bioturbation is negligible) are believed to be accurate SAR values because of good agreement between ²¹⁰Pb and ¹⁴C chronologies from nearby cores reported in the literature.

在从北部韦德尔海，布兰斯菲尔德海峡和南部德雷克海峡收集的17个大陆架沉积物岩心中确定了有机碳和生物硅的埋藏通量。取芯地点包括露天站以及斜坡和冰川槽环境，水深从220到760 m不等。这些核的表观²¹⁰ Pb累积速率为0.04 g m ^-2 y ^-1至0.21 g m ^-2 y ^-1（1至3 mm y ^-1），有机碳埋藏速率为3至15 g OC m ^-2 y ^-1和生物硅的累积速率为15至126 g SiO ₂ m ^-2y ^-1。在表面混合层之下的OC含量为0.26至1.51wt。％。％（平均0.64％）。深度的生物硅含量为2.3至11.2 wt。％。％（平均7.5％），深度为12时的平均bSi / OC比（wt。％/ wt。％）是根据卫星叶绿素a估算的。文献中的数据以及来自地表水的生物颗粒出口的季节性模型。基于这些生物地球化学数据，计算了有机碳和生物硅的保存效率（即埋葬率/水柱生产率）。对于OC，这些保存效率值的范围为2％至18％（平均9％），对于bSi，这些保存效率值的范围为8％至106％（平均54％）。这些相对较高的保存效率是由于广泛的侧向泥沙聚焦（²¹⁰Pb Psi（Ψ）值[埋头通量/水柱产生率]在2到33之间；平均 16），冷底水温度（2至-2°C）以及在富营养区的生物硅和OC的生产率较高。在这些南极环境中，相对于OC，bSi的保存效率提高了（即54％比9％），与该区域的浮游植物bSi / OC（wt。％/ wt。％）值2的变化相一致。埋藏的bSi / OC值为12。表层沉积物中过量的²¹⁰ Pb活度在4到47 dpm g ^{-1之间变化}。海底的表面混合层厚度在0到4厘米之间变化。过量的²¹⁰ Pb渗透到这些南极半岛沉积物中的范围从6到28厘米（平均18厘米）不等。库存超额²¹⁰海床中的Pb从13到230 dpm cm ^-2（平均110 dpm cm ^-2）不等。尽管²¹⁰ Pb是本研究中唯一测量到的放射性核素，但是由于²¹⁰ Pb之间的一致性好，因此认为这17个核的“表观” ²¹⁰ Pb沉积物累积速率（SAR）值（假设深层生物扰动可忽略不计）被认为是准确的SAR值。和^14个从附近的芯ç年表在文献中报道。