MoleculareveltudiesnheistributionndatefrganicmattertontinentalarginsDissertationzurrlangungesoktorgradesderaturwissenschaftenDr.er.at.AmachbereicheowissenschaftenderniversitätremenvorgelegtonFraukechmidtBremenMai0091.utachter:rof.r.aiweinrichs2.utachter:rof.r.orisochPrefacePrefaceThestudiespresentedinthisthesiswerefundedbytheDeutscheForschungsgemeinschaftthroughtheDFGesearchCenter/ExcellenceCluster“TheOceanintheEarthSystem”andtheBremenInternationalGraduateSchoolforMarineSciences(GLOMAR).ThethesiswaspreparedinthetimefromMarch2006toMay2009intheOrganicGeochemistrygroupofProf.r.aiweinrichsttheniversityfremen.Thisthesiscontributestoabetterunderstandingoftheprocessesandmechanismsbehindthedistributionandearlydiagenesisoforganicmatterinmarinesediments.InthefirstchaptergeneralaspectsoforganicmattercyclingintheoceanandinmarinesedimentsareexaminedtoprovideabaseforthestudiesinChapters2–4.Bothstudysites,theNWIberianmarginandthenorthernBlackSea,arebrieflyintroducedandthechapterconcludeswithageneraldescriptionofthemethodologicalapproach.Chapter2(submittedto MarineChemistry)investigatesthesources,transportand,distributionoforganicmatterattheNWIberianmargin.Chapters3and4focusonearlydiageneticprocessesinthesedimentarydissolvedorganicmatterpoolattheNWIberianmargin(Chapter3,publishedin GeochimicaetCosmochimicaActa )andinthenorthernBlackSea(Chapter4,draftinpreparationforsubmission).