Comparison of rates of accumulation of organic carbon in surface marine sediments from the central North Pacific, the continental margins off northwest Africa, northwest and southwest America, the Argentine Basin, and the western Baltic Sea with primary production rates suggests that the fraction of primary produced organic carbon preserved in the sediments is universally related to the bulk sedimentation rate. Accordingly, less than 0.01% of the primary production becomes fossilized in slowly accumulating pelagic sediments [(2 to 6 mm (1000 y)-1] of the Central Pacific, 0.1 to 2% in moderately rapidly accumulating [2 to 13 cm (1000 y)-1] hemipelagic sediments off northwest Africa, northwest America (Oregon) and southeast America (Argentina), and 11 to 18% in rapidly accumulating [66 to 140 cm (1000 y)-1] hemipelagic sediments off southwest America (Peru) and in the Baltic Sea.The emiprical expression: %Org-C = (0.0030RS0.30)/(ps(1-Theta)) implies that the sedimentary organic carbon content (% Org-C) doubles with each 10-fold increase in sedimentation rate (S), assuming that other factors remain constant; i.e., primary production (R), porosity and sediment density (ps). This expression also predicts the sedimentary organic carbon content from the primary production rate, sedimentation rate, dry density of solids, and their porosity; it may be used to estimate paleoproductivity as well. Applying this relationship to a sediment core from the continental rise off northwest Africa (Spanish Sahara) suggests that productivity there during interglacial oxygen isotope stages 1 and 5 was about the same as today but was higher by a factor of 2 to 3 during glacial stages 2, 3, and 6.

Supplement to: Müller, Peter J; Suess, Erwin (1979): Productivity, sedimentation rate, and sedimentary organic matter in the oceans. I.- Organic matter preservation. Deep-Sea Research Part A. Oceanographic Research Papers, 26(12), 1347-1362