What is Source-to-Sink?

Most of the events that shape the Earth's surface both above and below sea level leave a record of their impacts in the sediments that accumulate on continental margins. Yet, despite decades intensely studying sedimentary systems, much remains to be understood.

The Source-to-Sink initiative is a component of the MARGINS program funded by the National Science Foundation. The goal of the initiative is to develop a quantitative understanding of margin sediment dispersal systems and associated stratigraphy (sediment or rock strata formations). Being able to predict dispersal-system behavior has critical implications for understanding geochemical cycling like that of carbon, ecosystem changes tied to global warming and sea-level rise, and management of resources like soils, wetlands, groundwater, and hydrocarbons used for fuel. The Source-to-Sink Focus Initiative aims to address the following fundamental questions:

1. What processes control the rate of sediment and solute (dissolved material) production in a dispersal system?
2. How does transport through the system alter the magnitude, grain size, and delivery rate to sediment sinks?
3. How is variability of sediment production, transport, and accumulation in a dispersal system preserved by the stratigraphic record?