Diatom-rich sediment formation in lakes
Unicellular photosynthetic golden algae called diatoms are one of the most abundant silicifying organisms. Diatoms take up silicon and build their frustules, in the form of biogenic silica (BSi), which have high preservation potential, and thus are found in sediments. Around 27 % of the annual dissolved silicon (DSi) delivery from the land to the ocean is retained in lakes and reservoirs in the fo