Heat flow in the Central Basin of the Indian Ocean and the northern part of the Afanasy Nikitin Rise

Heat flux data obtained during Cruise 20 of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the Central Basin of the Indian Ocean and northern part of the Afanasy Nikitin Rise are presented. Thermal conditions on the rise are not associated with an anomalous zone of the large tectonic deformation block north of it. Geothermal data indicate that the Afanasy Nikitin Rise has formed near an ancient spreading axis. Distribution of measured heat flux values indicates an additional source of heat in the Central Basin resulting from dissipative heating of the crust in the two-stage plate tectonics model.

(Supplement T1) Clay mineral compositions at the Aleutian Basin of the Bering Sea from IODP sites 323-U1343

The clay mineral composition at IODP Exp. 323 Site U1343 in the Bering Sea was analyzed so as to unravel their provenance over glacial-interglacial cycles for the last 2.4 Ma. Smectite was negatively correlated with the sum of illite and chlorite; therefore, their ratio [S/(I + C)] was used as an indicator of clay mineral composition changes. In general, the S/(I + C) ratio was rather similar for glacial and interglacial periods during most of the last 2.4 Ma. In addition, these results overlap with those of surface sediments in the modern East Aleutian Basin, which suggests that smectite-rich clay particles are delivered from the Aleutians by the northward Bering Slope Current (BSC) rather than from rivers in western Alaska. However, some clay mineral compositions of the glacial periods after the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT: 1.25-0.7 Ma) were characterized by low illite and relatively high smectite. During this period, extensive ice-rafting might have transported the smectite-rich clay particles to Site U1343 from the glacial shelf off Alaska and/or from glacial rivers from that area.

Composition of carbonaceous sediments from the Late Jurassic Volgian Basin of the East European Platform (Kostroma Region, Russia)

Lithological, geochemical, stratigraphic, and paleoecological features of carbonaceous sediments in the Late Jurassic Volgian Basin of the East European Platform (Kostroma Region) are considered. The shale-bearing sequence studied is characterized by greater sedimentological completeness as compared with its stratotype sections in the Middle Volga region (Gorodishche, Kashpir). Stratigraphic position and stratigraphy of the shale-bearing sequence, as well as distribution of biota in different sedimentation settings are specified. It is shown that Volgian sediments show distinct cyclic structure. The lower and upper elements of cyclites consist of high-carbonaceous shales and clayey-calcareous sediments, respectively, separated by transitional varieties. Bioturbation structures in different rocks are discussed. Microcomponent composition and pyrolytic parameters of organic matter, as well as distribution of chemical elements in lithologically variable sediments are analyzed. Possible reasons responsible for appearance of cyclicity and accumulation of organic-rich sediments are discussed.

Composition of bottom sediments from the Central Basin of the Indian Ocean

A study of petrographic and mineral compositions of 26 sediment cores from the western part of the Central Basin of the Indian Ocean has identified biogenic, terrigenous, volcanogenic, and authigenic sediment types formed in certain facies conditions. On the basis of bio- and paleomagnetic stratigraphy data from the cores sedimentation rates of different sediment types have been calculated. Modern and Pliocene-Pleistocene positions of the main facies boundaries (the critical depth of carbonate accumulation, the geochemical boundary between hemi- and miopelagic zones, the frontal boundaries of the equatorial belt of biogenic silica accumulation) have been determined. It has been shown that the sedimentary process during Pliocene-Quaternary had cycle variations characterized by successive changes of different sedimentation types - hemipelagic, miopelagic, and biogenic.

Temperature, precipitation and Normalized Difference Vegetation Index (NDVI) from 1982 to 2009 in the Koshi River Basin of the Middle Himalayas

The aim of this paper is to find out if there is a significant difference in using NDVI dataset processed by harmonic analysis method to evaluate its dynamic and response to climate change, compared with the original data.