Sedimentology of surface samples from the Weddell Sea, Antarctica

Mineralogical and granulometric properties of glacial-marine surface sediments of the Weddell Sea and adjoining areas were studied in order to decipher spatial variations of provenance and transport paths of terrigenous detritus from Antarctic sources. The silt fraction shows marked spatial differences in quartz contents. In the sand fractions heavy-mineral assemblages display low mineralogical maturity and are dominated by garnet, green hornblende, and various types of clinopyroxene. Cluster analysis yields distinct heavy-mineral assemblages, which can be attributed to specific source rocks of the Antarctic hinterland. The configuration of modern mineralogical provinces in the near-shore regions reflects the geological variety of the adjacent hinterland. In the distal parts of the study area, sand-sized heavy minerals are good tracers of ice-rafting. Granulometric characteristics and the distribution of heavy-mineral provinces reflect maxima of relative and absolute accumulation of ice-rafted detritus in accordance with major iceberg drift tracks in the course of the Weddell Gyre. Fine-grained and coarse-grained sediment fractions may have different origins. In the central Weddell Sea, coarse ice-rafted detritus basically derives from East Antarctic sources, while the fine-fraction is discharged from weak permanent bottom currents and/or episodic turbidity currents and shows affinities to southern Weddell Sea sources. Winnowing of quartz-rich sediments through intense bottom water formation in the southern Weddell Sea provides muddy suspensions enriched in quartz. The influence of quartz-rich suspensions moving within the Weddell Gyre contour current can be traced as far as the continental slope in the northwestern Weddell Sea. In general, the focusing of mud by currents significantly exceeds the relative and absolute contribution of ice-rafted detritus beyond the shelves of the study area.

Chemistry of volcanic ash layers from the southern Atlantic

Petrographic and geochemical investigations were carried out on 21 ash layers from four sites of ODP Legs 113 and 114 in the southern Atlantic Ocean. With the help of geochemical data and petrographic characterization three rock series can be distinguished for stratigraphically different ash layers from Site 701 (Leg 114) located east of the South Sandwich Island Arc, whereas the Leg 113 tephras from the southern slope of the South Orkney Microcontinent belong to another magmatic series. Geochemical correlation of the Leg 113 tephras with possible source areas indicates that they were probably erupted from the Antarctic Peninsula. The Miocene ashes from Site 701 are probably derived from the now-extinct Discovery Arc, the precursor of the South Sandwich Islands. The Pliocene ashes from the site show some affinity with the South Shetland Islands, although the available data do not permit a clear correlation. The Quaternary ashes from Site 701 display a chemistry typical of island-arc tholeiites and are therefore most probably derived from eruptions on the South Sandwich Islands. Because of their distant position the southern Andes seem to be rather improbable as a potential source region for the tephra layers investigated.

Fluor and opal in surface sediment from the Bransfield Strait (Table 1)

The influence of biogenic opal sediment input (mainly diatom skeletons) on the fluorine budget of marine sediments will be shown for 24 sampling stations of the antarctic regions of Bransfield Strait, Powell Basin, South Orkney Plateau and northwestern Weddell Sea. 4 bulk samples, one from each sedimentation area, contain 9 to 28 wt.-% of biogenic opal , the clay fraction of the 24 samples investigated have 2 to 82 wt.-%. The fluorine concentration in the amorphous biogenic component is 15 ppm. 300 to 800 ppm of fluorine were measured in the clay fractions, 330 to 920 ppm in their lithogenic components. Biogenic opal causes a decrease in fluorine concentration of the sediment by a considerable amount: 6 to 56 % relative to the clay fraction, due to the proportions involved. Biogenic opal is therefore taken into account as a 'diluting' factor for the fluorine budget in marine sediments.