Ages and diatom temperature values of DSDP sites in the western Pacific Ocean

Maximum entropy spectral analyses and a fitting test to find the best suitable curve for the modified time series based on the non-linear least squares method for Td (diatom temperature) values were performed for the Quaternary portion of the DSDP Sites 579 and 580 in the western North Pacific. The sampling interval averages 13.7 kyr in the Brunhes Chron (0-780 ka) and 16.5 kyr in the later portion of the Matuyama Chron (780-1800 ka) at Site 580, but increases to 17.3 kyr and 23.2 kyr, respectively, at Site 579. Among dominant cycles during the Brunhes Chron, there are 411.5 kyr and 126.0 kyr at Site 579, and 467.0 kyr and 136.7 kyr at Site 580 correspond to 413 kyr and 95 to 124 kyr of the orbital eccentricity. Minor cycles of 41.2 kyr at Site 579 and 41.7 kyr at Site 580 are near to 41 kyr of the obliquity (tilt). During the Matuyama Chron at Site 580, cycles of 49.7 kyr and 43.6 kyr are dominant. The surface-water temperature estimated from diatoms at the western North Pacific DSDP Sites 579 and 580 shows correlation with the fundamental Earth's orbital parameters during Quaternary time.

Late Cenozoic silicoflagellate biostratigraphy, relative paleotemperature, and distribution of various genera and morphologic subgroups with remarks on noteworthy occurrences at DSDP Leg 86 Holes

A quantitative study of late Cenozoic silicoflagellates from the northwestern Pacific sites of Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 86 shows a relative paleotemperature (Ts) gradient with lowest values (Ts = 30) in the north. Some new ecostratigraphic relations for the region are indicated, such as the last common occurrence of Dictyocha brevispina at 2.6 - 3.0 m.y. ago during a cool interval. Elements of North Pacific and low-latitude biostratigraphic zonations can be identified, but the mixing of cool- and warm-indicator taxa prompted the definition of the new Miocene Mesocena hexalitha Subzone and Pliocene Distephanus jimlingii Subzone. Scanning-electron microscope study of Leg 86 silicoflagellates was done to determine whether various types of skeletal surface texture are temperature dependent. To conduct the study we organized a new surface-texture descriptive code, which characterizes the apical structure/basal ring/spine sequence using new definitions of the terms crenulate (C), linear (L), nodular (N), reticulate (R), and smooth (S). One new silicoflagellate genus, Caryocha Bukry et Monechi, n. gen., is described and several new combinations are made.

Paleomagnetism at DSDP Sites 86-576 and 86-578

The upper sections of Deep Sea Drilling Project Sites 576 (32°21.4'N, 164°16.5'E) and 578 (33°55.6'N, 151°37.7'E) both have stable detrital remanence that can be correlated with the standard reversal stratigraphy. Site 576 contains all reversals above the base of the Gilbert Epoch (5 m.y.) at about 25 m, whereas Site 578 contains a remarkable section of about 60 reversals extending to Anomaly 5B (15 m.y.) at about 150 m sub-bottom depth. In both cases, the paleomagnetic stratigraphy breaks down when accumulation rates drop below 2 m/m.y. At both sites, authigenic manganiferous clays deposited from 70 to 16 m.y. ago accumulated at about 0.4 m/m.y. Similarly, at both sites, the Pleistocene pulse of eolian debris increased accumulation rates by about 6 m/m.y.**2. From 16 to 2 m.y. ago, however, sediment accumulated at Site 578 about five times as rapidly as at Site 576, apparently because of augmented input to the western site by bottom currents.