Radiolarians of DSDP Site 136-842 and Hole 136-843C

Deep-sea cores recovered at Sites 842 and 843 on Leg 136 of the Ocean Drilling Program have yielded assemblages of Quaternary, Eocene, and Cretaceous radiolarians from the Hawaiian Arch region of the northern equatorial Pacific Ocean. Reddish-brown clays from Hole 842A (0-9.6 mbsf), Hole 842B (0-6.3 mbsf), and Hole 843C (0-4.2 mbsf) contain abundant and diverse assemblages of Quaternary radiolarians consisting of more than 80 species typical of the equatorial Pacific region. Quaternary radiolarians at these sites are assignable to the Quaternary Collosphaera tuberosa Interval Zone and Amphirhopalum ypsilon Interval Zone. The boundary between these zones cannot be determined precisely because of the rarity of zonal markers below surface sediments. Correlations have been made between radiolarian occurrences and magnetostratigraphic events elsewhere in the Pacific Ocean, but similar correlations are difficult at Sites 842 and 843 because of poor subsurface preservation. Chert samples collected from intervals in Cores 842B-10X and 842C-1W have yielded radiolarian ages of lower Cenomanian to Santonian and lower Cenomanian, respectively. Radiolarian assemblages in volcanic sand layers in Sections 6 and 7 of Core 842A-1H (7.5-9.6 mbsf) contain lower and middle Eocene radiolarians admixed with abundant Quaternary faunas. Reworked Eocene radiolarians appear to be restricted to thin layers of volcanic sands within the cores, suggesting deposition by turbidity currents.

The interstitial subsoil fauna on the beach of Sarso Island, Red Sea

The scope of this research was to find out, how important is the presence of brackish water for the formation of the characteristical littoral subsoil fauna in the interstitial spaces of beaches. There is little precipitation in the Red Sea area and therefore little influence of freshwater on the beach. Moreover, the sandy beach of Sarso Island (Farasan Archipelago) is bordered landwards and underneath by solid limestone, preventing subsoil fresh water, if there is any, from penetrating into the beach region. The salinity of the interstitial water from Sarso beach lies a little above the salinity of the adjacent sea. The microfauna of Sarso beach is composed to a rather big proportion of such species that are known to be characteristical littoral subsoil water species, partially of world wide distribution. The ecological analysis of this fauna, i.e. the freeliving Nematodes, reveals the presence of two distinct associations: 1. the association of the low level subsoil region, close to the sea, with clear interstitial water, subject to regular exchange with the water of the adjcent sea. 2. the association of the high level subsoil region, 4-10 meter distant from the sea, with brownish water. Contrary to earlier results there is no distinction in salinity between the two associations, so it is not longer justified to apply the term brackish water fauna on the animals living in the association of the high level subsoil region.