Sedimentology and geochemistry of ODP Leg 129 siliceous deposits

Siliceous deposits drilled on Ocean Drilling Program Leg 129 accumulated within a few degrees of the equator during the Jurassic through early Tertiary, as constrained by paleomagnetic data. During the Jurassic and Early Cretaceous, radiolarian ooze, mixed with a minor amount of pelagic clay, was deposited near the equator, and overall accumulation rates were moderate to low. At a smaller scale, in more detail, periods of relatively higher accumulation rates alternated with periods of very low accumulation rates. Higher rates are represented by radiolarite and limestone; lower rates are represented by radiolarian claystone. Our limited data from Leg 129 suggests that accumulation of biogenic deposits was not symmetrical about the equator or consistent over time. In the Jurassic, sedimentation was siliceous; in the Cretaceous there was significant calcareous deposition; in the Tertiary claystone indicates significantly lower accumulation rates at least the northern part of the equatorial zone. Accumulation rates for Leg 129 deposits in the Cretaceous were higher in the southern part of the equatorial zone than in the northern part, and the southern side of this high productivity zone extended to approximately 15°S, while the northern side extended only to about 5°N. Accumulation rates are influenced by relative contributions from various sediment sources. Several elements and element ratios are useful for discriminating sedimentary sources for the equatorial depositional environments. Silica partitioning calculations indicate that silica is dominantly of biogenic origin, with a detrital component in the volcaniclastic turbidite units, and a small hydrothermal component in the basal sediments on spreading ridge basement of Jurassic age at Site 801. Iron in Leg 129 sediments is dominantly of detrital origin, highest in the volcaniclastic units, with a minor hydrothermal component in the basal sediments at Site 801. Manganese concentrations are highest in the units with the lowest accumulation rates. Fe/Mn ratios are >3 in all units, indicating negligible hydrothermal influence. Magnesium and aluminum concentrations are highest in the volcaniclastic units and in the basal sediments at Site 801. Phosphorous is very low in abundance and may be detrital, derived from fish parts. Boron is virtually absent, as is typical of deep-water deposits. Rare earth element concentrations are slightly higher in the volcaniclastic deposits, suggesting a detrital source, and lower in the rest of the lithologic units. Rare earth element abundances are also low relative to "average shale." Rare earth element patterns indicate all samples are light rare earth element enriched. Siliceous deposits in the volcaniclastic units have patterns which lack a cerium anomaly, suggesting some input of rare earth elements from a detrital source; most other units have a distinct negative Ce anomaly similar to seawater, suggesting a seawater source, through adsorption either onto biogenic tests or incorporation into authigenic minerals for Ce in these units. The Al/(Al + Fe + Mn) ratio indicates that there is some detrital component in all the units sampled. This ratio plotted against Fe/Ti shows that all samples plot near the detrital and basalt end-members, except for the basal samples from Site 801, which show a clear trend toward the hydrothermal end-member. The results of these plots and the association of high Fe with high Mg and Al indicate the detrital component is dominantly volcaniclastic, but the presence of potassium in some samples suggests some terrigenous material may also be present, most likely in the form of eolian clay. On Al-Fe-Mn ternary plots, samples from all three sites show a trend from biogenic ooze at the top of the section downhole to oceanic basalt. On Si-Fe-Mn ternary plots, the samples from all three sites fall on a trend between equatorial mid-ocean spreading ridges and north Pacific red clay. Copper-barium ratios show units that have low accumulation rates plot in the authigenic field, and radiolarite and limestone samples that have high accumulation rates fall in the biogenic field.

Calcareous nannofossil abundances in Mesozoic sediments of ODP Leg 129 holes

Calcareous nannofossils were studied from Jurassic and Cretaceous sediments drilled in the western Pacific during Ocean Drilling Program Leg 129. Mesozoic sediments at Sites 800, 801, and 802 are dominated by volcaniclastic turbidites, claystones, porcellanites, and radiolarites. Pelagic limestones are limited to the middle Cretaceous, and a few calcareous claystones were recovered in the Upper Jurassic section at Site 801. We documented the distribution of nannofossils, their total abundance, preservation, and relative species abundance based on semiquantitative and qualitative studies. Preservation of the calcareous nannofloras is poor to moderate, and the total abundance fluctuates from rare to very abundant. Marker species proposed for the middle and Late Cretaceous were recognized, allowing the application of standard nannofossil biozonations. At Site 800 calcareous nannofloras are abundant and moderately preserved in the Aptian-Cenomanian, and nannofossil biostratigraphy constitutes the basic stratigraphic framework for this interval. Radiolarians are the most abundant and persistent group throughout the sequence drilled at Site 801. Long intervals are barren of nannofloras and assemblages are usually characterized by low abundance and poor preservation. Nannofossil biostratigraphy was applied to the upper Aptian-Cenomanian interval and a few marker species were recognized for the late Tithonian. At Site 802 Cretaceous biostratigraphy is mainly based on calcareous nannofossil biozones corroborated by radiolarian and palynomorph events in the late Aptian-Coniacian age interval. A hiatus was indicated between the Santonian and the late Campanian, and another is suspected in the interval between the Cenomanian and the Coniacian.