Age models of ODP Sites 117-722 and 117-728

Pliocene and Pleistocene sediments of the Oman margin and Owen Ridge are characterized by continuous alternation of light and dark layers of nannofossil ooze and marly nannofossil ooze and cyclic variation of wet-bulk density. Origin of the wet-bulk density and color cycles was examined at Ocean Drilling Program Site 722 on the Owen Ridge and Site 728 on the Oman margin using 3.4-m.y.-long GRAPE (gamma ray attenuation) wet-bulk density records and records of sediment color represented as changes in gray level on black-and-white core photographs. At Sites 722 and 728 sediments display a weak correlation of decreasing wet-bulk density with increasing darkness of sediment color. Wet-bulk density is inversely related to organic carbon concentration and displays little relation to calcium carbonate concentration, which varies inversely with the abundance of terrigenous sediment components. Sediment color darkens with increasing terrigenous sediment abundance (decreasing carbonate content) and with increasing organic carbon concentration. Upper Pleistocene sediments at Site 722 display a regular pattern of dark colored intervals coinciding with glacial periods, whereas at Site 728 the pattern of color variation is more irregular. There is not a consistent relationship between the dark intervals and their relative wet-bulk density in the upper Pleistocene sections at Sites 722 and 728, suggesting that dominance of organic matter or terrigenous sediment as primary coloring agents varies. Spectra of wet-bulk density and optical density time series display concentration of variance at orbital periodicities of 100, 41, 23, and 19 k.y. A strong 41-k.y. periodicity characterizes wet-bulk density and optical density variation at both sites throughout most of the past 3.4 m.y. Cyclicity at the 41-k.y. periodicity is characterized by a lack of coherence between wet-bulk density and optical density suggesting that the bulk density and color cycles reflect the mixed influence of varying abundance of terrigenous sediments and organic matter. The 23-k.y. periodicity in wet-bulk density and sediment color cycles is generally characterized by significant coherence between wet-bulk density and optical density, which reflects an inverse relationship between these parameters. Varying organic matter abundance, associated with changes in productivity or preservation, is inferred to more strongly influence changes in wet-bulk density and sediment color at this periodicity.