Age estimations of calcareous nannofossil biohorizons of the middle Paleocene to early Eocene at ODP Site 208-1262 (Table 1, Appendix B)

Over the last several decades debates on the 'tempo and mode' of evolution have centered on the question whether morphological evolution preferentially occurs gradually or punctuated, i.e., with long periods of stasis alternating with short periods of rapid morphological change and generation of new species. Another major debate is focused on the question whether long-term evolution is driven by, or at least strongly influenced by changes in the environment, or by interaction with other life forms. Microfossils offer a unique opportunity to obtain the large datasets as well as the precision in dating of subsequent samples to study both these questions.We present high-resolution analyses of selected calcareous nannofossils from the deep-sea section recovered at ODP Site 1262 (Leg 208) in the South-eastern Atlantic. The studied section encompasses nannofossil Zones NP4-NP12 (equivalent to CP3-CP10) and Chrons C27r-C24n. We document more than 70 biohorizons occurring over an about 10 Myr time interval, (~62.5 Ma to ~52.5 Ma), and discuss their reliability and reproducibility with respect to previous data, thus providing an improved biostratigraphic framework, which we relate to magnetostratigraphic information, and present for two possible options of a new Paleocene stratigraphic framework based on cyclostratigraphy. This new framework enabled us to tentatively reconstruct steps in the evolution of early Paleogene calcareous nannoplankton through documentation of transitional morphotypes between genera and/or species and of the phylogenetic relations between the genera Fasciculithus, Heliolithus, Discoasteroides and Discoaster, as well as between Rhomboaster and Tribrachiatus. The exceptional record provided by the continuous, composite sequence recovered at Walvis Ridge allows us to describe the mode of evolution among calcareous nannoplankton: new genera and/or new species usually originated through branching of lineages via gradual, but relatively rapid, morphological transitions, as documented by the presence of intermediate forms between the end-member ancestral and descendant forms. Significant modifications in the calcareous nannofossil assemblages are often "related" to significant changes in environmental conditions, but the appearance of structural innovations and radiations within a single genus also occurred during "stable" environmental conditions. These lines of evidence suggest that nannoplankton evolution is not always directly triggered by stressed environmental conditions but could be also driven by endogenous biotic control.

Phytoplankton parameters in the Large Aral Sea in June 2008

Species composition, abundance, and biomass of phytoplankton in the surface water layer were determined at 10 stations in the central part of the Western Basin (WB) and at one station in the Eastern Basin (EB) of the Large Aral Sea. 42 algal species were found. Diatoms had the highest number of species. Similarity of phytoplankton composition in the WB was high, whereas phytoplankton composition in the WB and EB differed significantly. In WB abundance and biomass of phytoplankton varied from 826x10**3 to 6312x10**3 cells/l (aver. 1877x10**3 cells/l) and from 53 to 241 ?g C/l (aver. 95 ?g C/l). In EB the phytoplankton abundance was 915x10**3 cells/l and 93 ?g C/l. Vertical distribution of phytoplankton in upper 35 m was investigated at one station in WB. Maximum values of phytoplankton abundance and biomass were recorded under the thermocline at 20 m depth. Integrated biomass of phytoplankton was 14 g C/m**2.

Flow separation and roughness lengths over large bedforms in a tidal environment

This study characterises the shape of the flow separation zone (FSZ) and wake region over large asymmetric bedforms under tidal flow conditions. High resolution bathymetry, flow velocity and turbulence data were measured along two parallel transects in a tidal channel covered with bedforms. The field data are used to verify the applicability of a numerical model for a systematic study using the Delft3D modelling system and test the model sensitivity to roughness length. Three experiments are then conducted to investigate how the FSZ size and wake extent vary depending on tidally-varying flow conditions, water levels and bathymetry. During the ebb, a large FSZ occurs over the steep lee side of each bedform. During the flood, no flow separation develops over the bedforms having a flat crest; however, a small FSZ is observed over the steepest part of the crest of some bedforms, where the slope is locally up to 15°. Over a given bedform morphology and constant water levels, no FSZ occurs for velocity magnitudes smaller than 0.1 m s**-1; as the flow accelerates, the FSZ reaches a stable size for velocity magnitudes greater than 0.4 m s**-1. The shape of the FSZ is not influenced by changes in water levels. On the other hand, variations in bed morphology, as recorded from the high-resolution bathymetry collected during the tidal cycle, influence the size and position of the FSZ: a FSZ develops only when the maximum lee side slope over a horizontal distance of 5 m is greater than 10°. The height and length of the wake region are related to the length of the FSZ. The total roughness along the transect lines is an order of magnitude larger during the ebb than during the flood due to flow direction in relation to bedform asymmetry: during the ebb, roughness is created by the large bedforms because a FSZ and wake develops over the steep lee side. The results add to the understanding of hydrodynamics of natural bedforms in a tidal environment and may be used to better parameterise small-scale processes in large-scale studies.

At surface behaviour data of juvenile southern elephant seals from Marion Island between 2001 and 2006 with links to datasets

Marine mammals forage in dynamic environments characterized by variables that are continuously changing in relation to large-scale oceanographic processes. In the present study, behavioural states of satellite-tagged juvenile southern elephant seals (n = 16) from Marion Island were assessed for each reliable location, using variation in turning angle and speed in a state-space modelling framework. A mixed modelling approach was used to analyse the behavioural response of juvenile southern elephant seals to sea-surface temperature and proximity to frontal and bathymetric features. The findings emphasised the importance of frontal features as potentially rewarding areas for foraging juvenile southern elephant seals and provided further evidence of the importance of the area west of Marion Island for higher trophic-level predators. The importance of bathymetric features during the transit phase of juvenile southern elephant seal migrations indicates the use of these features as possible navigational cues.

Comparisons of z values between fine-grained titanomagnetites within interstitial glass and large-grained titanomaghemtes in older ocean-floor basalts

Transmission electron microscopy observations and rock magnetic measurements reveal that alteration of fine- and large-grained iron-titanium oxides can occur at different rates. Fine-grained titanomagnetite occurs as a crystallization product within interstitial glass that originated as an immiscible liquid within a fully differentiated melt; in several samples with ages to 32 Ma it displays very little or no oxidation (z = ca. 0). In contrast, samples with ages of 10 Ma or older are observed to also contain highly oxidized (z >/= 0.66) large-grained titanomaghemite. These large grains, having originated by direct crystallization from melt, are associated with pore space. Such pore space can serve as a conduit for fluids that promote alteration, whereas fine grains may have been "armored" against alteration by the glass matrix in which they are embedded. Apparently, alteration of oceanic crust is a heterogeneous process on a microscopic scale. The existence of pristine, fine-grained titanomagnetite in the interstitial glass of older ocean-floor basalts that have undergone significant alteration implies that such glassy material is capable of carrying original thermal remanent magnetization and may be suitable for paleointensity determinations.

30 years of synoptic observations from Neumayer Station with links to datasets

High temporal resolution (three hours) records of temperature, wind speed and sea level pressure recorded at Antarctic research station Neumayer (70°S, 8°W) during 1982-2011 are analysed to identify oscillations from daily to intraseasonal timescales. The diurnal cycle dominates the three-hourly time series of temperature during the Antarctic summer and is almost absent during winter. In contrast, the three-hourly time series of wind speed and sea level pressure show a weak diurnal cycle. The dominant pattern of the intraseasonal variability of these quantities, which captures the out-of-phase variation of temperature and wind speed with sea level pressure, shows enhanced variability at timescales of ~ 40 days and ~ 80 days, respectively. Correlation and composite analysis reveal that these oscillations may be related to tropical intraseasonal oscillations via large-scale eastward propagating atmospheric circulation wave-trains. The second pattern of intraseasonal variability, which captures in-phase variations of temperature, wind and sea level pressure, shows enhanced variability at timescales of ~ 35, ~ 60 and ~ 120 days. These oscillations are attributed to the Southern Annular Mode/Antarctic Oscillation (SAM/AAO) which shows enhanced variability at these timescales. We argue that intraseasonal oscillations of tropical climate and SAM/AAO are related to distinct patterns of climate variables measured at Neumayer.

Reference list of 120 datasets from time series station Payerne used for exploratory search

The analysis of time-dependent data is an important problem in many application domains, and interactive visualization of time-series data can help in understanding patterns in large time series data. Many effective approaches already exist for visual analysis of univariate time series supporting tasks such as assessment of data quality, detection of outliers, or identification of periodically or frequently occurring patterns. However, much fewer approaches exist which support multivariate time series. The existence of multiple values per time stamp makes the analysis task per se harder, and existing visualization techniques often do not scale well. We introduce an approach for visual analysis of large multivariate time-dependent data, based on the idea of projecting multivariate measurements to a 2D display, visualizing the time dimension by trajectories. We use visual data aggregation metaphors based on grouping of similar data elements to scale with multivariate time series. Aggregation procedures can either be based on statistical properties of the data or on data clustering routines. Appropriately defined user controls allow to navigate and explore the data and interactively steer the parameters of the data aggregation to enhance data analysis. We present an implementation of our approach and apply it on a comprehensive data set from the field of earth bservation, demonstrating the applicability and usefulness of our approach.

Dissolved organic matter molecular composition and concentrations from a large scale mesocosm study KOSMOS 2013 Kristineberg) on ocean acidification

Marine dissolved organic matter (DOM) represents one of the largest active carbon reservoirs on Earth. Changes in pool size or composition could have major impacts on the global carbon cycle. Ocean acidification is a potential driver for these changes because it influences marine primary production and heterotrophic respiration. Here we show that ocean acidification as expected for a 'business-as-usual' emission scenario in the year 2100 (900 µatm) does not affect the DOM pool with respect to its size and molecular composition. We applied ultrahigh-resolution mass spectrometry to monitor the production and turnover of 7,360 distinct molecular DOM features in an unprecedented long-term mesocosm study in a Swedish Fjord, covering a full cycle of marine production. DOM concentration and molecular composition did not differ significantly between present-day and year 2100 CO2 levels. Our findings are likely applicable to other coastal and productive marine ecosystems in general.

Vertical distribution of large particulate matter in the Western Mediterranean Sea

The relationship between mesoscale hydrodynamics and the distribution of large particulate matter (LPM, particles larger than 200 ?m) in the first 1000 m of the Western Mediterranean basin was studied with a microprocessor-driven CTD-video package, the Underwater Video Profiler (UVP). Observations made during the last decade showed that, in late spring and summer, LPM concentration was high in the coastal part of the Western Mediterranean basin at the shelf break and near the continental slope (computed maximum: 149 ?g C/l between 0 and 100 m near the Spanish coast of the Gibraltar Strait). LPM concentration decreased further offshore into the central Mediterranean Sea where, below 100 m, it remained uniformly low, ranging from 2 to 4 ?g C/l. However, a strong variability was observed in the different mesoscale structures such as the Almeria-Oran jet in the Alboran Sea or the Algerian eddies. LPM concentration was up to one order of magnitude higher in fronts and eddies than in the adjacent oligotrophic Mediterranean waters (i.e. 35 vs. 8 ?g C/l in the Alboran Sea or 16 vs. 3 ?g C/l in a small shear cyclonic eddy). Our observations suggest that LPM spatial heterogeneity generated by the upper layer mesoscale hydrodynamics extends into deeper layers. Consequently, the superficial mesoscale dynamics may significantly contribute to the biogeochemical cycling between the upper and meso-pelagic layers.

Coral reef development in response to large amplitude internal waves and monsoon impact

The Andaman Sea and other macrotidal semi-enclosed tropical seas feature large amplitude internal waves (LAIW). Although LAIW induce strong fluctuations i.e. of temperature, pH, and nutrients, their influence on reef development is so far unknown. A better-known source of disturbance is the monsoon affecting corals due to turbulent mixing and sedimentation. Because in the Andaman Sea both, LAIW and monsoon, act from the same westerly direction their relative contribution to reef development is difficult to discern. Here, we explore the framework development in a number of offshore island locations subjected to differential LAIW- and SW-monsoon impact to address this open question. Cumulative negative temperature anomalies - a proxy for LAIW impact - explained a higher percentage of the variability in coral reef framework height, than sedimentation rates which resulted mainly from the monsoon. Temperature anomalies and sediment grain size provided the best correlation with framework height suggesting that so far neglected subsurface processes (LAIW) play a significant role in shaping coral reefs.

Early Cretaceous large, few-chambered Globigerinelloides from the Tethys

New findings of well-preserved Early Cretaceous planktonic foraminiferal assemblages from the Cismon core (NE Italy), Calabianca (NW Sicily), Lesches en Diois (SE France) and DSDP Site 545 (off Morocco) sections allow a better understanding of the morphological features of several taxa. This paper deals with the revision of the small, planispiral individuals that several authors include in the genus Blowiella Krechmar and Gorbachik. Comparison of morphological characteristics between Blowiella and the genus Globigerinelloides Cushman and ten Dam has resulted in retention of the latter as senior synonym of Blowiella. In fact, the morphological differences (i.e. the number of chambers in the outer whorl, the width of the umbilical area, and size and spacing of pores) used to distinguish Blowiella from Globigerinelloides cannot, in our opinion, be used in discriminating genera, but can only be applied at species level. The small, few-chambered species of the genus Globigerinelloides retained here are Globigerinelloides blowi(Bolli), Globigerinelloides duboisi (Chevalier), Globigerinelloides maridalensis (Bolli), and Globigerinelloides paragottisi sp. nov. (=Globigerinelloides gottisi auctorum). Stratigraphically, in the sections studied Globigerinelloides blowi and Globigerinelloides paragottisi sp. nov. are first recorded from the mid-Upper Barremian in the Cismon core and Calabianca section, while rare individuals belonging to Globigerinelloides maridalensis and Globigerinelloide duboisi occur intermittently from the Barremian/Aptian boundary and from the Lower Aptian, respectively. All of these taxa become more frequent and abundant just above the Selli Level (OAE1a, Lower Aptian), within the Leupoldina cabri Zone (Upper Aptian). Based on the DSDP Site 545 succession, all four globigerinelloidid taxa range up to the Ticinella bejaouaensis Zone (uppermost Aptian), with Globigerinelloides maridalensis disappearing at the base of the zone, followed in close succession by the disappearance of G. blowi, G. paragottisi and finally G. duboisi.

Coral communities exposed to differential large amplitude internal waves cooling and a severe heat stress in 2010 in the Andaman Sea

Tropical scleractinian corals are particularly vulnerable to global warming as elevated sea surface temperatures (SST) disrupt the delicate balance between the coral host and their algal endosymbionts, leading to symbiont expulsion, mass bleaching and mortality. While satellite sensing of SST has proven a good predictor of coral bleaching at the regional scale, there are large deviations in bleaching severity and mortality on the local scale, which are only poorly understood. Here, we show that internal waves play a major role in explaining local coral bleaching and mortality patterns in the Andaman Sea. In spite of a severe region-wide SST anomaly in May 2010, frequent upslope intrusions of cold sub-pycnocline waters due to breaking large amplitude internal waves (LAIW) alleviated heating and mitigated coral bleaching and mortality in shallow LAIW-exposed waters. In LAIW-sheltered waters, by contrast, bleaching susceptible species suffered severe bleaching and total mortality. These findings suggest that LAIW, which are ubiquitous in tropical stratified waters, benefit coral reefs during thermal stress and provide local refugia for bleaching susceptible corals. The swash zones of LAIW may thus be important, so far overlooked, conservation areas for the maintainance of coral diversity in a warming climate. The consideration of LAIW can significantly improve coral bleaching predictions and can provide a valuable tool for coral reef conservation and management.

Global distributions of diazotrophs abundance and biomass - Depth integrated values computed from a collection of source datasets - Contribution to the MAREDAT World Ocean Atlas of Plankton Functional Types

The MAREDAT atlas covers 11 types of plankton, ranging in size from bacteria to jellyfish. Together, these plankton groups determine the health and productivity of the global ocean and play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Working within a uniform and consistent spatial and depth grid (map) of the global ocean, the researchers compiled thousands and tens of thousands of data points to identify regions of plankton abundance and scarcity as well as areas of data abundance and scarcity. At many of the grid points, the MAREDAT team accomplished the difficult conversion from abundance (numbers of organisms) to biomass (carbon mass of organisms). The MAREDAT atlas provides an unprecedented global data set for ecological and biochemical analysis and modeling as well as a clear mandate for compiling additional existing data and for focusing future data gathering efforts on key groups in key areas of the ocean. The present data set presents depth integrated values of diazotrophs abundance and biomass, computed from a collection of source data sets.

Global distributions of diazotrophs nitrogen fixation rates - Depth integrated values computed from a collection of source datasets - Contribution to the MAREDAT World Ocean Atlas of Plankton Functional Types

The MAREDAT atlas covers 11 types of plankton, ranging in size from bacteria to jellyfish. Together, these plankton groups determine the health and productivity of the global ocean and play a vital role in the global carbon cycle. Working within a uniform and consistent spatial and depth grid (map) of the global ocean, the researchers compiled thousands and tens of thousands of data points to identify regions of plankton abundance and scarcity as well as areas of data abundance and scarcity. At many of the grid points, the MAREDAT team accomplished the difficult conversion from abundance (numbers of organisms) to biomass (carbon mass of organisms). The MAREDAT atlas provides an unprecedented global data set for ecological and biochemical analysis and modeling as well as a clear mandate for compiling additional existing data and for focusing future data gathering efforts on key groups in key areas of the ocean. The present data set presents depth integrated values of diazotrophs nitrogen fixation rates, computed from a collection of source data sets.

Geochemistry of basalts from the Caribbean Large Igneous Province

Oceanic flood basalts are poorly understood, short-term expressions of highly increased heat flux and mass flow within the convecting mantle. The uniqueness of the Caribbean Large Igneous Province (CLIP, 92-74 Ma) with respect to other Cretaceous oceanic plateaus is its extensive sub-aerial exposures, providing an excellent basis to investigate the temporal and compositional relationships within a starting plume head. We present major element, trace element and initial Sr-Nd-Pb isotope composition of 40 extrusive rocks from the Caribbean Plateau, including onland sections in Costa Rica, Colombia and Curaçao as well as DSDP Sites in the Central Caribbean. Even though the lavas were erupted over an area of ~3*10**6 km**2, the majority have strikingly uniform incompatible element patterns (La/Yb=0.96+/-0.16, n=64 out of 79 samples, 2sigma) and initial Nd-Pb isotopic compositions (e.g. 143Nd/144Ndin=0.51291+/-3, epsilon-Nd i=7.3+/-0.6, 206Pb/204Pbin=18.86+/-0.12, n=54 out of 66, 2sigma). Lavas with endmember compositions have only been sampled at the DSDP Sites, Gorgona Island (Colombia) and the 65-60 Ma accreted Quepos and Osa igneous complexes (Costa Rica) of the subsequent hotspot track. Despite the relatively uniform composition of most lavas, linear correlations exist between isotope ratios and between isotope and highly incompatible trace element ratios. The Sr-Nd-Pb isotope and trace element signatures of the chemically enriched lavas are compatible with derivation from recycled oceanic crust, while the depleted lavas are derived from a highly residual source. This source could represent either oceanic lithospheric mantle left after ocean crust formation or gabbros with interlayered ultramafic cumulates of the lower oceanic crust. High 3He/4He in olivines of enriched picrites at Quepos are ~12 times higher than the atmospheric ratio suggesting that the enriched component may have once resided in the lower mantle. Evaluation of the Sm-Nd and U-Pb isotope systematics on isochron diagrams suggests that the age of separation of enriched and depleted components from the depleted MORB source mantle could have been <=500 Ma before CLIP formation and interpreted to reflect the recycling time of the CLIP source. Mantle plume heads may provide a mechanism for transporting large volumes of possibly young recycled oceanic lithosphere residing in the lower mantle back into the shallow MORB source mantle.