Magnesium/calcium ratio of the foraminifera Oridorsalis umbonatus in surface sediment samples off Namibia

A laser ablation system connected to an inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometer was used to determine Mg/Ca ratios of the benthic foraminifera Oridorsalis umbonatus. A set of modern core top samples collected along a depth transect on the continental slope off Namibia (320-2300 m water depth; 2.9° to 10.4°C) was used to calibrate the Mg/Ca ratio against bottom water temperature. The resulting Mg/Ca-bottom water temperature relationship of O. umbonatus is described by the exponential equation Mg/Ca = 1.528*e**0.09*BWT. The temperature sensitivity of this equation is similar to previously published calibrations based on Cibicidoides species, suggesting that the Mg/Ca ratio of O. umbonatus is a valuable proxy for thermocline and deep water temperature.

Calcareous dinoflagellate cysts and geochemistry of Mediterranean Sea sediments

Comparison of calcareous dinoflagellate cyst assemblages with Ba, Al, Mn, and Fe records from three sediment cores collected in the eastern Mediterranean Sea indicate that calcareous dinoflagellate cysts are generally resistant to postdepositional dissolution. Cyst association changes during and after sapropel S1 formation can therefore be closely related to variability in surface water productivity. Two groups of cysts are defined: those having highest abundances within the sapropelic and postsapropelic sediments. The temporal cyst distributions suggest increased freshwater input mainly from the Nile and a shallowing of the pycnocline as the most important processes increasing nutrient concentration in the photic zone, thus leading to increased productivity and organic carbon fluxes during sapropel formation. Furthermore, a general warming trend at the beginning of S1 formation and a slight salinity decrease are reconstructed.