Beryllium, neodymium and metal composition of ODP Leg 194 sites and survey sites crusts

Be and Nd isotope compositions and metal concentrations (Mn, Fe, Co, Ni, and Cu) of surface and subsurface ferromanganese hardground crusts from Ocean Drilling Program Leg 194 Marion Plateau Sites 1194 and 1196 provide new insights into the crusts' genesis, growth rates, and ages. Metal compositions indicate that the hardgrounds, which have grown on erosional surfaces in water depths of <400 m because of strong bottom currents, are not pure hydrogenetic precipitates. Nevertheless, the ratios between cosmogenic 10Be and stable 9Be in hardgrounds from the present-day seafloor at Site 1196 between 1 x 10**-7 and 1.5 x 10**-7 are within the range of values expected for Pacific seawater, which shows that the hardgrounds recorded the isotope composition of ambient seawater. This is also confirmed by their Nd isotope composition (epsilon Nd between -3 and 0). The 10Be/9Be ratios in the up to 30-mm-thick and partly laminated hardgrounds do not show a decrease with depth, which suggests high growth rates on the present-day seafloor. The subsurface crust at Site 1194 (117 m below the seafloor) grew during a sedimentation hiatus, when bottom currents in the late Miocene prevented sediment accumulation on the carbonate platform during a sea level lowstand. The age of 8.65 ± 0.50 Ma for this crust obtained from 10Be-based dating agrees well with the combined seismostratigraphic and biostratigraphic evidence, which suggests an age for the hiatus between 7.7 and 11.8 Ma.

Radiogenic neodymium, strontium and lead isotopes of authigenic and detrital sedimentary phases and stable oxygen and carbon isotopes of benthic foraminifera from gravity cores SO213-59-2 and SO213-60-1 (central South Pacific).

The South Pacific is a sensitive location for the variability of the global oceanic thermohaline circulation given that deep waters from the Atlantic Ocean, the Southern Ocean, and the Pacific Basin are exchanged. Here we reconstruct the deep water circulation of the central South Pacific for the last two glacial cycles (from 240,000 years ago to the Holocene) based on radiogenic neodymium (Nd) and lead (Pb) isotope records complemented by benthic stable carbon data obtained from two sediment cores located on the flanks of the East Pacific Rise. The records show small but consistent glacial/interglacial changes in all three isotopic systems with interglacial average values of -5.8 and 18.757 for epsilon Nd and 206Pb/204Pb, respectively, whereas glacial averages are -5.3 and 18.744. Comparison of this variability of Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) to previously published records along the pathway of the global thermohaline circulation is consistent with reduced admixture of North Atlantic Deep Water to CDW during cold stages. The absolute values and amplitudes of the benthic delta13C variations are essentially indistinguishable from other records of the Southern Hemisphere and confirm that the low central South Pacific sedimentation rates did not result in a significant reduction of the amplitude of any of the measured proxies. In addition, the combined detrital Nd and strontium (87Sr/86Sr) isotope signatures imply that Australian and New Zealand dust has remained the principal contributor of lithogenic material to the central South Pacific.

Stable isotope ratios and paleoceanaographic reconstructions from sediment cores 80-548 and 161-978A

Largely continuous millennial-scale records of benthic d18O, Mg/Ca-based temperature, and salinity variations in bottom waters were obtained from Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 548 (eastern Atlantic continental margin south of Ireland, 1250 m water depth) for the period between 3.7 and 3.0 million years ago. This site monitored mid-Pliocene changes in Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) documented by continuously high Nd values between -10.7 and -9. Site 978 (Alboran Sea, 1930 m water depth) provides a complementary record of bottom water variability in the westernmost Mediterranean Sea, which is taken to represent MOW composition at its source. Both sites are marked by a singular and persistent rise in bottom water salinities by 0.7-1.4 psu and in densities by ~1 kg m-3 from 3.5 to 3.3 Ma, which is matched by an average 3 °C increase in bottom water temperatures at Site 548. This event suggests the onset of strongly enhanced deep-water convection in the Mediterranean Sea and a related strengthened MOW flow, which implies a major aridification of the Mediterranean source region. In harmony with model suggestions, the enhanced MOW flow has possibly intensified Upper North Atlantic Deep Water formation.

Radiogenic isotope record of Arctic Ocean circulation and weathering inputs of the past 15 million years

Lead (Pb), neodymium (Nd), and strontium (Sr) isotopic analyses were carried out on sediment leachates (reflecting the isotope composition of past seawater) and digests of the bulk residues (reflecting detrital continental inputs) of Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Leg 302 and core PS2185 from the Lomonosov Ridge (Arctic Ocean). Our records are interpreted to reflect changes in continental erosion and oceanic circulation, driven predominantly by tectonic forcing on million-year timescales in the older (pre-2 Ma) part of the record and by climatic forcing of weathering and erosion of the Eurasian continental margin on thousand-year timescales in the younger (post-2 Ma) part. These data, covering the past ~15 Ma, show that continental inputs to the central Arctic Ocean have been more closely linked to glacial and hydrological processes occurring on the Eurasian margin than on continental North America and Greenland. The constancy of the detrital input signatures supports the early existence of an Arctic sea ice cover, whereas the major initiation of Northern Hemisphere glaciation at 2.7 Ma appears to have had little impact on the weathering regime of the Eurasian continental margin.

Holocene Mg/Ca, alkenones, and light stable isotope measurements on the outer North Iceland shelf, sediment core MD99-2269

We present new Holocene century to millennial-scale proxies for the well-dated piston core MD99-2269 from Húnaflóadjúp on the North Iceland Shelf. The core is located in 365 mwd and lies close to the fluctuating boundary between Atlantic and Arctic/Polar waters. The proxies are: alkenone-based SST°C, and Mg/Ca SST°C estimates and stable d13C and d18O values on planktonic and benthic foraminifera. The data were converted to 60 yr equi-spaced time-series. Significant trends in the data were extracted using Singular Spectrum Analysis and these accounted for between 50% and 70% of the variance. A comparison between these data with previously published climate proxies from MD99-2269 was carried out on a data set which consisted of 14-variable data set covering the interval 400-9200 cal yr BP at 100 yr time steps. This analysis indicated that the 1st two PC axes accounted for 57% of the variability with high loadings clustering primarily into "nutrient" and "temperature" proxies. Clustering on the 100 yr time-series indicated major changes in environment at ~6350 and ~3450 cal yr BP, which define early, mid- and late Holocene climatic intervals. We argue that a pervasive freshwater cap during the early Holocene resulted in warm SST°s, a stratified water column, and a depleted nutrient supply. The loss of the freshwater layer in the mid-Holocene resulted in high carbonate production, and the late Holocene/neoglacial interval was marked by significantly more variable sea surface conditions.

(Table S1) Neodymium isotopic results from ODP Site 172-1063

The Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation (AMOC) plays an important role in the Northern Hemisphere climate system. Significant interest went into the question of how excessive freshwater input through melting of continental ice can affect its overturning vigor and, hence, heat supply, to higher northern latitudes. Such forcing can be tested by investigating its behavior during extreme iceberg discharge events into the open North Atlantic during the last glacial period, the so-called Heinrich events (HE). Here we present neodymium (Nd) isotope compositions of past seawater, a sensitive chemical water mass tag, extracted from sediments of Ocean Drilling Program Site 1063 in the western North Atlantic (Bermuda Rise), covering the period surrounding HE 2, the Last Glacial Maximum, and the early deglaciation. These data are compared with a record of the kinematic circulation tracer (231Pa/230Th)xs extracted from the same sediment core. Both tracers indicate significant circulation changes preceding intense ice rafting during HE 2 by almost 2 kyr. Moreover, the Nd isotope record suggests the presence of deeply ventilating North Atlantic Deep Water early during Marine Isotope Stage 2 until it was replaced by Southern Source Water at ~27 ka. The early switch to high (Pa/Th)xs and radiogenic epsilon-Nd in relation to intensified ice rafting during HE 2 suggests that ice rafting into the open North Atlantic during major HE 2 was preceded by an early change of the AMOC. This opens the possibility that variations in AMOC contributed to or even triggered the ice sheet instability rather than merely responding to it.

Major and trace elements and Nd and Sr isotope geochemistry of basalts at DSDP Leg 74 Holes

Basement intersected in Holes 525A, 528, and 527 on the Walvis Ridge consists of submarine basalt flows and pillows with minor intercalated sediments. These holes are situated on the crest and mid- and lower NW flank of a NNW-SSE-trending ridge block which would have closely paralleled the paleo mid-ocean ridge. The basalts were erupted approximately 70 Ma, a date consistent with formation at the paleo mid-ocean ridge. The basalt types vary from aphyric quartz tholeiites on the Ridge crest to highly Plagioclase phyric olivine tholeiites on the flank. These show systematic differences in incompatible trace element and isotopic composition, and many element and isotope ratio pairs form systematic trends with the Ridge crest basalts at one end and the highly phyric Ridge flank basalts at the other. The low 143Nd/144Nd (0.51238) and high 87Sr/86Sr (0.70512) ratios of the Ridge crest basalts suggest derivation from an old Nd/Sm and Rb/Sr enriched mantle source. This isotopic signature is similar to that of alkaline basalts on Tristan da Cunha but offset by somewhat lower 143Nd/144Nd values. The isotopic ratio trends may be extrapolated beyond the Ridge flank basalts (which have 143Nd/144Nd of 0.51270 and 87Sr/86Sr of 0.70417) in the direction of typical MORB compositions. These isotopic correlations are equally consistent with mixing of depleted and enriched end-member melts or partial melting of an inhomogeneous, variably enriched mantle source. However, observed Zr-Ba-Nb-Y interelement relationships are inconsistent with any simple two-component model of magma mixing or partial melting. They also preclude extensive involvement of depleted (N-type) MORB material or its mantle sources in the petrogenesis of Walvis Ridge basalts.

He isotope, U/Th isotope, Calcium carbonate, biogenic opal, rare earth element concentrations, and grain size distribution measured on core-top sediments during SONNE cruise SO202 (INOPEX)

Eolian dust is a significant source of iron and other nutrients that are essential for the health of marine ecosystems and potentially a controlling factor of the high nutrient-low chlorophyll status of the Subarctic North Pacific. We map the spatial distribution of dust input using three different geochemical tracers of eolian dust, 4He, 232Th and rare earth elements, in combination with grain size distribution data, from a set of core-top sediments covering the entire Subarctic North Pacific. Using the suite of geochemical proxies to fingerprint different lithogenic components, we deconvolve eolian dust input from other lithogenic inputs such as volcanic ash, ice-rafted debris, riverine and hemipelagic input. While the open ocean sites far away from the volcanic arcs are dominantly composed of pure eolian dust, lithogenic components other than eolian dust play a more crucial role along the arcs. In sites dominated by dust, eolian dust input appears to be characterized by a nearly uniform grain size mode at ~4 µm. Applying the 230Th-normalization technique, our proxies yield a consistent pattern of uniform dust fluxes of 1-2 g/m**2/yr across the Subarctic North Pacific. Elevated eolian dust fluxes of 2-4 g/m**2/yr characterize the westernmost region off Japan and the southern Kurile Islands south of 45° N and west of 165° E along the main pathway of the westerly winds. The core-top based dust flux reconstruction is consistent with recent estimates based on dissolved thorium isotope concentrations in seawater from the Subarctic North Pacific. The dust flux pattern compares well with state-of-the-art dust model predictions in the western and central Subarctic North Pacific, but we find that dust fluxes are higher than modeled fluxes by 0.5-1 g/m**2/yr in the northwest, northeast and eastern Subarctic North Pacific. Our results provide an important benchmark for biogeochemical models and a robust approach for downcore studies testing dust-induced iron fertilization of past changes in biological productivity in the Subarctic North Pacific.

Geochemistry and radiogenic isotope ratios of the volcanic sequences from Izu-Bonin Arc, Japan

New radiogenic isotope and trace element data are presented for the volcanic sequences along 600 km of the active Izu-Bonin arc, the Oligocene Izu arc, and their associated rift basins. As with many intra-oceanic island arcs, the Pliocene-Recent Izu-Bonin frontal-arc lavas are highly depleted in Zr, Nb and the rare-earth elements relative to typical mid-ocean ridge basalt (MORB), indicating that the mantle wedge source has undergone a previous episode of melting. Ratios between these elements (such as Nb/Zr and La/Sm), as well as 143Nd/144Nd, do not vary significantly along the length of the frontal-arc. These parameters suggest that each of the arc volcanoes is derived from similar melt fractions of the mantle wedge. However, Ba/Zr, Ba/Rb and 87Sr/86Sr increase along the frontal-arc to the north. This leads us to propose that a variable enrichment in Ba and radiogenic Sr is superimposed on the mantle wedge. Sr-Nd and Pb-Nd isotope variation indicate that both Sr and Pb become more radiogenic after fluid addition. However, Pb isotope ratios do not correlate with increases in Pb concentration or ratios such as Ba/Zr and Nb/Pb. In other words, the Pb isotopic composition of the arc lavas appears to be independent of the amount of Pb introduced by subduction fluids into the mantle source. This buffering of Pb isotopes along the frontal-arc means that the isotopic composition of the lavas is indistinguishable from that of the fluid. Isotopic mixing models presented for the arc are only illustrative of the many plausible combinations of components and quantities. Despite this, we are able to determine that the mantle wedge has isotopic characteristics similar to Indian Ocean MORB, and that the subduction-fluid solute is primarily derived from subducted oceanic basalt with a <2% contribution from subducted sediment. Lavas in the Oligocene Izu arc and fore-arc basin were derived from a mantle wedge of similar composition to the active arc. Despite levels of Pb enrichment comparable to those of the modern arc, the Pb isotopes of the Oligocene volcanics indicate a lower sediment input into the melting region.

Strontium and neodymium concentrations and isotopic compositions of Arctic marine sediments

Sr and Nd isotopic compositions of Arctic marine sediments characterize changes of sediment source regions and trace shelf-ocean particle pathways during glacial-interglacial transitions in the eastern Arctic Ocean. In the 140-ka sedimentary record of a marine core from Yermak Plateau, north of Svalbard, 87Sr/86Sr ratios and epsion-Nd values vary between 0.717 and 0.740 and 39.3 and 314.9, respectively. Sr and Nd isotopic composition both change characteristically during glacial-interglacial cycles and are correlated with the extension of the Svalbard/Barents Sea ice sheet (SBIS). The downcore variation in Sr and Nd isotopic composition indicates climatically induced changes in sediment provenance from two isotopically distinct end-members: (1) Eurasian shelf sediments as a distal source; and (2) Svalbard bedrock as a proximal source that coincide with a change in transport mechanism from sea ice to glacial ice. During glacier advance from Svalbard and intensified glacial bedrock erosion, epsion-Nd values decrease gradually to a minimum value of 314.9 due to increased input of crystalline Svalbard bedrock material. During glacial maxima, the SBIS covered the entire Barents Sea shelf and supplied increasing amounts of Eurasian shelf material to the Arctic Ocean as ice rafted detritus (IRD). Epsion-Nd values in glacial sediments reach maximum values that are comparable to the average value of modern Eurasian shelf and sea ice sediments (epsion-Nd = 310.3). This confirms ice rafting as a major sediment transport mechanism for Eurasian shelf sediments into the Arctic Ocean and trace a sediment origin from the Kara Sea/Laptev Sea shelf area. After the decay of the shelf-based SBIS, the glacial shelf sediment spikes during glacial terminations I (epsion-Nd = 310.6) and II (epsion-Nd = 310.1) epsion-Nd values rapidly decrease to values of 312.5 typical for interglacial averages. The downcore Sr isotopic composition is anticorrelated to the Nd isotopic composition, but may be also influenced by grain-size effects. In contrast, the Nd isotopic composition in clay- to silt-size fractions of one bulk sediment sample is similar to within 0.3-0.8 epsion-Nd units and seems to be a grain-size independent provenance tracer.

Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios, and geochemistry of the Precambrian-Cambrian Sukharikha River section, northwestern Siberian platform

A high-resolution carbon isotope profile through the uppermost Neoproterozoic-Lower Cambrian part of the Sukharikha section at the northwestern margin of the Siberian platform shows prominent secular oscillations of d13C with peak-to-peak range of 6-10 ?. There are six minima, 1n-6n, and seven maxima 1p-7p, in the Sukharikha Formation and a rising trend of d13C from the minimum 1n of -8.6 ? to maximum 6p of +6.4 ?. The trough 1n probably coincides with the isotopic minimum at the Precambrian-Cambrian boundary worldwide. Highly positive d13C values of peaks 5p and 6p are typical of the upper portion of the Precambrian-Cambrian transitional beds just beneath the Tommotian Stage in Siberia. A second rising trend of d13C is observed through the Krasnoporog and lower Shumny formations. It consists of four excursions with four major maxima that can be cor related with Tommotian-Botomian peaks II, IV, V, and VII of the reference profile from the southeastern Siberian platform. According to the chemostratigraphic cor relation, the first appearances of the index forms of archaeocyaths are earlier in the Sukharikha section than in the Lena-Aldan region.