997 resultados para Oxygen minimum zone
Resumo:
Hydrographic characteristics of the southwest coast of India and its adjoining Cochin backwaters (CBW) were studied during the summer monsoon period. Anomalous formation of anoxia and denitrification were observed in the bottom layers of CBW, which 5 have not been previously reported elsewhere in any tropical estuarine systems. The prevalent upwelling in the Arabian Sea (AS) brought cool, high saline, oxygen deficient and nutrient-rich waters towards the coastal zone and bottom layers of CBW during the high tide. High freshwater discharge in the surface layers brought high amount of nutrients and makes the CBW system highly productive. Intrusion of AS waters seems 10 to be stronger towards the upstream end ( 15 km), than had been previously reported, as a consequence of the lowering of river discharges and deepening of channels in the estuary. Time series measurements in the lower reaches of CBW indicated a low mixing zone with increased stratification, 3 h after the high tide (highest high tide) and high variation in vertical mixing during the spring and neap phases. The upwelled waters 15 (O2 40 μM) intruded into the estuary was found to lose more oxygen during the neap phase (suboxic O2 4 μM) than spring phase (hypoxic O2 10 μM). Increased stratification coupled with low ventilation and presence of high organic matter have resulted in an anoxic condition (O2 = 0), 2–6 km away from barmouth of the estuary and leads to the formation of hydrogen sulphide. The reduction of nitrate and formation of nitrite 20 within the oxygen deficient waters indicated strong denitrification intensity in the estuary. The expansion of oxygen deficient zone, denitrification and formation of hydrogen sulphide may lead to a destruction of biodiversity and an increase of green house gas emissions from this region
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Over 30 years of hydrographic data from the northern Chile (18 degreesS-24 degreesS) upwelling region are used to calculate the surface and subsurface seasonal climatology extending 400 km offshore. The data are interpolated to a grid with sufficient spatial resolution to preserve cross-shelf gradients and then presented as means within four seasons: austral winter (July-September), spring (October-December), summer (January-March), and fall (April-June). Climatological monthly wind forcing, surface temperature, and sea level from three coastal stations indicate equatorward (upwelling favorable) winds throughout the year, weakest in the north. Seasonal maximum alongshore wind stress is in late spring and summer (December-March). Major water masses of the region are identified in climatological T-S plots and their sources and implied circulation discussed. Surface fields and vertical transects of temperature and salinity confirm that upwelling occurs year-round, strongest in summer and weakest in winter, bringing relatively fresh water to the surface nearshore. Surface geostrophic flow nearshore is equatorward throughout the year. During summer, an anticyclonic circulation feature in the north which extends to at least 200 m depth is evident in geopotential anomaly and in both temperature and geopotential variance fields. Subsurface fields indicate generally poleward flow throughout the year, strongest in an undercurrent near the coast. This undercurrent is strongest in summer and most persistent and organized in the south (south of 21 degreesS), A subsurface oxygen minimum, centered at similar to 250 m, is strongest at lower latitudes. Low-salinity subsurface water intrudes into the study area near 100 m, predominantly in offshore regions, strongest during summer and fall and in the southernmost portion of the region. The climatological fields are compared to features off Baja within the somewhat analogous California Current and to measurements from higher latitudes within the Chile-Peru Current system.
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During the International Indian Ocean Expedition (1964/65) sediment cores were taken on six profiles off the western coast of the Indian Subcontinent. These profiles run approximately perpendicular to the coast, from the deep-sea over the continental slope to the continental shelf. Additional samples and cores were taken in a dense pattern in front of the delta of the Indus River. This pattern of sampling covered not only marine sediments, but also river and beach sediments in Pakistan. The marine samples were obtained with piston, gravity and box corers and by a Van Veen grab sampler. The longest piston core is about 5 meters long. 1. Distribution of the elements on the sediment surface The area of maximal carbonate values (aprox. 80-100% CaCO3) essentially coincides with the continental shelf. The highest Sr values were observed largely within this area, but only in the vicinity of the Gulf of Cambay. Mainly the aragonitic coprolites are responsible for those high Sr contents. The Mg contents of the carbonates are comparatively low; surprisingly enough the highest Mg concentrations were also measured in the coprolites. The maximum contents of organic matter (Core) were found along the upper part of the continental slope. They coincide with the highest porosity and water content of the sediments. Frequently the decomposition of organic matter by oxydation is responsible for the measured Corg contents. On the other side the quantity of originally deposited organic material is less important in most cases. The enrichment of the "bauxitophile" elements Fe, Ti, Cr and V in the carbonate- and quartz-free portions of the sediments is essentially due to the influence of coarse terrigenous detritus. For the elements Mn, Ni and Cu (in per cent of the carbonateand quartz-free sediment) a strong enrichment was observed in the deep-sea realm. The strong increase in Mn toward the deep-sea is explained by authigenesis of Mn-Fe-concretions. Mn-nodules form only under oxydizing conditions which obviously are possible only at very low rates of deposition. The Mg, B and, probably also Mn contents in the clay minerals increase with increasing distance from the continent. This can be explained by the higher adsorption of those elements from sea water because of increasing duration of the clay mineral transport. The comparison of median contents of some elements in our deep-sea samples with deep-sea sediments described by TUREKIAN & WEDEPOHL (1961) shows that clear differences in concentration exist only in the case of "bauxitophile" elements Cr and Be. The Cr and Be contents show a clear increase in the Indian Ocean deep-sea samples compared to those described by TUREKIAn & WEDEPOHL (1961) which can obviously be attributed to the enrichment in the lateritic and bauxitic parent rocks. The different behaviour of the elements Fe, Ti and Mn during decomposition of the source rocks, transport to the sea and during oxydizing and reducing conditions in the marine environment can be illustrated by Ti02/Fe and MnO/Fe ratios. The different compositions of the sediments off the Indus Delta and those of the remaining part of the area investigated are characterized by a different distribution of the elements Mn and Ti. 2. Chemical inhomogenities in the sediments Most longer cores show 3 intervals defined by chemical and sedimentological differences. The top-most interval is coarse-grained, the intermedial interval is fine grained and the lower one again somewhat coarser. At the same time it is possible to observe differences from interval to interval in the organogenic and detrital constituents. During the formation of the middle interval different conditions of sedimentation from those active during the previous and subsequent periods have obviously prevailed. Looking more closely at the organogenic constituents it is remarkable that during the formation of the finer interval conditions of a more intensive oxydation have prevailed that was the case before and after: Core decreases, whereas P shows a relative increase. This may be explained by slower sedimentation rate or by a vertical migration of the oxygen rich zone of the sea-water. The modifications of the elements from minerals in detrital portion of the sediments support an explanation ascribing this fact to modifications of the conditions of denudation and transportation which can come about through a climatic change or through tectonic causes. The paleontological investigations have shown (ZOBEL, in press) that in some of the cores the middle stratum of fine sedimentation represents optimal conditions for organic life. This fact suggests also oxydizing conditions during the sedimentation of this interval. In addition to the depositional stratification an oxydation zone characterized by Mn-enrichment can be recognized. The thickness of the oxidation zone decreases towards the coast and thins out along the middle part of the continental slope. At those places, where the oxydation zone is extremely thin, enrichment of Mn has its maximum. This phenomenon can probably be attributed to the migration of Mn taking place in its dissociated form within the sediment under reducing conditions. On the other side this Mn-migration in the sediment does not take place in the deep-sea, where oxydizing conditions prevail. 3. Interstitial waters in the sediments Already at very small core depths, the interstitial waters have undergone a distinct modification compared with the overlying sea water. This distinct modification applies both to total salinity and to the individual ions. As to the beginning of diagenesis the following conclusions can be drawn: a) A strong K-increase occurs already at an early stage. It may be attributable to a diffusion barrier or to an exchange of Mg-ions on the clays. Part of this increase may also originate from the decomposition of K-containing silicates (mica and feldspars). A K-decrease owing to the formation of illite (WEAVER 1967), however, occurs only at much greater sediment depth. b) Because of an organic protective coating, the dissolution of carbonate is delayed in recent organogenic carbonates. At the same time some Ca is probably being adsorbed on clay minerals. Consequently the Ca-content of the interstitial water drops below the Ca-content of the sea water. c) Already at an early stage the Mg adsorption on the clays is completed. The adsorbed Mg is later available for diagenetic mineral formations and transformations.
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The Albian/Cenomanian strata in Hole 530A are organically richer than are the post-Cenomanian strata. Organic matter is thermally immature and appears to be of dominantly marine origin with either variable levels of oxidation or variable amounts of terrestrial input. Geochemical data alone cannot establish whether the black shales present in Hole 530A represent deposition within a stagnant basin or within an expanded oxygen-minimum layer
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The sediments of Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 565 and University of Texas Marine Science Institute Cores IG-24-7-38 to -42 taken on the landward slope of the Middle America Trench exhibit characteristics of material subject to reworking during downslope mass flow. These characteristics include a generally homogeneous texture, lack of sedimentary structures, pervasive presence of a penetrative scaly fabric, and presence of transported benthic foraminifers. Although these features occur throughout the sediments examined, trends in bulk density, porosity, and water content, and abrupt shifts in these index physical properties and in sediment magnetic properties at Site 565 indicate that downslope sediment creep is presently most active in the upper 45 to 50 m of sediment. It cannot be determined whether progressive dewatering of sediment has brought the material at this depth to a plastic limit at which sediment can no longer flow (thus resulting in its accretion to the underlying sediments) or whether this depth represents a surface along which slumping has occurred. We suspect both are true in part, that is, that mass movements and downslope reworking accumulate sediments in a mobile layer of material that is self-limiting in thickness.
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The organic facies of Cenozoic sediments cored at DSDP Sites 548-551 along the Celtic Sea margin of the northern North Atlantic (Goban Spur) is dominated by terrestrially derived plant remains and charcoal. Similar organic facies also occur in the Lower and Upper Cretaceous sections at these sites. Mid-Cretaceous (uppermost Albian-Turonian) sediments at Sites 549-551, however, record two different periods of enrichment in organic material, wherein marine organic matter was mixed with terrestrial components. The earlier period is represented only in the uppermost Albianmiddle Cenomanian section at the most seaward site, 550. Here, dark laminated marly chalks rich in organic matter occur rhythmically interbedded with light-colored, bioturbated marly chalks poor in organic matter, suggesting that bottom waters alternated between oxidizing and reducing conditions. A later period of enrichment in organic material is recorded in the upper Cenomanian-Turonian sections at Sites 549 and 551 as a single, laminated black mudstone interval containing biogenic siliceous debris. It was deposited along the margin during a time of oxygen deficiency associated with upwelling-induced intensification and expansion of the mid-water oxygen-minimum layer. In both the earlier and later events, variations in productivity appear to have been the immediate cause of oxygen depletion in the bottom waters.
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Three sediment cores from the continental shelf and slope off NW Africa (Banc d'Arguin; 52 m, 665 m and 973 m water depth) have been investigated by means of a coarse fraction analysis. The two shallower cores have been deposited during less than 10,000 years, the deeper one during the last 36,000 years. The Holocene sedimentation ( 4000 years) in the deeper part of core 79 the edge of the Banc d'Arguin is strongly influenced by reworking of Late Glacial dune sands and biogenic particles from shallower ware (<40 m), as well as eroding current influence. A decrease in grain size of silicate material and a decrease in lateral supply, correlated to a doubling of accumulation rates in the upper part of the core, indicates a more autochthonous sedimentation with less sorting influence in the youngest Holocene. The depth of provenance of the allochttonous material can be assumed in 100-300 m water depth as indicated by various biogenous particles. Small amounts of shallow water particles in the autochthonous layers indicate a supplay from shallow water, which probably occured b ythe mechanism of "particle by particle supply". None of the three cores indicates upwelling influence, although occanographers found intense upwelling in the area of the Banc d'Arguin. The Holocene climate in that area probably has been arid, small variations in terrigenous matter composition and grain size in the Early Holocene might be due to decreased wind strength or to an increase in rain fall. The Peak Glacial section (14,000-22,000 y. B.P.) of the deepest core 88 indicates a very much intensified eolian silt supply and an additional bottom supply of quartz sand In the interval 22,000-36,000 y. B.P. wind strength decreased, but probably no increase in humidity occurred. So this area in about 19° 40' N had an arid climate in the Late Holocene and in the Peak Glacial. The fragmentation of planktonic foraminifers and the abundance of aragonitic tests of pteropods in core 88 indicate an Early Holocene (8330 y. B.P.) preservation spike. Two minima in fragmentation correlated to maxima in pteropod content at about 15,700 and 21,000 y. B.P. are correlated to maxima in shallow water supply and thus do not reflect preservation conditions, but only lateral supply from the carbonate dissolution minimum zone in about 300 m water depth.
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1. Morphology and sedimentation The deepest parts of the Persian Gulf lie off the Iranian coast. Several swells separate the Persian Gulf into the Western Basin, the Central Basin and the Strait of Hormuz, which leads without noticeable morphological interruption onto the Biaban Shelf; the latter gradually drops off towards the continental slope, which itself has a strongly subdivided morphology. The sediment distribution in the Western Basin runs parallel to the basin's axis to a depth of 50 -60 m. This is caused by the shallow and uniform slope of the Iranian coast into the Western Basin, by clear exposure of the area to the Shamal-Winds and by tidal currents parallel to the basin's axis. Most other parameters also show isolines parallel to the coast line. Data from the sediment analyses show a net transport which extends out along the Central Swell: coarse fraction > 63 µ, total carbonate content, carbonate in fine fractions < 2 µ, 2-6 µ and 20-63 µ, calcite-aragonite ratios in the fine fractions 2-6 µ and 20-63 µ and quartz-dolomite ratios in fine fraction 2-6 µ. At least the uppermost 10-40 m of this sediment is late Holocene. This implies sedimentation rates of several meters per 1000 years. The slope from the Iranian coast into the Central Basin (max. depth 100 m) is generally steeper, with interspersed islands and flats. Both facts tend to disturb a sediment dustribition parallel to the basin's axis over extensive areas and may preclude any such trend from being detected by the methods and sample net used. The spatial distribution of the coarse fraction, however, seems to indicate sediment transport at greater water depths perpendicular to the basin's long axis and along the steepest gradients well into the Central Basin. The flats of the Central Basin have a sediment cover distinctly different from those of the deeper basin areas. Characteristic parameters are the extremely high percentages of coarse grained sediments, total content of carbonate CO2 over 40, low total organic carbon content, (however values are high if calculated on the basis of the < 63 µ fraction), low total N-content, and low C/N ratios. These characteristics probably result from the absence of any terrigenous material being brought in as well as from exposure to wave action. Finest terrigenous material is deposited in the innermost protected part of the Hormuz Bay. In the deep channel cut into the Biaban Shelf which carries the Persian Gulf out-flow water to the Indian Ocean, no fine grained sediment is deposited as shown by grain size data. 2. Geographic settings and sedimentation Flat lands border the Arabian coast of the Persian Gulf except for the Oman region. The high and steep Zagros Mountains form the Iranian coastline. Flat topography in combination with generally low precipitation precludes fluviatile sediment being added from the South. Inorganic and biogenic carbonates accumulating under low sedimentation rates are dominant on the shallow Arabic Shelf and the slopes into the Western and Central Basins. The fluviatile sediment brought in from the Iranian side, however decisively determine the composition of the Holocene sediment cover in the Persian Gulf and on the Biaban Shelf. Holocene sediments extend 20-30 km seaward into the Western Basin and about 25 km on to the Biaban Shelf. As mentioned before, sedimentation rates are of several meters/1000 years. The rocks exposed in the hinterland influence the sediments. According to our data the Redbeds of the Zagros Mountains determine the colour of the very fine grained sediments near the Iranian Coast of the Persian Gulf. To the West of Hormuz, addition of carbonate minerals is particularly high. Dolomite and protodolomite, deposited only in this area, as well as palygorskite, have proven to be excellent trace minerals. To the East of Hormuz, the supply of terrigenous carbonates is considerably lower. Clay minerals appear to bring in inorganically bound nitrogen thus lowering the C/N ratio in these sediments especially off river mouths. 3. Climate and sedimentation The Persian Gulf is located in a climatically arid region. This directly affects sedimentation through increased wind action and the infrequent but heavy rainfalls which cause flash floods. Such flash floods could be responsible for transporting sedheats into the Central Basin in a direction perpendicular to the Gulf's axis. Eolian influx is difficult to asses from our data; however, it probably is of minor importance from the Iranian side and may add, at the most, a few centimeters of fine sediment per 1000 years. 4. Hydrology and sedimentation High water temperatures favor inorganic carbonate precipitation in southern margin of the Gulf, and probably on the flats, as well as biogenic carbonate production in general. High evaporation plus low water inflow through rivers and precipitation cause a circulation pattern that is typical for epicontinental seas within the arid climate region. Surface water flows in from the adjoining ocean, in this case the Indian Ocean and sinks to the bottom of the Persian Gulf mainly in the northern part of the Western Basin, on the "Mesopotamischer Flachschelf" ard probably in the area of the "Arabischer Flachschelf". This sinking water continually rejuvenates the bottom out-flow water. The inflowing surface water from the Indian Ocean brings organic matter into the Persian Gulf, additional nutrients are added by the "fresh" upwelling waters of the Gulf of Oman. Both nutrients and organic matter diminish very rapidly as the water moves into the Persian Gulf. This depletion of nutrients and organic matter is the reasonfor generally low organic carbon contents of the Persian Gulf sediments. The Central Swell represents a distinct boundary, to the west of which the organic carbon content are lower than to the east when sediment samples of similar grain size distribution are compared. The outflow carries well oxygenated water over the bottom of the Persian Gulf and the resulting oxidation further decreases the content of organic matter. In the Masandam-Channel and in the Biaban-Shelf channel, the outflowing water prevents deposition of fine material and transports sediment particles well beyond the shelf margin. The outflowing water remains at a depth of 200-300 m depending on its density and releases ist suspending sediment load to the ocean floor, irrespectative of the bottom morphology. This is reflected in several parameters in which the sediments from beneath the outflow differ from nearby sediments not affected by the outflowing water. High carbonate content of total samples and of the individual size fraction as well as high aragonite and dolomite contents of individual size fractions characterize the sediment beneath the outflowing water. The tidal currents, which avt more or less parallel to the Gulf's axis, favor mixing of the water masses, they rework sediments at velocities reported here. This fact enlarges to a certain degree the extent of our interfaces which are based on only a few sample points (Persian Gulf and Biaban Shelf one sample per 620 km**2, continental slope one sample per 1000 km**2). The water on the continental slope shows and oxygen minimum at 200-1200 m which favors preservation of organically-bound carbon in the sediment. The low pH-values may even permit dissolution of carbonate minerals.
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Results and discussion cover pigment analyses of 36 sediment samples recovered by Deep Sea Drilling Project Leg 64, and six samples from the Leg 64 site-survey cruise in the Guaymas Basin (Scripps Institution of Oceanography, Leg 3). Pigments investigated were tetrapyrroles, tetraterpenoids, and the PAH compound perylene. Traces of mixed nickel and copper ETIO-porphyrins were ubiquitous in all sediment samples, except for the very surface (i.e., <2 m sub-bottom), and their presence is taken as an indication of minor influxes of previously oxidized allochthonous (terrestrial) organic matter. Phorbides and chlorins isolated from Site 479 sediment samples (i.e., the oxygen-minimum locale, northeast of the Guaymas Basin) well represent the reductive diagenesis ("Treibs Scheme"; see Baker and Palmer, 1978; Treibs, 1936) of chlorophyll derivatives. Three forms of pheophytin-a, plus a variety of phorbides, were found to give rise to freebase porphyrins, nickel phylloerythrin, and nickel porphyrins, with increasing depth of burial (increasing temperature). Sediments from Sites 481, 10G, and 18G yielded chlorophyll derivatives characteristic of early oxidative alterations. Included among these pigments are allomerized pheophytin-a, purpurin-18, and chlorin-p6. The high thermal gradient imposed upon the late Quaternary sediments of Site 477 greatly accelerated chlorophyll diagenesis in the adjacent overlying sediments, that is, the production of large quantities of free-base desoxophylloerythroetioporphyrin (DPEP) occurred in a section (477-7-5) presently only 49.8 meters sub-bottom. Present depth and age of these sediments are such that only chlorins and phorbides would be expected. Carotenoid (i.e., tetraterpenoids) concentrations were found to decrease rapidly with increasing sub-bottom depth. Less deeply buried sediments (e.g., 0-30 m) yielded mixtures of carotenes and oxygen-substituted carotenoids. Oxygencontaining (oxy-, oxo-, epoxy-) carotenoids were found to be lost preferentially with increased depth of burial. Early carotenoid diagenesis is suggested as involving interacting reductions and dehydrations whereby dehydro-, didehydro-, and retro-carotenes are generated. Destruction of carotenoids as pigments may involve oxidative cleavage of the isoprenoid chain through epoxy intermediates, akin to changes in the senescent cells of plants. Perylene was found to be a common component of the extractable organic matter from all sediments investigated. The generation of alkyl perylenes was found to parallel increases in the existing thermal regime at all sites. Igneous sills and sill complexes within the sediment profile of Site 481 altered (i.e., scrambled) the otherwise straightforward thermally induced alkylation of perylene. The degree of perylene alkylation is proposed as an indicator of geothermal stress for non-contemporaneous marine sediments.
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Continuous sedimentary records from an eastern Mediterranean cold-water coral ecosystem thriving in intermediate water depths (~600 m) reveal a temporary extinction of cold-water corals during the Early to Mid Holocene from 11.4-5.9 cal kyr BP. Benthic foraminiferal assemblage analysis shows low-oxygen conditions of 2 ml l**-1 during the same period, compared to bottom-water oxygen values of 4-5 ml l**-1 before and after the coral-free interval. The timing of the corals' demise coincides with the sapropel S1 event, during which the deep eastern Mediterranean basin turned anoxic. Our results show that during the sapropel S1 event low oxygen conditions extended to the rather shallow depths of our study site in the Ionian Sea and caused the cold-water corals temporary extinction. This first evidence for the sensitivity of cold-water corals to low oceanic oxygen contents suggests that the projected expansion of tropical oxygen minimum zones resulting from global change will threaten cold-water coral ecosystems in low latitudes in the same way that ocean acidification will do in the higher latitudes.
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Silicon isotopes are a powerful tool to investigate the cycling of dissolved silicon (Si). In this study the distribution of the Si isotope composition of dissolved silicic acid (d30Si(OH)4) was analyzed in the water column of the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) where one of the globally largest Oxygen Minimum Zones (OMZs) is located. Samples were collected at 7 stations along two meridional transects from the equator to 14°S at 85°50'W and 82°00'W off the Ecuadorian and Peruvian coast. Surface waters show a large range in isotope compositions d30Si(OH)4 (+2.2 per mil to +4.4 per mil) with the highest values found at the southernmost station at 14°S. This station also revealed the most depleted silicic acid concentrations (0.2 µmol/kg), which is a function of the high degree of Si utilization by diatoms and admixture with waters from highly productive areas. Samples within the upper water column and the OMZ at oxygen concentrations below 10 µmol/kg are characterized by a large range in d30Si(OH)4, which mainly reflects advection and mixing of different water masses, even though the highly dynamic hydrographic system of the upwelling area off Peru does not allow the identification of clear Si isotope signals for distinct water masses. Therefore we cannot rule out that also dissolution processes have an influence on the d30Si(OH)4 signature in the subsurface water column. Deep water masses (>2000 m) in the study area show a mean d30Si(OH)4 of +1.2±0.2 per mil, which is in agreement with previous studies from the eastern and central Pacific. Comparison of the new deep water data of this study and previously published data from the central Pacific and Southern Ocean reveal substantially higher d30Si(OH)4 values than deep water signatures from the North Pacific. As there is no clear correlation between d30Si(OH)4 and silicic acid concentrations in the entire data set the distribution of d30Si(OH)4 signatures in deep waters of the Pacific is considered to be mainly a consequence of the mixing of several end member water masses with distinct Si isotope signatures including Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW) and North Pacific Deep Water (NPDW).