Geochemical and rock magnetic investigation of sediment cores of the western South Atlantic

Geochemical and rock magnetic investigations of sediments from three sites on the continental margin off Argentina and Uruguay were carried out to study diagenetic alteration of iron minerals driven by anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). The western Argentine Basin represents a suitable sedimentary environment to study nonsteady-state processes because it is characterized by highly dynamic depositional conditions. Mineralogic and bulk solid phase data document that the sediment mainly consists of terrigenous material with high contents of iron minerals. As a typical feature of these deposits, distinct minima in magnetic susceptibility (k) are observed. Pore water data reveal that these minima in susceptibility coincide with the current depth of the sulfate/methane transition (SMT) where HS- is generated by the process of AOM. The released HS- reacts with the abundant iron (oxyhydr)oxides resulting in the precipitation of iron sulfides accompanied by a nearly complete loss of magnetic susceptibility. Modeling of geochemical data suggest that the magnetic record in this area is highly influenced by a drastic change in mean sedimentation rate (SR) which occurred during the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. We assume that the strong decrease in mean SR encountered during this glacial/interglacial transition induced a fixation of the SMT at a specific depth. The stagnation has obviously enhanced diagenetic dissolution of iron (oxyhydr)oxides within a distinct sediment interval. This assumption was further substantiated by numerical modeling in which the mean SR was decreased from 100 cm/kyr during glacial times to 5 cm/kyr in the Holocene and the methane flux from below was fixed to a constant value. To obtain the observed geochemical and magnetic patterns, the SMT must remain at a fixed position for ~9000 yrs. This calculated value closely correlates to the timing of the Pleistocene/Holocene transition. The results of the model show additionally that a constant high mean SR would cause a concave-up profile of pore water sulfate under steady state conditions.

Sedimentology of ODP sites in the Cape Basin, southeast Atlantic Ocean

Middle/late Miocene to early Pliocene sedimentary sequences along the continental margin of southwest Africa have changes that correspond to the carbonate crash (12-9 Ma) and biogenic bloom events (~7-4 Ma) described in the equatorial Pacific by Farrell et al. (1995, doi:10.2973/odp.proc.sr.138.143.1995). To explore the origins of these changes, we analyzed the carbon and coarse fraction contents of sediments from ODP Sites 1085, 1086, and 1087 at a time resolution of 5 to 30 kyr. Several major drops in CaCO3 concentration between 12 and 9 Ma are caused by dilution from major increases in clastic input from the Oranje River during global sea level regressions. Abundant pyrite crystals and good preservation of fish debris reflect low oxygenation of bottom/pore waters. Regional productivity was enhanced during the time equivalent to the carbonate crash period. Higher benthic/planktic foraminiferal ratios indicate that CaCO3 dissolution at Site 1085 peaked between 9 to 7 Ma, which was after the global carbonate crash. This period of enhanced dissolution suggests that Site 1085 was located within a low-oxygen water mass that dissolved CaCO3 more easily than North Atlantic Deep Water, which began to bathe this site at 7 Ma. At 7 to 6 Ma, the onset of the biogenic bloom, increases and variations in total organic carbon and benthic foraminiferal accumulation rates show that paleoproductivity increased significantly above values observed during the carbonate crash period and fluctuated widely. We attribute the late Miocene paleoproductivity increase off southwest Africa to ocean-wide increases in nutrient supply and delivery.

Stable oxygen isotope record and age determination of sediments from the North Atlantic Ocean

Sea surface temperature and salinity estimates reconstructed using planktonic foraminiferal abundance and delta18O records from core SU90-03 (40°N, 32°W, 2475 m water depth) reveal large climatic fluctuations linked to major instabilities in Northern Hemisphere ice sheets over the last 150 000 years. Episodes of enhanced ice rafted detritus (IRD) input were accompanied by discrete temperature minima, representing coolings of between 4 and 8°C, and reductions in surface salinity of up to 2.5-3.5 per mil. Several additional cooling episodes of a similar magnitude were documented during intervals of low IRD input that appear to be synchronous, within the limits of dating, with ice rafting events spatially confined to higher latitudes. Accelerator mass spectrometer 14C dates for Heinrich events (H1 - 14.2 ka, H2 - 21.4 ka, H3 - 26.7 ka, H4 - 34.8 ka, H5 - 47.2 ka) obtained from core SU90-03 agree well with other published age estimates and suggest a contemporaneous pattern of climate change throughout the North Atlantic during the last glacial period. This interpretation is supported by a comparison of IRD and palaeotemperature records from DSDP site 609 and core SU90-03, which clearly shows that the major climatic fluctuations identified at high latitudes were transmitted toward the subtropics. However, 14C dates suggest that ice rafting episodes may be diachronous to some extent. The northward migration of the polar front after the H1 event at 40°N in the mid-Atlantic occurred at 14 ka, approximately 500 years earlier than along the Portuguese margin, where the southerly advection of polar waters persisted within eastern boundary current system.

Rock magnetic, element, and color data of three sediment cores along the Senegalese continental margin

We present a suite of new high-resolution records (0-135 ka) representing pulses of aeolian, fluvial, and biogenic sedimentation along the Senegalese continental margin. A multiproxy approach based on rock magnetic, element, and color data was applied on three cores enclosing the present-day northern limit of the ITCZ. A strong episodic aeolian contribution driven by stronger winds and dry conditions and characterized by high hematite and goethite input was revealed north of 13°N. These millennial-scale dust fluxes are synchronous with North Atlantic Heinrich stadials. Fluvial clay input driven by the West African monsoon predominates at 12°N and varies at Dansgaard-Oeschger time scales while marine productivity is strongly enhanced during the African humid periods and marine isotope stage 5. From latitudinal signal variations, we deduce that the last glacial ITCZ summer position was located between core positions at 12°26' and 13°40'N. Furthermore, this work also shows that submillennial periods of aridity over northwest Africa occurred more frequently and farther south than previously thought.

Bulk geochemistry and grain-size composition of surface sediments from the SW Atlantic

Surface sediments from the South American continental margin surrounding tbe Argentine Basin were studied with respect to bulk geochemistry (Caeo) and C ) and grain-size composition (sand/silt/clay relation and terrigenous silt grain-size distribution). The grain-size distributions of the terrigenous silt fraction were unmixed into three end members (EMs), using an end-member modelling algorithm. Three unimodal EMs appear to satisfactorily explain the variations in the data set of the grain-size distributions ofterrigenous silt. The EMs are related to sediment supply by rivers, downslope transport, winnowing, dispersal and re-deposition by currents. The bulk geochemical composition was used to trace the distribution of prominent water masses within the vertical profile. The sediments of the eastern South American continental margin are generally divided into a coarse-grained and carbonate-depleted southwestern part, and a finer-grained and carbonate-rich northeastern part. The transition of both environments is located at the position of the Brazil Malvinas Confluence (BMC). The sediments below the confluence mixing zone of the Malvinas and Brazil Currents and its extensions are characterised by high concentrations of organic carbon, low carbonate contents and high proportions of the intennediate grain-size end member. Tracing these properties, the BMC emerges as a distinct north-south striking feature centered at 52-54°W crossing the continental margin diagonally. Adjacent to this prominent feature in the southwest, the direct detrital sediment discharge of the Rio de la Plata is clearly recognised by a downslope tongue of sand and high proportions of the coarsest EM. A similar coarse grain-size composition extends further south along the continental slope. However, it displays bener sorting due to intense winnowing by the vigorous Malvinas Current. Fine-grained sedimentary deposition zones are located at the southwestern deeper part of the Rio Grande Rise and the southern abyssal Brazil Basin, both within the AABW domain. Less conspicuous winnowing/accumulation panerns are indicated north of the La Plata within the NADW level according to the continental margin topography. We demonstrate that combined bulk geochemical and grain-size properties of surface sediments, unmixed with an end-member algorithm, provide a powerful tool to reconstruct the complex interplay of sedimentology and oceanography along a time slice.

Aprubt climate change events in the Northeastern Atlantic Ocean

The western Iberian margin has been one of the key locations to study abrupt glacial climate change and associated interhemispheric linkages. The regional variability in the response to those events is being studied by combining a multitude of published and new records. Looking at the trend from Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 10 to 2, the planktic foraminifer data, conform with the alkenone record of Martrat et al. [2007], shows that abrupt climate change events, especially the Heinrich events, became more frequent and their impacts in general stronger during the last glacial cycle. However, there were two older periods with strong impacts on the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC): the Heinrich-type event associated with Termination (T) IV and the one occurring during MIS 8 (269 to 265 ka). During the Heinrich stadials of the last glacial cycle, the polar front reached the northern Iberian margin (ca. 41°N), while the arctic front was located in the vicinity of 39°N. During all the glacial periods studied, there existed a boundary at the latter latitude, either the arctic front during extreme cold events or the subarctic front during less strong coolings or warmer glacials. Along with these fronts sea surface temperatures (SST) increased southward by about 1°C per one degree of latitude leading to steep temperature gradients in the eastern North Atlantic and pointing to a close vicinity between subpolar and subtropical waters. The southern Iberian margin was always bathed by subtropical water masses - surface and/ or subsurface ones -, but there were periods when these waters also penetrated northward to 40.6°N. Glacial hydrographic conditions were similar during MIS 2 and 4, but much different during MIS 6. MIS 6 was a warmer glacial with the polar front being located further to the north allowing the subtropical surface and subsurface waters to reach at minimum as far north as 40.6°N and resulting in relative stable conditions on the southern margin. In the vertical structure, the Greenland-type climate oscillations during the last glacial cycle were recorded down to 2465 m during the Heinrich stadials, i.e. slightly deeper than in the western basin. This deeper boundary is related to the admixing of Mediterranean Outflow Water, which also explains the better ventilation of the intermediate-depth water column on the Iberian margin. This compilation revealed that latitudinal, longitudinal and vertical gradients existed in the waters along the Iberian margin, i.e. in a relative restricted area, but sufficient paleo-data exists now to validate regional climate models for abrupt climate change events in the northeastern North Atlantic Ocean.

Carbonate sedimentology of the Propeller Mound, Northeast Atlantic

High resolution studies from the Propeller Mound, a cold-water coral carbonate mound in the NE Atlantic, show that this mound consists of >50% carbonate justifying the name "carbonate mound". Through the last ~300,000 years approximately one third of the carbonate has been contributed by cold-water corals, namely Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata. This coral bound contribution to the carbonate budget of Propeller Mound is probably accompanied by an unknown portion of sediments buffered from suspension by the corals. However, extended hiatuses in Propeller Mound sequences only allow the calculation of a net carbonate accumulation. Thus, net carbonate accumulation for the last 175 kyr accounts for only <0.3 g/cm2/kyr, which is even less than for the off-mound sediments. These data imply that Propeller Mound faces burial by hemipelagic sediments as has happened to numerous buried carbonate mounds found slightly to the north of the investigated area.

Stable isotope record of planktonic foraminifera from the western Iberian margin during marine isotope stage 2

The surface water hydrography along the western Iberian margin, as part of the North Atlantic's eastern boundary upwelling system, consists of a complex, seasonally variable system of equatorward and poleward surface and subsurface currents and seasonal upwelling. Not much information exists to ascertain if the modern current and productivity patterns subsisted under glacial climate conditions, such as during marine isotope stage (MIS) 2, and how North Atlantic meltwater events, especially Heinrich events, affected them. To help answer these questions we are combining stable isotope records of surface to subsurface dwelling planktonic foraminifer species with sea surface temperature and export productivity data for four cores distributed along the western and southwestern Iberian margin (MD95-2040, MD95-2041, MD99-2336, and MD99-2339). The records reveals that with the exception of the Heinrich events and Greenland Stadial (GS) 4 hydrographic conditions along the western Iberian margin were not much different from the present. During the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), subtropical surface and subsurface waters penetrated poleward to at least 40.6°N (site MD95-2040). Export productivity was, in general, high on the western margin during the LGM and low in the central Gulf of Cadiz, in agreement with the modern situation. During the Heinrich events and GS 4, on the other hand, productivity was high in the Gulf of Cadiz and suppressed in the upwelling regions along the western margin where a strong halocline inhibited upwelling. Heinrich event 1 had the strongest impact on the hydrography and productivity off Iberia and was the only period when subarctic surface waters were recorded in the central Gulf of Cadiz. South of Lisbon (39°N), the impact of the other Heinrich events was diminished, and not all of them led to a significant cooling in the surface waters. Thus, climatic impacts of Heinrich events highly varied with latitude and the prevailing hydrographic conditions in this region.

Nd and Sr isotopic compositions and isotope dilution trace element concentrations from 7 sediment cores along the southeast Greenland margin

The Nd and Sr isotopic compositions of Quaternary glacial and glacimarine siliciclastic sediments deposited along the margin of southeast Greenland were determined to assess the roles of the Greenland, Iceland, and more distal ice sheets in delivering detritus to this portion of the northern North Atlantic. The isotopic compositions of detritus generated by portions of the southern Greenland Ice Sheet were defined through measurements of till and trough mouth fan sediments. Massive diamicts from the Scoresby Sund trough mouth fan show a restricted range of e-Nd (-11.8 to -16.6) and 87Sr/86Sr (0.7192-0.7246) consistent with their derivation from mixtures of sediments derived from Paleoproterozoic and/or Caledonian basement and Tertiary Greenland basalts. Further south at Kangerlussuaq, till isotopic compositions covary with the underlying basement type, with low e-Nd values in the inner fiord (-18.1) reflecting the erosion of the local Precambrian gneisses, but with higher e-Nd values (-2.3 to 2.5) found where the trough crosses East Greenland Tertiary basalts. Fine-grained (< 63 µm) sediments deposited along the southeast Greenland margin also show regular spatial isotopic variations. Ambient sediments and ice-rafted detritus in the southern Irminger Basin trend towards low e-Nd values (to ~ -28) and 87Sr/86Sr ratios (~ 0.711 to ~ 0.715) and are likely derived from proximal Archean gneisses of SE Greenland. Further north in the northern Irminger and Blosseville Basins, sediments trend toward much higher e-Nd (> -4) and low 87Sr/86Sr (< 0.709) reflecting a component derived from the local Iceland volcanic rocks and/or the East Greenland Tertiary basalts. In all three regions, the locally-derived detritus is intermixed with sediment with an intermediate e-Nd value (~ -10) and 87Sr/86Sr (~ 0.718) that was likely delivered by icebergs emanating from the Eurasian Ice Sheets and not from eastern Greenland. Deposition of glacial sediments from both proximal and distal (Eurasian) sources occurred adjacent to SE Greenland throughout the past 50 Ka, with periodic increases in IRD deposition at various times including those of Heinrich events 1, 2 and 4. These results suggest that at least the southern portions of the Greenland Ice Sheet experienced periodic instabilities during the Last Glacial period.

Sedimentation processes in the Mar del Plata Canyon (Southwest Atlantic) reconstructed from three sediment cores (GeoB13832-2, GeoB13833-2, GeoB13862-1)

The Mar del Plata Canyon is located at the continental margin off northern Argentina in a key intermediate and deep-water oceanographic setting. In this region, strong contour currents shape the continental margin by eroding, transporting and depositing sediments. These currents generate various depositional and erosive features which together are described as a Contourite Depositional System (CDS). The Mar del Plata Canyon intersects the CDS, and does not have any obvious connection to the shelf or to an onshore sediment source. Here we present the sedimentary processes that act in the canyon and show that continuous Holocene sedimentation is related to intermediate-water current activity. The Holocene deposits in the canyon are strongly bioturbated and consist mainly of the terrigenous "sortable silt" fraction (10-63 µm) without primary structures, similarly to drift deposits. We propose that the Mar del Plata Canyon interacts with an intermediate-depth nepheloid layer generated by the northward-flowing Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW). This interaction results in rapid and continuous deposition of coarse silt sediments inside the canyon with an average sedimentation rate of 160 cm/kyr during the Holocene. We conclude that the presence of the Mar del Plata Canyon decreases the transport capacity of AAIW, in particular of its deepest portion that is associated with the nepheloid layer, which in turn generates a change in the contourite deposition pattern around the canyon. Since sedimentation processes in the Mar del Plata Canyon indicate a response to changes of AAIW contour-current strength related to Late Glacial/Holocene variability, the sediments deposited within the canyon are a great climate archive for paleoceanographic reconstructions. Moreover, an additional involvement of (hemi) pelagic sediments indicates episodic productivity events in response to changes in upper ocean circulation possibly associated with Holocene changes in intensity of El Niño/Southern Oscillation.

Element concentrations and stable isotope record of planktonic foraminifera of sediment cores from the northeastern Brazilian Continental Margin

Detailed 14C AMS data and isotope based stratigraphies from high-resolution paleoceanographic records for the last 22 ka of cores from the upper continental slope off NE Brazil reveal sedimentation rates of up to 100 cm per 1000 yr. Variations in the sediment composition relate to changes in the input of terrigenous material. The sedimentation is controlled by sea level and by the climatic regime of the hinterland. Short-term changes in the tropical wind field may act as a climatic trigger. The zonality of the SE trades was probably increased and the monsoonal activity over Africa reduced during the Younger Dryas period.

Distribution of benthic foraminifera in surface sediments on the continental margin off North-West Africa

The benthic foraminiferal populations along three traverses across the Northwest African continental margin were analyzed on the base of ca. 60 surface sediment samples. Depth ranges of 213 species were established and the main trends of vertical distribution are compared with those known from adjacent regions. Main faunal breaks occure at 100/200 m and 1000/1500 m depth of water. Some species show latitudinal distribution boundaries and the same applies to population density (standing stock), reflecting the regional distribution of nutrients supply by river discharge and upwelling processes. - High proportions of Bolivina test at the lower slope indicate extended downslope transport.

Stable isotope, seismic sequence boundaries and bioevents in ODP Hole 166-1006A

During ODP Leg 166, the recovery of cores from a transect of drill sites across the Bahamas margin from marginal to deep basin environments was an essential requirement for the study of the response of the sedimentary systems to sea-level changes. A detailed biostratigraphy based on planktonic foraminifera was performed on ODP Hole 1006A for an accurate stratigraphic control. The investigated late middle Miocene-early Pliocene sequence spans the interval from about 12.5 Ma (Biozone N12) to approximately 4.5 Ma (Biozone N19). Several bioevents calibrated with the time scale of Berggren et al. (1995a,b) were identified. The ODP Site 1006 benthic oxygen isotope stratigraphy can be correlated to the corresponding deep-water benthic oxygen isotope curve from ODP Site 846 in the Eastern Equatorial Pacific (Shackleton et al., 1995. Proc. ODP Sci. Res. 138, 337-356), which was orbitally tuned for the entire Pliocene into the latest Miocene at 6.0 Ma. The approximate stratigraphic match of the isotopic signals from both records between 4.5 and 6.0 Ma implies that the paleoceanographic signal from the Bahamas is not simply a record of regional variations but, indeed, represents glacio-eustatic fluctuations. The ODP Site 1006 oxygen and carbon isotope record, based on benthic and planktonic foraminifera, was used to define paleoceanographic changes on the margin, which could be tied to lithostratigraphic events on the Bahamas carbonate platform using seismic sequence stratigraphy. The oxygen isotope values show a general cooling trend from the middle to late Miocene, which was interrupted by a significant trend towards warmer sea-surface temperatures (SST) and associated sea-level rise with decreased ice volume during the latest Miocene. This trend reached a maximum coincident with the Miocene/Pliocene boundary. An abrupt cooling in the early Pliocene then followed the warming which continued into the earliest Pliocene. The late Miocene paleoceanographic evolution along the Bahamas margin can be observed in the ODP Site 1006 delta13C values, which support other evidence for the beginning of the closure of the Panama gateway at 8 Ma followed by a reduced intermediate water supply of water from the Pacific into the Caribbean at about 5 Ma. A general correlation of lower sedimentation rates with the major seismic sequence boundaries (SSBs) was observed. Additionally, the SSBs are associated with transitions towards more positive oxygen isotope excursions. This observed correspondence implies that the presence of a SSB, representing a density impedance contrast in the sedimentary sequence, may reflect changes in the character of the deposited sediment during highstands versus those during lowstands. However, not all of the recorded oxygen isotope excursions correspond to SSBs. The absence of a SSB in association with an oxygen isotope excursion indicates that not all oxygen isotope sea-level events impact the carbonate margin to the same extent, or maybe even represent equivalent sea-level fluctuations. Thus, it can be tentatively concluded that SSBs produced on carbonate margins do record sea-level fluctuations but not every sea-level fluctuation is represented by a SSB in the sequence stratigraphic record.

Stable isotope record, and abundances of ice rafted debris and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma in sediments of the Iberian margin

This paper documents the migration of the Polar Front (PF) over the Iberian margin during some of the cold climatic extremes of the last 45 ka. It is based on a compilation of robust and coherent paleohydrological proxies obtained from eleven cores distributed between 36 and 42°N. Planktonic delta18O (Globigerina bulloides), ice-rafted detritus concentrations, and the relative abundance of the polar foraminifera Neogloboquadrina pachyderma sinistral were used to track the PF position. These three data sets, compared from core to core, show a consistent evolution of the sea surface paleohydrology along the Iberian margin over the last 45 ka. We focused on five time slices representative of cold periods under distinct paleoenvironmental forcings: the 8.2 ka event and the Younger Dryas (two recent cold events occurring within high values of summer insolation), Heinrich events 1 and 4 (reflecting major episodes of massive iceberg discharges into the North Atlantic), and the Last Glacial Maximum (typifying the highest ice volume accumulated in the Northern Hemisphere). For each event, we generated schematic maps mirroring past sea surface hydrological conditions. The maps revealed that the Polar Front presence along the Iberian margin was restricted to Heinrich events. The sea surface conditions during the Last Glacial Maximum were close to those at present day, except for the northern sites which briefly experienced subarctic conditions.

Oxygen and hydrogen isotopes measured in the Northeast Atlantic

Only a few studies have examined the variation of oxygen and hydrogen isotopes of seawater in NE Atlantic water masses, and data are especially sparse for intermediate and deep-water masses. The current study greatly expands this record with 527 d18O values from 47 stations located throughout the mid- to low-latitude NE Atlantic. In addition, dD was analyzed in the 192 samples collected along the GEOTRACES North Atlantic Transect GA03 (GA03_e=KN199-4) and the 115 Iberia-Forams cruise samples from the western and southern Iberian margin. An intercomparison study between the two stable isotope measurement techniques (cavity ring-down laser spectroscopy and magnetic-sector isotope ratio mass spectrometry) used to analyze GA03_e samples reveals relatively good agreement for both hydrogen and oxygen isotope ratios. The surface (0-100 m) and central (100-500 m) water isotope data show the typical, evaporation related trend of increasing values equatorward with the exception for the zonal transect off Cape Blanc, NW Africa. Off Cape Blanc, surface water isotope signatures are modified by the upwelling of fresher Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) that generally has isotopic values of 0.0 to 0.5 per mil for d18O and 0 to 2 per mil for dD. Along the Iberian margin the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW) is clearly distinguished by its high d18O (0.5-1.1 per mil) and dD (3-6 per mil) values that can be traced into the open Atlantic. Isotopic values in the NE Atlantic Deep Water (NEADW) are relatively low (d18O: -0.1 to 0.5 per mil; dD: -1 to 4 per mil) and show a broader range than observed previously in the northern and southern convection areas. The NEADW is best observed at GA03_e Stations 5 and 7 in the central NE Atlantic basin. Antarctic Bottom Water isotope values are relatively high indicating modification of the original Antarctic source water along the flow path. The reconstructed d18O-salinity relationship for the complete data set has a slope of 0.51, i.e., slightly steeper than the 0.46 described previously by Pierre et al. (1994, J. Mar. Syst. 5 (2), 159-170.) for the tropical to subtropical Northeast Atlantic. This slope decreases to 0.46 for the subtropical North Atlantic Central Water (NACW) and the MOW and to 0.32 for the surface waters of the upper 50 m. The dD-salinity mixing lines have estimated slopes of 3.01 for the complete data, 1.26 for the MOW, 3.47 for the NACW, and 2.63 for the surface waters. The slopes of the d18O-dD relationship are significantly lower than the one for the Global Meteoric Water Line with 5.6 for the complete data set, 2.30 for the MOW, 4.79 for the NACW, and 3.99 for the surface waters. The lower slopes in all the relationships clearly reflect the impact of the evaporation surplus in the subtropics.