Composition of pore water and diagenetic carbonates of ODP Site 123-765

Degradation of organic matter in slightly organic-rich (1 wt% organic carbon) Neogene calcareous turbidites of the Argo Basin at Site 765 by sulfate reduction results in pore-water phosphate, ammonium, manganese, and carbonate alkalinity maxima. Pore-water calcium and magnesium decrease in the uppermost 100 meters below seafloor (mbsf) in response to the precipitation of calcian dolomite with an average composition of Ca1.15Mg0.83Fe0.02(CO3)2. Clear, euhedral dolomite rhombs range from <1 to 40 µm in diameter and occur in trace to minor amounts (<1-2 wt%) in Pleistocene to Pliocene sediment (62-210 mbsf) The abundance of dolomite increases markedly (2-10 wt%) in Miocene sediment (210-440 mbsf). The dolomite is associated with diagenetic sepiolite and palygorskite, as well as redeposited biogenic low-Mg calcite and aragonitic benthic foraminifers. Currently, dolomite is precipitating at depth within the pore spaces of the sediment, largely as a result of aragonite dissolution. The rate of aragonite dissolution, calculated from the pore-water strontium profile, is sufficient to explain the amount of dolomite observed at Site 765. A foraminiferal aragonite precursor is further supported by the carbon and oxygen isotopic compositions of the dolomite, which are fairly close to the range of isotopic compositions observed for Miocene benthic foraminifers. Dolomite precipitation is promoted by the degradation of organic matter by sulfate-reducing bacteria because the lower pore-water sulfate concentration reduces the effect of sulfate inhibition on the dolomite reaction and because the higher carbonate alkalinity increases the degree of saturation of the pore waters with dolomite. Organic matter degradation also results in the precipitation of pyrite and trace amounts of apatite (francolite), and the release of iron and manganese to the pore water by reduction of Fe and Mn oxides. Spherical, silt-sized aggregates of microcrystalline calcian rhodochrosite occur in trace to minor amounts in Lower Cretaceous sediment from 740 to 900 mbsf at Site 765. A negative carbon isotopic composition suggests that the rhodochrosite formed early in the sulfate reduction zone, but a depleted oxygen isotopic composition suggests that the rhodochrosite may have recrystallized at deeper burial depths.

Organic geochemistry of interstitial waters at DSDP Holes 64-474 and 64-479

Studies of the nature and amount of dissolved organic matter (DOM) in pore-water solutions have been confined mostly to recent sediments (Henrichs and Farrington, 1979; Krom and Sholkovitz, 1977; Nissenbaum et al., 1972). The analyses of organic constituents in interstitial waters have not been extended to sediment depths of more than 15 meters (Starikova, 1970). Large fluctuations in organic contents of near-bottom interstitial fluids suggest that organic compounds may provide insight into the chemical and biological processes occurring in the sedimentary column. Gradients in inorganic ion concentrations have been used as indicators of diagenesis of organic matter in deep sediments and interstitial waters. Shishkina (1978) attributed the occurrence of iodine and Cl/Br ratios that deviated from the value of seawater to the breakdown of organic matter and the liberation of bromide during mineralization. Sulfate depletion and maxima in ammonia concentrations were interpreted to be a consequence of sulfate reduction reactions in pore fluids, even at depths of more than 400 meters (Miller et al., 1979; Manheim and Schug, 1978).The purpose of this chapter is to study organic carbon compounds dissolved in interstitial waters of deep sediments at Sites 474 and 479.

Determination of millennial-scale climate variability based on alkenones in the western Atlantic Ocean

High-resolution records of alkenone-derived sea surface temperatures and elemental Ti/Ca ratios from a sediment core retrieved off northeastern Brazil (4° S) reveal short-term climate variability throughout the past 63,000 a. Large pulses of terrigenous sediment discharge, caused by increased precipitation in the Brazilian hinterland, coincide with Heinrich events and the Younger Dryas period. Terrigenous input maxima related to Heinrich events H6-H2 are characterized by rapid cooling of surface water ranging between 0.5 and 2° C. This signature is consistent with a climate model experiment where a reduction of the Atlantic meridional overturning circulation (AMOC) and related North Atlantic cooling causes intensification of NE trade winds and a southward movement of the Intertropical Convergence Zone, resulting in enhanced precipitation off northeastern Brazil. During deglaciation the surface temperature evolution at the core site predominantly followed the Antarctic warming trend, including a cooling, prior to the Younger Dryas period. An abrupt temperature rise preceding the onset of the Bølling/Allerød transition agrees with model experiments suggesting a Southern Hemisphere origin for the abrupt resumption of the AMOC during deglaciation caused by Southern Ocean warming and associated with northward flow anomalies of the South Atlantic western boundary current.

Early Oligocene dinoflagellate cysts from the Upper Rhine Graben

Using principal component analysis and cyst diversity and equity trends, we can recognize four distinct dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages from four Rupelian (Early Oligocene) cores in the Mainz Embayment of the northern Rhine Graben (SW Germany). These assemblages are the Spiniferites ramosus (PC1), Thalassiphora pelagica (PC2), Homotryblium tenuispinosum (PC3), and Vozzhennikovia spinula (PC4) assemblages. The four cores provide an onshore-offshore transect in the Mainz Embayment. The H. tenuispinosum assemblage shows high factor loadings in proximal to intermediate cores, which is interpreted to reflect temporary high-salinity conditions. Mean dinocyst diversity and equity increase with distance from the Mid-Rupelian shoreline, indicating increasingly stable paleoenvironmental conditions towards the center of the Mainz Embayment. Within individual cores, changes in dinocyst assemblages through time are related to paleoenvironmental and paleoclimatological changes. The three proximal to intermediate cores show dominance of the H. tenuispinosum assemblage repeatedly alternating with high factor loadings of the T. pelagica assemblage. In both cases, dinocyst diversity and equity tend to be reduced. Highest factor loadings of the S. ramosus assemblage occur in intervals where neither of the above assemblages is dominant and tend to coincide with dinocyst diversity and equity maxima. We interpret this distribution pattern to denote different paleoceanographic conditions, reflecting drier and more humid phases in the Early Oligocene of Central Europe. During relatively dry periods, increased salinity conditions prevailed in proximal to intermediate settings of the Mainz Embayment, as reflected by the dominance of the H. tenuispinosum assemblage. During more humid periods, increased runoff led to higher nutrient availability and the formation of a pycnocline separating slightly less saline surface waters from higher saline deeper waters, thus impeding vertical circulation. These environmental conditions are documented in high loadings of the T. pelagica assemblage which is indicative of increased eutrophication and/or oxygen-depleted bottom waters. Transitions between drier and more humid periods, i.e. episodes of normal marine conditions, are characterized by high loadings predominantly of the S. ramosus assemblage as well as increased dinocyst diversity and equity values. We propose that the alternations between drier and more humid phases may be related to variations in the ocean-atmosphere moisture flux from the North Atlantic into Central Europe bearing a high-latitude climate signal.

Stable isotopes, core logging data, relative paleointensity, dry bulk density, biogenic opal, CN-data (TC, TOC, CaCO3, TN), element concentrations, and coarse fraction of three sediment cores from the western Bering Sea

We used piston cores recovered in the western Bering Sea to reconstruct millennial-scale changes in marine productivity and terrigenous matter supply over the past ~180 kyr. Based on a geochemical multi-proxy approach, our results indicate closely interacting processes controlling marine productivity and terrigenous matter supply comparable to the situation in the Okhotsk Sea. Overall, terrigenous inputs were high, whereas export production was low. Minor increases in marine productivity occurred during intervals of Marine Isotope Stage 5 and interstadials, but pronounced maxima were recorded during interglacials and Termination I. The terrigenous material is suggested to be derived from continental sources on the eastern Bering Sea shelf and to be subsequently transported via sea ice, which is likely to drive changes in surface productivity, terrigenous inputs, and upper-ocean stratification. From our results we propose glacial, deglacial, and interglacial scenarios for environmental change in the Bering Sea. These changes seem to be primarily controlled by insolation and sea-level forcing which affect the strength of atmospheric pressure systems and sea-ice growth. The opening history of the Bering Strait is considered to have had an additional impact. High-resolution core logging data (color b*, XRF scans) strongly correspond to the Dansgaard-Oeschger climate variability registered in the NGRIP ice core and support an atmospheric coupling mechanism of Northern Hemisphere climates.

The Global Plankton Database: an inventory and data from the Former Soviet Union expeditions

At present time, there is a lack of knowledge on the interannual climate-related variability of zooplankton communities of the tropical Atlantic, central Mediterranean Sea, Caspian Sea, and Aral Sea, due to the absence of appropriate databases. In the mid latitudes, the North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) is the dominant mode of atmospheric fluctuations over eastern North America, the northern Atlantic Ocean and Europe. Therefore, one of the issues that need to be addressed through data synthesis is the evaluation of interannual patterns in species abundance and species diversity over these regions in regard to the NAO. The database has been used to investigate the ecological role of the NAO in interannual variations of mesozooplankton abundance and biomass along the zonal array of the NAO influence. Basic approach to the proposed research involved: (1) development of co-operation between experts and data holders in Ukraine, Russia, Kazakhstan, Azerbaijan, UK, and USA to rescue and compile the oceanographic data sets and release them on CD-ROM, (2) organization and compilation of a database based on FSU cruises to the above regions, (3) analysis of the basin-scale interannual variability of the zooplankton species abundance, biomass, and species diversity.

(Table 1) Stable carbon isotope record and total nitrogen concentration in ODP Hole 175-1085B sediments

Variations in the strength of coastal upwelling in the South East Atlantic Ocean and summer monsoonal rains over South Africa are controlled by the regional atmospheric circulation regime. Although information about these parameters exists for the last glacial period, little detailed information exists for older time periods. New information from ODP Site 1085 for Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 12-10 shows that glacial-interglacial productivity trends linked to upwelling variability followed a pattern similar to the last glacial cycle, with maximums shortly before glacial maxima, and minimums shortly before glacial terminations. During the MIS-11/10 transition, several periodic oscillations in productivity and monsoonal proxies are best explained by southwards shifts in the southern sub-tropical high-pressure cells followed by abrupt northwards shifts. Comparison to coeval sea-surface temperature measurements suggests that these monsoonal cycles were tightly coupled to anti-phased hemispheric climate change, with an intensified summer monsoon during periods of Northern (Southern) Hemisphere cooling (warming). The timing of these events suggests a pacing by insolation over precession periods. A lack of similar regional circulation shifts during the MIS-13/12 transition is likely due to the large equatorwards shift in the tropical convection zone that occurred during this extreme glaciation.

Light adsorption of phytoplankton and parameters of its biomass and cell biovolumes in the Black Sea in 1998-2000

Bio-optical characteristics of phytoplankton have been observed during two-year monitoring in the western Black Sea. High variability in light absorption coefficient of phytoplankton was due to change of pigment concentration and chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficient. A relationships between light absorption coefficients and chlorophyll a concentration have been found: for the blue maximum (a_ph(440) = 0.0413x**0.628; R**2 = 0.63) and for the red maximum (?_ph(678) = 0.0190x**0.843; R**2 = 0.83). Chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficients decreased while pigment concentration in the Sea increased. Observed variability in chlorophyll a specific absorption coefficient at chlorophyll a concentrations <1.0 mg/m**3 had seasonal features and was related with seasonal change of intracellular pigment concentration. Ratio between the blue and red maxima decreased with increasing chlorophyll a concentration (? = 2.14 x**-0.20; R**2 = 0.41). Variability of spectrally averaged absorption coefficient of phytoplankton (a'_ph ) on 95% depended on absorption coefficient at the blue maximum (y = 0.421x; R**2 = 0.95). Relation of a_ph with chlorophyll a concentration was described by a power function (y = 0.0173x**0.0709; R**2 = 0.65). Change of spectra shape was generally effected by seasonal dynamics of intracellular pigment concentration, and partly effected by taxonomic and cell-size structure of phytoplankton.

Interstitial water chemistry at DSDP Leg 74 Holes

Interstitial water studies from sites drilled during a transect of the Walvis Ridge indicate that concentration increases in calcium and decreases in magnesium toward and into the basement. These trends can be understood principally in terms of reactions taking place in Layer 2 of the oceanic crust. At Site 525, however, some removal of magnesium occurs within the sediment column. Concentration maxima of dissolved strontium clearly indicate that carbonate recrystallization occurs throughout the carbonate sediments, and studies of the Sr/Ca ratio in carbonates indicate that in chalks and limestones recrystallization is essentially complete. Predictions of dissolved strontium maxima generally fail; this can be understood as removal of strontium in basal sediments and/or basalts.

Late Pliocene stable oxygen isotope record of the Mediterranean Sea

Detailed pollen analyses and oxygen isotope records of three foraminiferal species, Globigerina bulloides, Uvigerina peregrina and Cibicides pachyderma, from the Semaforo and Vrica composite sections (Crotone, southern Italy) have been compared to the global climatic changes depicted by late Pliocene-early Pleistocene foraminiferal d18O records of Site 607 in the North Atlantic, and Hole 653A in the Tyrrhenian basin, West Mediterranean. Major overturns in the mid-altitude vegetation are shown near isotopic stages 82, 60, 58 and 50, at about 2.03 Ma, 1.6 Ma and 1.37 Ma according to the Raymo et al. (1989, doi:10.1029/PA004i004p00413) and Ruddiman et al. (1989, doi:10.1029/PA004i004p00353) timescales. At the same dates, glacial 18O maxima either became higher or display step increases in the western Mediterranean or in the open ocean as well. This suggests that size increases of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets were the driving factor for regional or local marine and continental environmental changes within the Mediterranean basin. Near isotopic stages 62-60, close to the conventional Plio-Pleistocene boundary, the climatic conditions severed enough within the Mediterranean basin to modify the continental environment, as depicted by a sudden increase of Artemisia percentages, while the first significant southward migration of the North Polar Front may have been recorded by an influx of left coiling Neogloboquadrina pachyderma in the central Mediterranean. It also appears that 'Boreal Guests' entered the Mediterranean during phases of 18O enrichment of foraminiferal calcite. There does not seem to be any discrepancy between the climatic concept of the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary and its chronostratigraphic definition.

210Pb and 210Po results from F.S. "Meteor" cruise 32 in the North Atlantic

The distribution of 210Pb and 210 Po on dissolved (< 0.4 micron) and particulate (> 0.4 micron) phases has been measured at ten stations occupied during cruise 32 of F.S. "Meteor" in the tropical and eastern North Atlantic. Both radionuclides occur principally in the dissolved phase. Unsupported 210Pb activities, maintained by flux from the atmosphere, are present in the surface mixed layer and penetrate into the thermocline to depths of about 500 m. Dissolved 210Po is ordinarily present in the mixed layer at less than equilibrium concentrations, suggesting rapid biological removal of this nuclide. Particulate matter is enriched in 210Po, with 210Po/210Pb activity ratios greater than 1.0, similar to those reported for phytoplankton. At depths of 100-300 m, 210Po maxima occur, and unsupported 210Po is frequently present, an observation that suggests rapid re-cycling within the thermocline. Comparison of the 210Pb distributions with those reported for 226Ra at nearby GEOSECS stations confirms the widespread existence of a 210Pb/226Ra disequilibrium in the deep sea. Close to the bottom, profiles of 210Pb and 226Ra usually diverge, and 210Pb concentrations frequently decrease with depth, suggesting a sink 210 Pb near the seafloor. Particulate 210Pb concentrations ordinarily show little systematic variation with depth. At depths greater than 1000 m, dissolved 210Po activities are, on the average, less than those of 210Pb by 12%. A corresponding 210 Po enrichment in the particulate phase is found.