Geochemistry on manganese nodules from Loch Fyne, Scotland

Manganese nodules and manganese carbonate concretions occur in the upper 10-15 cm of the Recent sediments of Loch Fyne, Argyllshire in water depths of 180-200 m. The nodules are spherical, a few mm to 3 cm in diameter, and consist of a black, Mn-rich core and a thin, red, Fe-rich rim. The carbonate occurs as irregular concretions, 0.5-8 cm in size, and as a cement in irregular nodule and shell fragment aggregates. It partially replaces some nodule material and clastic silicate inclusions, but does not affect aragonitic and calcitic shell fragments. The nodules are approximately 75% pure oxides and contain 30% Mn and 4% Fe. In the cores, the principal mineral phase is todorokite, with a Mn/Fe ratio of 17. The rim consists of X-ray amorphous Fe and Mn oxides with a Mn/Fe ratio of 0.66. The cores are enriched, relative to Al, in K, Ba, Co, Mo, Ni and Sr while the rims contain more P, Ti, As, Pb, Y and Zn. The manganese carbonate has the composition (Mn47.7 Ca45.1 Mg7.2) CO3. Apart from Cu, all minor elements are excluded from significant substitution in the carbonate lattice. Manganese nodules and carbonates form diagenetically within the Recent sediments of Loch Fyne. This accounts for the high Mn/Fe ratios in the oxide phases and the abundance of manganese carbonate concretions. Mn concentrations in the interstitial waters of sediment cores are high (ca. 10 ppm) as also, by inference, are the dissolved carbonate concentrations.

Living benthic foraminifers in bottom sediments of the southeastern Kandalaksha Bay (White Sea)

Analysis of composition and distribution of benthic foraminifers in six samples of bottom sediments obtained in the southeast Kandalaksha Bay of the White Sea at water depths of 20 to 155 m revealed their dependence on lithology and different hydrological characteristics. It is shown that living foraminifers populating relatively shallow areas of the bay (20-60 m), which are bathed by seasonally warmed intermediate water with temperature 0.7-1.5°C and salinity 26 per mil, are characterized by high abundance (250-750 specimens/10 ccm of wet sediment) and prevalence of agglutinated species (Eggerella advena, Recurvoides turbinatus, and others). Deeper (155 m) where cold and relatively saline deep water occurs (-1.4°C, 29.5 per mil), abundance is an order lower (30 specimens/10 ccm) and is dominated by calcareous taxa Cassidulina reniforme, an Arctic cold resistant species.

Diatoms, total organic carbon, and total nitrogen of sediment core Dethlingen, Germany

To provide insights into the long-term evolution of aquatic ecosystems without human interference, we here evaluate a decadal- to centennial-scale-resolution diatom record spanning about 12 ka of the Holsteinian interglacial (Marine Isotope Stage 11c). Using a partially varved sediment core from the Dethlingen palaeolake (northern Germany), which has previously been studied for palynological and microfacies signals, we document the co-evolution of the aquatic and surrounding terrestrial environment. The diatom record is dominated by the genera Stephanodiscus, Aulacoseira, Ulnaria and Fragilaria. Based on the diatom assemblages and physical sediment properties, the evolution of the Dethlingen palaeolake can be subdivided into three major phases. During the oldest phase (lasting ~1900 varve years), the lake was ~10-15 m deep and characterized by anoxic bottom-water conditions and a high nutrient content. The following ~5600 years exhibited water depths >20 m, maximum diatom and Pediastrum productivity, and a peak in allochtonous nutrient input. During this phase, water-column mixing became more vigorous, resulting in a breakdown of anoxia. The youngest lake phase (~4000-5000 years) was characterized by decreasing water depth, turbulent water conditions and decreased nutrient loading. Based on our palaeolimnological data, we conclude that the evolution of the Dethlingen palaeolake during the Holsteinian interglacial responded closely to (i) changes within the catchment area (as documented by vegetation and sedimentation) related to the transition from closed forests growing on nutrient-rich soils (mesocratic forest phase) to open forests developing on poor soils (oligocratic forest phase), and (ii) short-term climate variability as reflected in centennial-scale climate perturbations.

Manganese concentrations and flux data of sediments from Broken and Ninetyeast Ridge

Decomposition of organic matter combined with density stratification generate a pronounced intermediate water oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) in the northwest Indian Ocean. This zone currently lies between water depths of 200 and 2000 m and extends approximately 5000 km southeast from the Arabian coast. Based upon benthic foraminiferal assemblage changes, it has been suggested that this OMZ was even more extensive during the late Miocene-early Pliocene (6.5-3.0 Ma), with a maximum volume and/or intensity at approximately 5.0 Ma. While this inference may contribute to an understanding of the history of northwest Indian Ocean upwelling, corroborating geochemical evidence for this interpretation has heretofore been lacking. Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) sites 752, 754, and 757 on Broken and Ninetyeast ridges are located within central Indian Ocean intermediate water depths (1086-1650 m) but outside the present lateral dimensions of the Indian Ocean OMZ. High-resolution chemical analyses of sediment from these sites indicate significant reductions in the flux of Mn and normalized Mn concentrations between 6.5 and 3.0 Ma that are most pronounced at approximately 5.0 Ma. Because late Miocene-Pliocene paleodepths for these sites were essentially the same as at present and because extremely low sedimentation rates (0.3-1.3 cm/ky) most likely precluded sedimentary metal oxide diagenesis, we suggest that the observed Mn depletions reflect diminished deposition of reducible Mn oxyhydroxide phases within O2 deficient intermediate waters and that this effect was most intense at approximately 5.0 Ma. This interpretation implies that waters with less than 2.0 mL/L O2 extended at least 1500 km beyond their present limits and is consistent with changes in benthic foraminifera assemblages. We further suggest this expanded Indian Ocean OMZ is related to regionally and/or globally increased biological productivity.

Mineralogy of sediments from the Exmouth Plateau and Argo Basin

Correlation of mineral associations from sediment recovered on the northwestern Australian continental margin document the juvenile-to-mature evolution of a segment of the Indian Ocean. Lower Cretaceous sediments contain sandy-to-silty radiolarian claystone that consists of highly smectitic mixed-layered illite/smectite (I/S) in addition to minor amounts of diagenetic pyrite, barite, and rhodochrosite. These immature, poorly sorted sediments were derived from nearby continental margin sources. Discrete bentonite layers and abundant smectite are the alteration products of volcanic material deposited during early basin formation. Abundant quartz-replaced radiolarian tests suggest high surface-water productivity, and calcareous fossils indicate water depths were above the calcite compensation depth (CCD) in the juvenile Indian Ocean. The increase in pelagic carbonate from the mid- to Late Cretaceous signals the transition to mature, open-ocean conditions. Similar to other slowly deposited contemporaneous deep-sea sediments, mid- to Upper Cretaceous sediments of the northwestern margin of Australia contain palygorskite. This palygorskite is associated with calcareous sediment across the ooze-to-chalk transition, detrital mixed-layered I/S, and zeolite minerals in places. This palygorskite occurs above the transformation from opal-A to opal-CT. The underlying opal-CT sediment contains abundant smectite and zeolite minerals. Calcareous sediment dominates the Cenozoic, except at abyssal sites that were not inundated by calcareous turbidites. Paleocene and Eocene sediments contain abundant smectite and zeolite minerals derived from the alteration of volcanic material. Palygorskite was found to be associated with sepiolite and dolomite in Miocene sediments from Site 765 in the Argo Basin. Pliocene and Quaternary sediments contain detrital kaolinite and mixed-layered I/S, abundant opal-A radiolarian tests, and minor amounts of pyrite

(Table 1) Stabile isotopes at DSDP Leg 55 Holes

Deep sea drilling on four seamounts in the Emperor Seamount chain revealed that Paleogene shallow-water carbonate sediments of the "bryozoan-algal" facies crown the basalt edifices. According to the biofacies model of Schlanger and Konishi (1966, 1975), this bryozoan- algal assemblage suggests that the seamounts formed in cooler, more northerly waters than those presently occupied by the island of Hawaii; i.e., the paleolatitudes of formation were greater than 20 °N. Moving southward toward the youngest member of the seamount chain, a facies gradient indicative of warmer waters was observed. This gradient is interpreted as a reflection of a northward shift in isotherms during the time span in which the seamounts were progressively formed (Savin et al., 1975). On all seamounts, sedimentation at the drilling sites occurred in a high-energy environment with water depths of approximately 20 meters. Early-stage carbonate diagenesis began in the phreatic zone in the presence of meteoric water, but proceeded after subsidence of the seamounts into intermediate sea waters, where the bulk, stable isotopic composition was determined. The subsidence into intermediate waters was rapid, and permitted establishment of an isotopic equilibrium which, like the facies gradient, reflects the northward shift in isotherms during the Paleogene. Calcite and zeolite cements comprise the later-stage diagenesis, and originated from solutions arising from the hydrolysis of the underlying basalt. In conclusion, the results of this study of the shallow-water carbonate sediments are not inconsistent with a paleolatitude of formation for Suiko Seamount (Site 433) of 26.9 ±3.5 °N, as determined by paleomagnetic measurements (Kono, 1980).

Benthic and planktic foraminiferal stable isotope records combined with Nd isotope ratios of ODP Hole 198-1210B

The Pacific Ocean is the largest water body on Earth, and circulation in the Pacific contributed significantly to climate evolution in the latest Cretaceous, the culmination of a period of long-term cooling. Here, we present new high-resolution late Campanian to Maastrichtian benthic and planktic foraminiferal stable isotope data and a neodymium (Nd) isotope record obtained from sedimentary ferromanganese oxide coatings of Ocean Drilling Program Hole 1210B from the tropical Pacific Ocean (Shatsky Rise). These new records resolve 13 million years in the latest Cretaceous, providing insights into changes in surface and bottom water temperatures and source regions of deep to intermediate waters covering the carbon isotope excursions of the Campanian-Maastrichtian Boundary Event (CMBE) and the Mid-Maastrichtian event (MME). Our new benthic foraminiferal d18O and Nd isotope records together with published Nd isotope data show markedly parallel trends across the studied interval over a broad range of bathyal to abyssal water depths interpreted to reflect changes in the intensity of deep-ocean circulation in the tropical Pacific. In particular, we observe a three-million-year-long period of cooler conditions in the early Maastrichtian (72.5 to 69.5 Ma) when a concomitant change toward less radiogenic seawater Nd isotope signatures probably marks a period of enhanced admixture and northward flow of deep waters with Southern Ocean provenance. We suggest this change to have been triggered by intensified formation and convection of deep waters in the high southern latitudes, a process that weakened during the MME (69.5 to 68.5 Ma). The early Maastrichtian cold interval is closely related to the negative and positive carbon isotope trends of the CMBE and MME. The millions-of-years long duration of these carbon cycle perturbations suggests a tectonic forcing of climatic cooling, possibly related to changes in ocean basin geometry and bathymetry.

Sedimentology of the Vietnam shelf

On the Vietnam Shelf more than 1000 miles of shallow high-resolution seismics were analyzed to unravel post-glacial evolution in a tropical, siliciclastic environment together with 25 sediment cores from water depths between 21 and 169 m to determine stratigraphy, distribution and style of sedimentation. Fourty-seven samples were dated with the AMS-14C technique. The shelf was grouped into three regions: a southern part, a central part, and a northern part. On the broad Southern Shelf, sedimentation is influenced by the Mekong River, which drains into the SCS in this area. Here, incised valley fills are abundant that were cut into the late Pleistocene land surface by the Paleo-Mekong River during times of sea level lowstand. Those valleys are filled with transgressive deposits. The Holocene sedimentation rate in this low gradient accommodation-dominated depositional system is in the range of 5-10 and 25-40 cm/ky at locations sheltered from currents. The Central Shelf is narrow and the sedimentary strata are conformable. Here, numerous small mountainous rivers reach the SCS and transport large amounts of detrital sediment onto the shelf. Therefore, the Holocene sedimentation rate is high with values of 50-100 cm/ky in this supply-dominated depositional system. The broad Northern Shelf in the vicinity of the Red River Delta shows, as on the Southern Shelf, incised valleys cut into the Pleistocene land surface by paleo river channels. In this accommodation-dominated shelf area, the sedimentation rate is low with values of 5-10 cm/ky. Where applicable, we assigned the sampled deposits to different paleo-facies. The latter are related to certain intervals of water depths at their time of deposition. Comparison with the sea-level curve of (Hanebuth et al., 2000, doi:10.1126/science.288.5468.1033) indicates subsidence on the Central Shelf, which is in agreement with the high sedimentation rates in this area. In contrast, data from the Northern Shelf suggest tectonic uplift that might be related to recent tectonic movements along the Ailao Shan-Red River Fault zone. Data from the Southern Shelf are generally in agreement with the sea-level curve mentioned above.

Biostratigraphy of sediment core CRP-3 from the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Early Oligocene siliceous microfossils were recovered in the upper c. 193 m of the CRP-3 drillcore. Although abundance and preservation are highly variable through this section, approximately 130 siliceous microfossil taxa were identified, including diatoms, silicoflagellates, ebridians, chrysophycean cysts, and endoskeletal dinoflagellates. Well-preserved and abundant assemblages characterize samples in the upper c. 70 m and indicate deposition in a coastal setting with water depths between 50 and 200 m. Abundance fluctuations over narrow intervals in the upper c. 70 mbsf are interpreted to reflect environmental changes that were either conducive or deleterious to growth and preservation of siliceous microfossils. Only poorly-preserved (dissolved, replaced, and/or fragmented) siliceous microfossils are present from c. 70 to 193 mbsf. Diatom biostratigraphy indicates that the CRP-3 section down to c. 193 mbsf is early Oligocene in age. The lack of significant changes in composition of the siliceous microfossil assemblage suggests that no major hiatuses are present in this interval. The first occurrence (FO) of Cavitatus jouseanus at 48.44 mbsf marks the base of the Cavitatus jouseanus Zone. This datum is inferred to be near the base of Subchron C12n at c. 30.9 Ma. The FO of Rhizosolenia antarctica at 68.60 mbsf marks the base of the Rhizosolenia antarctica Zone. The FO of this taxon is correlated in deep-sea sections to Chron C13 (33.1 to 33.6 Ma). However, the lower range of R. antarctica is interpreted as incomplete in the CRP-3 drillcore, as it is truncated at an underlying interval of poor preservation: therefore, an age of c. 33.1 to 30.9 Ma is inferred for interval between c. 70 and 50 mbsf. The absence of Hemiaulus caracteristicus from diatom-bearing interval of CRP-3 further indicates an age younger than c. 33 Ma (Subchron C13n) for strata above c. 193 mbsf. Siliceous microfossil assemblages in CRP-3 are significantly different from the late Eocene assemblages reported CIROS-1 drillcore. The absence of H. caracteristicus, Stephanopyxis splendidus, and Pterotheca danica, and the ebridians Ebriopsis crenulata, Parebriopsis fallax, and Pseudoammodochium dictyoides in CRP-3 indicates that the upper 200 m of the CRP-3 drillcore is equivalent to part of the stratigraphic interval missing within the unconformity at c. 366 mbsf in CIROS-1.

Age determination and geochemistry of corals from the North Pacific

A depth transect of deep-sea bamboo corals along the California margin provides evidence that coral strontium to calcium ratios (Sr/Ca[coral]) record seawater Sr/Ca ratios (Sr/Ca[sw]). A calibration was constructed utilizing Sr/Ca[coral] ratios and previously published Pacific Sr/Ca[sw] data (R**2 = 0.53, n = 12, p < 0.01): Sr/Ca[coral] (mmol/mol) = 4.62*Sr/Ca[sw] (mmol/mol) - 36.64. Sr/Ca[sw] is ultimately governed by the remineralization of Sr-containing shells of surface water-derived marine organisms (e.g., Acantharia) at intermediate water depths. California margin Sr/Cacoral records from 792 and 1295 m document fluctuations in Sr/Ca[sw] that appear decadal-scale. These results suggest that Sr/Casw may not be as stable as previously assumed and may be influenced by surface productivity on short timescales.

Benthic foraminiferal fauna and isotope record in Holocene sediments of the northwest Indian Ocean

Historically, the Holocene has been considered an interval of relatively stable climate. However, recent studies from the northern Arabian Sea (Netherlands Indian Ocean Program 905) suggested high-amplitude climate shifts in the early and middle Holocene based on faunal and benthic isotopic proxy records. We examined benthic foraminiferal faunal and stable isotopic data from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 723 and total organic carbon data from ODP Site 724, Oman Margin (808 and 593 m water depths, respectively). At Site 723 the mid-Holocene shift in d18O values of infaunal benthic species Uvigerina peregrina (1.4 per mil) is 3 times larger than that of epifaunal benthic species Cibicides kullenbergi recorded at Site NIOP 905 off Somalia. However, none of the five other benthic species we measured at Hole 723A exhibits such a shift in d18O. We speculate that the late Holocene d18O decrease in U. peregrina represents species-specific changes in ecological habitat or food preference in response to changes in surface and deep ocean circulation. While the stable isotopic data do not appear to indicate a middle Holocene climatic shift, our total organic carbon and benthic faunal assemblage data do indicate that the early Holocene deep Arabian Sea was influenced by increased ventilation perhaps by North Atlantic Deep Water and/or Circumpolar Deep Water incursions into the Indian Ocean, leading to remineralization of organic matter and a relatively weak early Holocene oxygen minimum zone in the northwest Arabian Sea in spite of strong summer monsoon circulation.

Organic matter composition of Cretaceous sediments of the central Pacific Ocean

Complete records of organic-carbon-rich Cretaceous strata were continuouslycored on the flanks of the Mid-Pacific Mountains and southern Hess Rise in the central North Pacific Ocean during DSDP Leg 62. Organic-carbon-rich laminated silicified limestones were deposited in the western Mid-Pacific Mountains during the early Aptian, a time when that region was south of the equator and considerably shallower than at present. Organic-carbon-rich, laminated limestone on southern Hess Rise overlies volcanic basement and includes 136 m of stratigraphic section of late Albian to early Cenomanian age. This limestone unit was deposited rapidly as Hess Rise was passing under the equatorial high-productivity zone and was subsiding from shallow to intermediate depths. The association of volcanogenic components with organic-carbon-rich strata on Hess Rise in the Mid-Pacific Mountains is striking and suggests that there was a coincidence of mid-plate volcanic activity and the production and accumulation of organic matter at intermediate water depths in the tropical Pacific Ocean during the middle Cretaceous. Pyrolysis assays and analyses of extractable hydrocarbons indicate that the organic matter in the limestone on Hess Rise is composed mainly of lipid-rich kerogen derived from aquatic marine organisms and bacteria. Limestones from the Mid-Pacific Mountains generally contain low ratios of pyrolytic hydrocarbons to organic carbon and low hydrogen indices, suggesting that the organic matter may contain a significant proportion of land-derived material, possibly derived from numerous volcanic islands that must have existed before the area subsided. The organic carbon in all samples analyzed is isotopically light (d13C -24 to -29 per mil) relative to most modern rine organic carbon, and the lightest carbon is also the most lipid-rich. There is a positive linear correlation between sulfur and organic carbon in samples from Hess Rise and from the Mid-Pacific Mountains. The slopes and intercepts of C-S regression lines however, are different for each site and all are different from regression lines for samples from modern anoxic marine sediments and from Black Sea cores. The organic-carbon-rich limestones on Hess Rise, the Mid-Pacific Mountains, and other plateaus and seamounts in the Pacific Ocean are not synchronous but do occur within the same general middle Cretaceous time period as organic-carbon-rich lithofacies elsewhere in the world ocean, particularly in the Atlantic Ocean. Strata of equivalent age in the deep basins of the Pacific Ocean are not rich in organic carbon, and were deposited in oxygenated environments. This observation, together with the evidence that the plateau sites were considerably shallower and closse to the equator during the middle Creataceous suggests that local tectonic and hydrographic conditions may have resulted in high surface-water productivity and the preservation of organic matter in an oxygen-deficient environment where an expanded mid-water oxygen minimum developed and impinged on elevated platforms and seamounts.

Geochemical characterization of black shales from the Tarfaya Basin

Organic geochemical and petrological investigations were carried out on Cenomanian/Turonian black shales from three sample sites in the Tarfaya Basin (SW Morocco) to characterize the sedimentary organic matter. These black shales have a variable bulk and molecular geochemical composition reflecting changes in the quantity and quality of the organic matter. High TOC contents (up to 18wt%) and hydrogen indices between 400 and 800 (mgHC/gTOC) indicate hydrogen-rich organic matter (Type I-II kerogen) which qualifies these laminated black shale sequences as excellent oil-prone source rocks. Low Tmax values obtained from Rock-Eval pyrolysis (404-425 MC) confirm an immature to early mature level of thermal maturation. Organic petrological studies indicate that the kerogen is almost entirely composed of bituminite particles. These unstructured organic aggregates were most probably formed by intensive restructuring of labile biopolymers (lipids and/or carbohydrates), with the incorporation of sulphur into the kerogen during early diagenesis. Total lipid analyses performed after desulphurization of the total extract shows that the biomarkers mostly comprise short-chain n-alkanes (C16-C22) and long-chain (C25-C35) n-alkanes with no obvious odd-over-even predominance, together with steranes, hopanoids and acyclic isoprenoids. The presence of isorenieratane derivatives originating from green sulphur bacteria indicates that dissolved sulphide had reached the photic zone at shallow water depths (~100m) during times of deposition. These conditions probably favoured intensive sulphurization of the organic matter. Flash pyrolysis GC-MS analysis of the kerogen indicates the aliphatic nature of the bulk organic carbon. The vast majority of pyrolysis products are sulphur-containing components such as alkylthiophenes, alkenylthiophenes and alkybenzothiophenes. Abundant sulphurization of the Tarfaya Basin kerogen resulted from excess sulphide and metabolizable organic matter combined with a limited availability of iron during early diagenesis. The observed variability in the intensity of OM sulphurization may be attributed to sea level-driven fluctuations in the palaeoenvironment during sedimentation.

Biogeochemical investigation of the benthic nitrogen cycle in the Arabian Sea off Pakistan

A pronounced deficit of nitrogen (N) in the oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) of the Arabian Sea suggests the occurrence of heavy N-loss that is commonly attributed to pelagic processes. However, the OMZ water is in direct contact with sediments on three sides of the basin. Contribution from benthic N-loss to the total N-loss in the Arabian Sea remains largely unassessed. In October 2007, we sampled the water column and surface sediments along a transect cross-cutting the Arabian Sea OMZ at the Pakistan continental margin, covering a range of station depths from 360 to 1430 m. Benthic denitrification and anammox rates were determined by using 15N-stable isotope pairing experiments. Intact core incubations showed declining rates of total benthic N-loss with water depth from 0.55 to 0.18 mmol N m**-2 day**-1. While denitrification rates measured in slurry incubations decreased from 2.73 to 1.46 mmol N m**-2 day**-1 with water depth, anammox rates increased from 0.21 to 0.89 mmol N m**-2 day**-1. Hence, the contribution from anammox to total benthic N-loss increased from 7% at 360 m to 40% at 1430 m. This trend is further supported by the quantification of cd1-containing nitrite reductase (nirS), the biomarker functional gene encoding for cytochrome cd1-Nir of microorganisms involved in both N-loss processes. Anammox-like nirS genes within the sediments increased in proportion to total nirS gene copies with water depth. Moreover, phylogenetic analyses of NirS revealed different communities of both denitrifying and anammox bacteria between shallow and deep stations. Together, rate measurement and nirS analyses showed that anammox, determined for the first time in the Arabian Sea sediments, is an important benthic N-loss process at the continental margin off Pakistan, especially in the sediments at deeper water depths. Extrapolation from the measured benthic N-loss to all shelf sediments within the basin suggests that benthic N-loss may be responsible for about half of the overall N-loss in the Arabian Sea.

Planktonic foraminifera and their stable isotope record of MICNESS samples off Cape Cod

Monthly samples of stratified plankton tows taken from the slope waters off Cape Cod nearly 25 years ago are used to describe the seasonal succession of planktonic foraminifera and their oxygen isotope ratios. The 15°C seasonal cycle of sea surface temperature (SST) accounts for a diverse mixture of tropical to subpolar species. Summer samples include various Globigerinoides and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei, whereas winter and early spring species include Globigerina bulloides and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (dextral). Globorotalia inflata lives all year but at varying water depths. Compared with the fauna in 1960-1961 (described by R. Cifelli), our samples seem warmer. Because sea surface salinity varies little during the year, d18O is mostly a function of SST. Throughout the year, there are always species present with d18O close to the calculated isotopic equilibrium of carbonate with surface seawater. This raises the possibility that seasonality can be estimated directly from the range of d18O in a sediment sample provided that the d18O-salinity relationship is the same as today.