Abstract
Six sediment cores from the Eurasian Basin were studied to determine and understand climatically driven changes of Arctic Ocean basins. Detailed time control of sediments for the last 45 kyr is based on accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) C14-dating of biogenic carbonate (N. pachyderma, left coiling). The most important results from our study are summarized as follows. From 45 to 13.5 ka low sedimentation rates prevailed (0.35 cm/kyr). They increased drastically at the transition from the last glacial to interglacial (Termination Ia, 13.5 ka) leading into high Holocene sedimentation rates (1.06 cm/kyr). Low carbonate concentrations (< 4%) prevailed from 13.5 to 9 ka at Termination I. Decreased salinities can be expected for Termination la (Zahn et al., 1985, Jones & Keigwin, 1988, Mienert et al., 1989) due to glacial meltwater influence possibly accompanied by sea ice melting. As a result of the freshwater influence, productivity of planktic foraminifers decreased and this, in turn, resulted in a drastic decrease in carbonate concentration during Termination Ia. Although carbonate concentration varies only between 0 and 9%, it distinctly changes both the compressional-wave velocity (from 1485 to 1510 m/s) and the wave attenuation (from 0.1 to 0.45 dB/m/kHz) in the sediment. Climatically driven changes in magnetic susceptibility have proved to be a valuable paleoclimatic tool for intercore correlations. Our results indicate that the same general conclusions are valid for pelagic environments of both Atlantic and Arctic Ocean basins.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Berger, W. H., and L. A. Mayer: 1978, ‘Deep-sea carbonates: Acoustic reflectors and lysocline fluctuations’, Geology 6, 11–15.
Bloemendal, J., B. Lamb, and J. W. King: 1988, ‘Paleoenvironmental implications of rock-magnetic properties of late Quaternary sediment cores from the eastern Equatorial Atlantic’, Paleoceanography 3, 61–87.
Clark, D. L.: 1970, ‘Magnetic reversals and sedimentation rates in the Arctic Ocean’, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 81, 3129–3134.
Clark, D. L., M. Andrée, W. S. Broecker, A. C. Mix, G. Bonani, H. J. Hofmann, E. Morenzoni, M. Nessi, M. Suter, and W. Wölfli: 1986, ‘Arctic Ocean chronology confirmed by accelerator 14C dating,’ Geophys. Res. Lett. 13, 319–321.
Curry, W. B., and G. P. Lohmann: 1986, ‘Late Quaternary carbonate sedimentation at the Sierra Leone Rise (eastern equatorial Atlantic)’, Mar. Geol. 70, 223–250.
Duplessy, J.-C.: 1978, ‘Isotope studies’, in J. Gribbin (ed.), Climatic Change, Cambridge University Press, Cambridge, pp. 46–67.
Duplessy, J.-C., G. Delibrias, J. L. Turon, C. Pujol, and J. Duprat: 1981, ‘Deglacial warming of the northeastern Atlantic Ocean: Correlation with the paleoclimatic evolution of the European Continent’, Palaeogeogr. Palaeoclimat. Palaeoecol. 35, 121–144.
Duplessy, J.-C., M. Arnold, P. Maurice, E. Bard, J. Duprat, and J. Moyes: 1986, ‘Direct dating of the oxygen-isotope record of the last deglaciation by 14C accelerator mass spectrometry’, Nature 320, 350–352.
Grosswald, M. G.: 1980, ‘Late Weichselian ice sheet of northern Eurasia’, Quat. Res. 13, 1–32.
Hall, F. R., and J. W. King: 1989, ‘The rock-magnetic stratigraphy of Site 645 (Baffin Bay) from ODP Leg 105’, in S. P. Srivastava, M. A. Arthur et al. (eds.), Scientific Results ODP Leg 105, Ocean Drilling Program, College Station, pp. 843–859.
Hall, F. R., J. Bloemendal, J. W. King, M. A. Arthur, and A. E. Aksu: 1989, ‘Middle to late Quaternary sediment fluxes in the Labrador Sea (ODP Leg 105, Site 646): A synthesis of rock-magnetic, oxygen-isotpic carbonate, and planktonic foraminiferal data’, in S. P. Srivastava, M. A. Arthur et al. (eds.), Scientific Results ODP Leg 105, Ocean Drilling Program, College Station, pp. 653–688.
Hamilton, E. L.: 1971, ‘Elastic properties of marine sediments’, J. Geophys. Res. 76, 579–604.
Hamilton, E. L., R. T. Bachman, W. H. Berger, T. C. Johnson, and L. A. Mayer: 1982, ‘Acoustic and related properties of calcareous deep-sea sediments, J. Sed. Petrol. 52, 733–753.
Heezen, B. C., and M. Ewing: 1963, ‘The mid-oceanic ridge’, in M. N. Hill (ed.), The Sea, Vol. 3, Wiley, New York, pp. 388–410.
Honjo, S.: in press, ‘Particle fluxes and modern sedimentation in the polar Oceans’, in W. O. Smith, Jr. (ed.), Polar Oceanography, Academic Press, New York.
Imbrie, J., J. D. Hays, D. G. Martinson, A. McIntyre, A. C. Mix, J. J. Morley, N. G. Pisias, W. L. Prell, and N. J. Shackleton: 1984, ‘The orbital theory of Pleistocene climate: Support from a revised chronology of the marine 18O record’, in A. L. Berger, J. Imbrie, J. D. Hays, G. J. Kukla, and B. Saltzman (eds.), Milankovitch and Climate, Reidel, Dordrecht, pp. 269–277.
Jones, G. A., and P. Kaiteris: 1983, ‘A vacuum-gasometric technique for rapid and precise analysis of calcium carbonate in sediment soils’, J. Sed. Petrol. 53, 655–660.
Jones, G. A., and L. D. Keigwin: 1988, ‘Evidence from Fram Strait (78°N) for early deglaciation’, Nature 336, 56–59.
Jones, G. A., A. J. T. Jull, T. W. Linick, and D. J. Donahue: in press, ‘Radiocarbon dating of deep-sea sediments: A comparison of accelerator mass spectrometer and beta-decay methods’, Radiocarbon 31.
Jull, A. J. T., D. J. Donahue, A. L. Hatheway, T. W. Linick, and L. J. Toolin: 1986, ‘Production of graphite targets by deposition from CO/H2 for precision accelerator 14C measurements’, in M. Stuiver and R. S. Kra (eds.), Proc. 12th Inter. 14 C Conf., Radiocarbon 28, 191–197.
Løvlie, R., B. Markussen, H. P. Sejrup, and J. Thiede: 1986, ‘Magnetostratigraphy in three Arctic Ocean sediment cores; arguments for geomagnetic excursions within oxygenisotope stage 2–3’, Phys. Earth Planet. Inter. 43, 173–184.
Macko, S. A., and A. E. Aksu: 1986, ‘Amino acid epimerization in planktonic foraminifera suggests slow sedimentation rates for Alpha Ridge, Arctic Ocean’, Nature 322, 730–732.
Mayer, L. A.: 1979, ‘Deep-sea carbonates: acoustic, physical and stratigraphic properties’, J. Sed Petrol. 49, 819–836.
Mayer, L. A., K. Morau, D. J. Piper, and R. C. Courtney: 1987, ‘Long cores from Emeral Basin Nova Scotia: Physical and acoustical properties’, EOS Trans. Amer. Geophys. Union 68, 1324 (abstr.).
Mienert, J.: 1986, ‘Acoustic stratigraphy in the eastern equatorial Atlantic: On the development of deep-water circulation during the last 3.5 million years’, ‘Meteor’ Forsch-Ergeb. 40C, 19–86.
Mienert, J., W. B. Curry, and M. Sarnthein: 1988, ‘Sonostratigraphic records from equatorial Atlantic deep-sea carbonates: Paleoceanographic and climatic relationships’,Mar. Geol. 83, 9–20.
Mienert, J., and J. Bloemendal: 1989, ‘A comparison of acoustic and rock magnetic properties of equatorial Atlantic deep-sea sediments: Paleoceanographic implications’, Earth Planet. Sci. Lett. 94, 291–300.
Mienert, J., S. Horwege, and G. A. Jones: 1989, ‘Climatic and environmental changes in the Arctic Ocean during the late Quaternary’, EUG V 1, 186 (abstr.).
Morris, T. H., D. L. Clark, and S. M. Blasco: 1985, ‘Sediments of the Lomonosov Ridge and Makarov Basin: A Pleistocene stratigraphy for the North Pole’, Geol. Soc. Amer. Bull. 96, 901–910.
Robinson, S. G.: 1986, ‘The Late Pleistocene palaeoclimatic record of North Atlantic deep-sea sediments revealed by mineral-magnetic measurements’, Phys. Earth Planet. Int. 42, 22–47.
Sejrup, H. P., G. H. Miller, J. Brigham-Grette, R. Løvlie, and D. M. Hopkins: 1984, ‘Amino acid eperimerization implies rapid sedimentation rates in Arctic Ocean cores’, Nature 310, 772–775.
Shackleton, N. J., and N. D. Opdyke: 1973, ‘Oxygen isotope and paleomagnetic stratigraphy of equatorial Pacific core V 28-238’, Quat. Res. 3, 39–55.
Slota, P. J., Jr., A. J. T. Jull, T. W. Linick, and L. J. Toolin: 1987, ‘Preparation of small samples for 14C accelerator targets by catalytic reduction of CO’, Radiocarbon 29, 303–306.
Stow, D. A. V., and J. P. B. Lovell: 1979, ‘Contourites: Their recognition in modern and ancient sediments’, Earth Sci. Rev. 14, 251–291.
Thiede, J., and Shipboard Scientific Party: 1988. ‘Scientific cruise report of Arctic Expedition ARK IV/3’, Ber. Polarforschung 43, 237 p.
Wilson, W. D.: 1960, ‘Speed of sound in sea water as a function of temperature, pressure, and salinity’, J. Acoust. Soc. Amer. 32, 641.
Witte, W. K., and D. V. Kent: 1988, ‘Revised magnetostratigraphies confirm sedimentation rates in Arctic Ocean cores’, Quat. Res. 29, 43–53.
Zahn, R., B. Markussen, and J. Thiede: 1985, ‘Stable isotope data and depositional environments in the late Quaternary Arctic Ocean’, Nature 314, 433–435.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1990 Kluwer Academic Publishers
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Mienert, J., Mayer, L.A., Jones, G.A., King, J.W. (1990). Physical and Acoustic Properties of Arctic Ocean Deep-Sea Sediments: Paleoclimatic Implications. In: Bleil, U., Thiede, J. (eds) Geological History of the Polar Oceans: Arctic versus Antarctic. NATO ASI Series, vol 308. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2029-3_26
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-009-2029-3_26
Publisher Name: Springer, Dordrecht
Print ISBN: 978-94-010-7410-0
Online ISBN: 978-94-009-2029-3
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive