Abstract
Palygorskite is a clay mineral widely distributed in late Quaternary deposits of the eastern Mediterranean, where, locally, it proves an ideal tracer of sediment dispersal. This study shows that the origin of this mineral is not limited to African sources. Cores containing late Pleistocene to recent sediment record the transport of palygorskite from the Plain of Helos on the Peloponnesus to specific deep basins along the Hellenic Arc. Palygorskite, commonly concentrated in the silt size fraction, may be overlooked in studies that focus only on the <2 μm fraction. In this region we find that the detrial palygorskite distribution is partially controlled by size-sorting effects related to gravity-induced transport processes. In consequence, comprehensive compositional analyses should be made both on the silt and clay fractions.
Similar content being viewed by others
References
Bailey, S. W., 1980. Summary of recommendations of AIPEA nomenclature committee. Clays and Clay Minerals, v. 28, p. 73–78.
Hathaway, J. C., 1979. Clay minerals. In: Marine Minerals. Mineralog. Soc. America Short Course Notes, v. 6, p. 123–150.
Weaver, C. R. and Pollard, L. D., 1973. The Chemistry of Clay Minerals. Elsevier, Amsterdam: 213 p.
Chamley, H., and Millot, G., 1970. Séquences sédimentaires à attapulgite dans une carotte prélevée en Mer lonienne (Méditerranée orientale). Acad. sci. [Paris] Comptes rendus, v. 210-D, p. 1084–1087.
Bonatti, E., and Joensuu, O., 1968. Palygorskite from Atlantic deep sea sediments. Am. Mineralogist, v. 53: p. 975–983.
Chamley, H., and Millot, G., 1975. Observations sur la répartition et la genèse des attapulgites plio-quaternaires de Méditerranée. Acad. sci. [Paris] Comptes rendus, v. 281-D, p. 1215–1218.
Chamley, H., Giroud d’Argoud, F., and Robert, C., 1977. Repercussions of the Plio-Pleistocene tectonic activity on deep-sea clay sedimentation in the Mediterranean. In: Biju-Duval and L. Montadert (eds.). Structural History of the Mediterranean Basins, Editions Technip, Paris: p. 423–432.
Mélières, F., Chamley, H., Coumes, R., and Rouge, P., 1978. X-Ray mineralogy studies, Leg 42A, Deep Sea Drilling Project, Mediterranean Sea. In: J. K. Hsü, L. Montadert and others (eds.), Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, v. 42A U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.: p. 361–383.
Boltenhagen, C., Chennaux, G., and Esquevin, J., 1979. Minéraux argileux. Géologie Méditerr., v. 6: p. 125–126.
Ryan, W. F. B., Hsü, J. K., and others (eds.), 1973, Intial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, v. 13, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.: 1447 p.
Zemmels, I., and Cook, H. E., 1973. X-ray mineralogy studies of selected samples from the sea floor of the northeast Atlantic and Mediterrrnean Sea. In: W. F. B. Ryan, J. K. Hsü and others (eds.), Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, v. 13. U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.: p. 605–665.
Ryan, W. F. B., 1969. The floor of the Mediterranean Sea, Ph.D. dissert, Columbia University: 196 p.
Stanley, D. J., 1978. Ionian Sea sapropel distribution and late Quaternary palaeoceanography in the eastern Mediterranean. Nature, v. 247, p. 149–152.
Stanley, D. J., Kinght, R. J., Stuckenrath, R., and Catani, G., 1978. High sedimentation rates and variable dispersal patterns in the western Hellenic Trench. Nature, v. 273, p. 110–113.
Hsü, J. K., Montadert, L., et al. (eds.), 1978. Initial Reports of the Deep Sea Drilling Project, v. 42A, U.S. Govt. Printing Office, Washington, D.C.: 1249 p.
Kraft, J. C., Aschenbrenner, S. E., and Rapp, Jr., G., 1977. Paleogeographic reconstruction of coastal Aegean archaeological sites. Science, v. 195, p. 941–947.
Dominik, J., and Stoffers, P., 1979. The influence of late Quaternary stagnations on clay sedimentation in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. Geol. Rundschau, v. 68, p. 302–317.
Millot, G., 1964. Géologie des argiles. Masson, Paris, 499 p.
Chassefière, B., and Monaco, A., 1976. Corrélations entre la minéralogie, la teneur en matière organique et les limites d’Atterberg d’argiles marines. Geol. Tecnica, v. 23, p. 122–137.
Desprairies, A., and Lapierre, H., 1973. Les Argiles liées au volcanisme du massif de Troodos (Chypre) et leur remaniement dans sa couverture. Rev. Géographie Phys. Géologie Dyn., v. 15, p. 599–510.
Barbaroux, L., and Bousquet, B., 1976. Contribution à l’étude des sols méditerranéens. Les Sols rouges du domaine helleniques en Gréce occidentale. Géologie Méditerr, v. 3, pp. 237–250.
Vittori, J., 1978. Caractères structuro-sédimentaires de la couverture Plio-Quaternaire au niveau des pentes et des fosses helleniques du Peloponnèse (Grèce). Thesis, Univ. Perpignan, France: 194 p.
Stanley, D. J., and Maldonado, A., 1981. Depositional models for finegrained sediment in the western Hellenic Trench, eastern Mediterranean. Sedimentology, v. 28 (in press).
Blanpied, C., and Stanley, D. J., 1981. Uniform mud (unifite) deposition in the Hellenic Trench, eastern Mediterranean. Smithsonian Contr. Marine Sciences, No. 10 (in press).
Lacombe, H., and Tchernia, P., 1972. Caracteres hydrologiques et circulation des eaux en Méditerranée. In: D. J. Stanley (ed.), The Mediterranean Sea—A Natural Sedimentation Laboratory, Dowden, Hutchinson & Ross. Stroudsburg, Pa.: p. 25–36.
Stanley, D. J., and Perissoratis, C., 1977. Aegean Sea ridge-barrier and basin sedimentation patterns. Marine Geology, v. 24, p. 97–107.
Thunell, R. C., and Lohmann, C. P., 1979. Planktonic foraminiferal fauna associated with western Mediterranean Quaternary stagnation. Nature, v. 281, p. 211–213.
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
About this article
Cite this article
Stanley, D.J., Sheng, H. & Blanpied, C. Palygorskite as a sediment dispersal tracer in the eastern Mediterranean. Geo-Marine Letters 1, 49–55 (1981). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02463302
Received:
Revised:
Issue Date:
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02463302