摘要:

The North Atlantic sediment record suggests quasi‐periodic (7000‐ to 12,000‐year period) ice‐rafted debris (IRD) depositions during at least the last glacial period. The cause of these Heinrich events, as they are commonly known, is not fully understood; however, they may point to surges of the ice stream that drained the Hudson Bay/Hudson Strait region of the Laurentide Ice Sheet. We investigate a simple conceptual model of ice stream instability (the binge/purge model) to suggest ways in which the ice stream could have entrained sufficient debris to account for the estimated mass of IRD associated with a typical Heinrich IRD layer in the North Atlantic (1.0 ± 0.3 × 1015kg). We find that freezing of debris‐laden ice at the bed of the ice stream during the brief (≈ 750 years) surge phase of the ice stream's hypothesized binge/purge cycle can incorporate up to 5.1 × 1015kg. This amount is sufficient to meet the constraints of the North Atlantic sediment record but by no means verifies the binge/purge model as the cause of H

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA01008

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Little is known about the fluxes to and from the ocean during the Cenozoic of phosphorus (P), a limiting nutrient for oceanic primary productivity and organic carbon burial on geologic timescales. Previous studies have concluded that dissolved river fluxes increased worldwide during the Cenozoic and that organic carbon burial decreased relative to calcium carbonate burial and perhaps in absolute terms as well. To examine the apparent contradiction between increased river fluxes of P (assuming P fluxes behave like the others) expected to drive increased organic carbon burial and observations indicating decreased organic carbon burial, we determined P accumulation rates for equatorial Pacific sediments from Ocean Drilling Program leg 138 sites in the eastern equatorial Pacific and leg 130 sites on the Ontong Java Plateau in the western equatorial Pacific. Although there are site specific and depth dependent effects on P accumulation rates, there are important features common to the records at all sites. P accumulation rates declined from 50 to 20 Ma, showed some variability from 20 to 10 Ma, and had a substantial peak from 9 to 3 Ma centered at 5–6 Ma. These changes in P accumulation rates for the equatorial Pacific are equivalent to substantial changes in the P mass balance. However, the pattern resembles neither that of weathering flux indicators (87Sr/86Sr and Ge/Si ratios) nor that of the carbon isotope record reflecting changes in organic carbon burial rates. Although these P accumulation rate patterns need confirmation from other regions with sediment burial significant in global mass balances (e.g., the North Pacific and Southern Ocean), it appears that P weathering inputs to the ocean are decoupled from those of other elements and that further exploration is needed of the relationship between P burial and net organic carbon buria

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA00795

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Geographically based calculations for 18,000 years ago (18 ka) and today were made to examine the potential effects on terrestrial chemical erosion of changes in lithology and hydrology on glacial‐interglacial timescales. Runoff fields were derived from general circulation model predictions of precipitation minus evaporation. Then global lithologic maps were prepared, so that empirical relationships for runoff versus bicarbonate flux for different rock types could be used to calculate global chemical erosion rates. Assuming that significant chemical erosion does not occur beneath ice sheets, we find that chemical erosion in ice‐free areas at 18 ka was only slightly greater than today. This result arises because the amount of land covered by ice sheets is roughly compensated for by exposed shelf areas and because there is little difference in global runoff. The small (∼20%) increase in the global chemical erosion rate during glacial conditions is due to exposure on the shelves of a relatively high proportion of carbonates (which weather faster than average). Data on glacial/interglacial movements of the calcite compensation depth (CCD) are inconclusive but seem to indicate little change, whereas even a 20% increase in the riverine bicarbonate flux should cause an observable deepening. If the CCD did not indeed change, then our predicted increase in the bicarbonate flux from land during glaciations would have to be accommodated by other means, such as increased carbonate productivity. About half of the observed decrease in atmosphericpCO2at 18 ka could be explained if increased silicate chemical erosion accompanied increased total chemical erosion in ice‐free areas. Consideration of the maximum possible effect of meltwater at ice margins leads to an 80% increase in the global chemical erosion rate at 18 ka. Such an increase would lead to a larger and faster drop in atmosphericpCO2but also to an excessive deepening of the global CCD; this scenario seems unrealistic. Our results are contrary to interpretations of a much higher silicate chemical erosion rate during glaciations based on recently published records of Quaternary marine Sr isotopic ratios. Therefore, if these records are indeed globally representative and entirely due to increased silicate chemical erosion (as opposed to changes in source areas or hydrothermal inputs), then other factors, such as a shift in the global weathering regime which we do not explicitly consider here, may be involved. Sensitivity tests show that considering spatial heterogeneities in lithology and runoff leads to lower predictions of global chemical erosion rates than what one would obtain by considering only global averages in a non‐spatially‐resolved

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA01009

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Climate variability at periods from 10 kyr to 12 kyr that originates from Milankovitch band forcing is quantified at three locations for the late Pleistocene (eastern equatorial Pacific Ocean Drilling Program site 846, eastern equatorial Atlantic ODP site 663, and northeastern Atlantic Deep Sea Drilling Project site 609). Variability at these periods is not present in the primary Milankovitch forcing, so no linear linkage to Milankovitch band variations is possible. However, these periods are equal to harmonics of precession band oscillations. The magnitude of interactions between processes that occur at different timescales can only be resolved in time series data through application of higher‐order statistics. Through such an application, we demonstrate that up to 75% of the variance in the 10‐ to 12‐kyr band in the sediment records is nonlinearly transferred from precession band (19–23 kyr) variations. Within the millennial to sub‐Milankovitch band, defined as the band of variance ranging from ∼15 to ∼2 kyr, approximately 1/3 of the variability in the records studied is consistent with a low‐frequency, Milankovitch band origin. This variability may derive from high sensitivity of the tropics to summertime insolation in both hemispheres relative to wintertime insolation. A mechanism having equatorial origin and related to low‐latitude precession variations appears consistent with the observations. Because the phase coupling between 10‐ to 12‐kyr oscillations and precession is resolved, this result has implications for development of models which seek to explain global climate variati

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA00443

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Biogenic particle fluxes from highly productive surface waters, boundary scavenging, and hydrothermal activity are the main factors influencing the deposition of radionuclides in the area of the Galapagos microplate, eastern Equatorial Pacific. In order to evaluate the importance of these three processes throughout the last 100 kyr, concentrations of the radionuclides10Be,230Th, and231Pa, and of Mn and Fe were measured at high resolution in sediment samples from two gravity cores KLH 068 and KLH 093. High biological productivity in the surface waters overlying the investigated area has led to10Be and231Pa fluxes exceeding production during at least the last 30 kyr and probably the last 100 kyr. However, during periods of high productivity at the up welling centers off Peru and extension of the equatorial high‐productivity zone, a relative loss of10Be and231Pa may have occurred in these sediment cores because of boundary scavenging. The effects of hydrothermal activity were investigated by comparing the230Thexconcentrations to the Mn/Fe ratios and by comparing the fluxes of230Th and10Be which exceed production. The results suggest an enhanced hydrothermal influence during isotope stages 4 and 5 and to a lesser extent during isotope stage 1 in core KLH 093. During isotope stages 2 and 3, the hydrothermal supply of Mn was deposited elsewhere, probably because of changes in current regime or deep water oxygenation. A strong increase of the Mn/Fe ratio at the beginning of climatic stage 1 which is not accompanied by an increase of the230Thexconcentration is interpreted to be an effect of Mn remobilization and reprecipitation in the sedimen

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA01132

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

Appendix Table Al Is available with entire article onmicrofiche. Order from the American Geophysical Union, 2000Florida Avenue, N.W., Washington, D.C. 20009. DocumentP94‐001; $2.50. Payment must accompany order. We examined coarse fraction contents of pelagic carbonates deposited between 2000‐and 3700‐m water depth in the tropical Indian Ocean using Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) sites 722 (Owen Ridge, Arabian Sea) and 758 (Ninetyeast Ridge, eastern equatorial Indian Ocean), and four giant piston cores collected by the French R/VMarion Dufresneduring the SEYMAMA expedition. Over the last 1500 kyr, coarse fraction records display high‐amplitude oscillations with an irregular wavelength on the order of ∼500 kyr. These oscillations can be correlated throughout the entire equatorial Indian Ocean, from the Seychelles area eastward to the Ninetyeast Ridge, and into the Arabian Sea. Changes in grain size mainly result from changes in carbonate dissolution as evidenced by the positive relationship between coarse fraction content and a foraminiferal preservation index based on test fragmentation. The well‐known “mid‐Bruhes dissolution cycle”represents the last part of this irregular long‐term dissolution oscillation. The origin of this long‐term oscillation is still poorly understood. Our observations suggest that it is not a true cycle (it has an irregular wavelength) and we propose that it may result from long‐term changes in Ca++flux to the ocean. Sites 722 and 758 δ18O records provide a high‐resolution stratigraphy that allows a detailed intersite comparison of the two coarse fraction records over the last 1500 kyr. Site 722 (2030 m) lies above the present and late Pleistocene lysocline. The lysocline shoaled to the position of site 758 (2925 m) only during the interglacial intervals that occurred between about 300 and 500 ka (Peterson and Prell, 1985a). Despite these supralysoclinal positions of the two sites, short‐term changes in coarse fraction contents are correctable from one site to another and probably result from regional (or global) dissolution pulses. By stacking the normalized coarse fraction records from sites 722 and 758, we constructed a Composite Coarse Fraction Index (CCFI) curve in which most of the local signals cancelled out. The last 800 kyr of this curve appear to compare extremely well with the Composite Dissolution Index curve from core V34‐53 (Ninetyeast Ridge), which unambiguously records past variations of carbonate dissolution in the equatorial Indian Ocean (Peterson and Prell, 1985a). In the late Pleistocene the CCFI variations are mainly associated with glacial‐interglacial changes. They show strong 100 and 41 kyr periodicities but no clear precession‐related periodicities. As proposed earlier by Peterson and Prell (1985a), the lack of precession frequencies may suggest that the regional carbonate dissolution signal is driven by changes in deepwater circulation. We cannot totally reject the possibility, however, that low temporal resolution and/or bioturbation degrade somehow the precessional signal at ODP sites 722 and 758. In contrast, spectral density of dissolution cycles in the giant (53 m long) piston core MD900963 (Maldives area) displays clear maxima centered on the precession frequencies (23 and 19 kyr−1) as well as on the kyr−1frequency but shows little power at the 100‐ kyr−1frequency. These high‐frequency changes most probably result from changes in surface productivity associated with monsoon variability. Dissolution at this site may be ultimately controlled by the oxidation of organic matter which appears to be incorporated into the sediments in greater quantity during periods of wea

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA00860

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

High‐resolution micropaleontological (planktonic foraminifera and calcareous nannofossils) and geochemical (stable isotopes, organic carbon, Fe, P, S, Ca, Ba, Mn, and Al) records are presented for the first sapropel‐containing carbonate cycle in the Pliocene of Sicily. The carbonate cycle is characterized by a gray to white to beige to white color layering typical of the marls of the Trubi formation. A faintly laminated sapropel is intercalated in the gray‐colored bed of the carbonate cycle. CaCO3content varies from 40% in the beige to 45‐50% in the white layers. Lowest CaCO3content of 25–30% is found in the gray layer and sapropel. Variations in carbonate and organic matter percentages can best be explained by changes in paleoproductivity rather than by variations in dilution and dissolution. Total productivity was highest during deposition of the gray layer and sapropel, as indicated by high organic carbon and Ba contents and high abundance ofGloborotalia puncticulata. Carbonate production reached its highest values, however, during deposition of the white layers, as evidenced by enhanced abundances of planktonic foraminifera and nannofossils. The low carbonate content in the gray layer and sapropel is explained in terms of a collapse in carbonate production caused by extreme changes in the physical and biochemical properties of the water column, which in turn resulted in siliceous plankton and opportunistic foraminifers such asGloborotalia puncticulataoutcompeting most calcareous organisms. The beige layer represents a low‐productivity environment similar to the present‐day eastern Mediterranean basin. Several mechanisms have previously been proposed to explain variations in productivity in the eastern Mediterranean. Both sapropels and gray layers were deposited at times when perihelion occurred in northern hemisphere summer. We envisage that the increase in seasonal contrast resulting from this orbital configuration enhanced winter mixing and stabilization of the water column during summer, both leading to favorable conditions for intensification of the spring bloom. In addition, a decrease in excess evaporation, as can be deduced from the δ18O record, led to shoaling of the pycnocline and reduced circulation, thus enhancing the availability of nutrients in the photic zone. Finally, enhanced precipitation and associated runoff should have caused an increase in river

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA00597

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY

摘要:

High‐resolution benthic oxygen isotope and dust flux records from Ocean Drilling Program site 659 have been analyzed to extend the astronomically calibrated isotope timescale for the Atlantic from 2.85 Ma back to 5 Ma. Spectral analysis of the δ18O record indicates that the 41‐kyr period of Earth's orbital obliquity dominates the Pliocene record. This is shown to be true regardless of fundamental changes in the Earth's climate during the Pliocene. However, the cycles of Sahelian aridity fluctuations indicate a shift in spectral character near 3 Ma. From the early Pliocene to 3 Ma, the periodicities were dominantly precessional (19 and 23 kyr) and remained strong until 1.5 Ma. Subsequent to 3 Ma, the variance at the obliquity period (41 kyr) increased. The timescale tuned to precession suggests that the Pliocene was longer than previously estimated by more than 0.5 m.y. The tuned ages for the magnetic boundaries Gauss/Gilbert and Top Cochiti are about 6–8% older than the ages of the conventional timescale. A major phase of Pliocene northern hemisphere ice growth occurred between 3.15 Ma and 2.5 Ma. This was marked by a gradual increase in glacial Atlantic δ18O values of 1‰ and an increase in amplitude variations by up to 1.5‰, much larger than in the Pacific deepwater record (site 846). The first maxima occured in cold stages G6‐96 between 2.7 Ma and 2.45 Ma. Prior to 3 Ma, the isotope record is characterized by predominantly low amplitude fluctuations (<0.7‰.). When obliquity forcing was at its minimum between 4.15 and 3.6 Ma and during the Kaena interval, δ18O amplitude fluctuations were minimal. From 4.9 to 4.3 Ma, the δ18O values decreased by about 0.5‰, reaching a long‐term minimum at 4.15 Ma, suggesting higher deepwater temperatures or a deglaciation. Deepwater cooling and/or an increase in ice volume is indicated by a series of short‐term δ18O fluctuation

ISSN:0883-8305    

DOI:10.1029/94PA00208

年代:1994

数据来源: WILEY