Linking marine core lithofacies and mineral and grain-size compositions on the Baffin Island margin: changes in provenance and transport

Abstract

ABSTRACT We evaluate the linkages between lithofacies and mineral composition of late Quaternary sediments along the Baffin Slope for cores 2013029 64, 74, and 77. Four major lithofacies were identified: diamicton (L1), laminated red-brown mud (L2), tan carbonate mud (L3), and brown bioturbated mud (L4). In addition, gold-brown mud (L2a) beds were identified within red-brown mud throughout the Baffin margin and a thin, locally distributed light gray mud (L2b), also identified within red-brown mud, was localized to the Home Bay region. A classification decision tree (CDT) correctly predicted ∼ 87% of the lithofacies based on five binary choices based on the estimated weight %s of (in order): quartz, kaolinite, plagioclase, iron oxides, and smectites. The detrital tan carbonate (DC) minerals, calcite and dolomite, did not appear in the chosen CDT solution although this lithofacies is easily recognized in cores because of its tan color and the facies is well predicted in the CDT. The addition of grain size did not substantially improve the prediction of the lithofacies although it did change the % importance of the minerals in the CDT.