Quaternary deposits and sediment fluxes at the toe of the Barbados Accretionary Prism

Abstract

Sedimentologic and stratigraphic investigations on four cores collected close to the front of the Barbados accretionary prism provided information about the Quaternary depositional processes and sediment fluxes in the region. The morphology of the prism is marked by N—Soriented anticlinal ridges separated by troughs. The deposits are hemipelagic on top of the ridges and in the abyssal plain, with a mean global flux of 1.35–1.40 g cm−2 10−3 yr. The carbonate flux decreases from the prism to the abyssal plain (0.49 and 0.3 g cm−2 10−3 yr, respectively). Terrigenous material is provided by distal turbiditic plumes. It decreases slightly from the abyssal plain to the prism (1.06 and 0.9 g cm−2 10−3 yr, respectively). During cold climatic stages, it is up to 1.4 g cm−2 10−3 yr. The global flux is much higher (7.1 g cm−2 10−3 yr) in the interridge troughs, which act as sediment traps for distal turbidity currents.