Bowers Ridge Research Articles

Origins and paleoclimatic and paleoceanographic significance of laminated sediments of middle Pleistocene age from the southern Bering Sea

Laminated diatomaceous sediments occur intermittently in the Bering Sea over the past 5 million years. A varve (annually deposited) origin for the laminae has been suggested, but there is currently no consensus. Here, we report results of a study of two laminated intervals dating from ∼528 ka and ∼ 782 ka from IODP Site U1340 on the Bowers Ridge. We combine conventional micropaleontological methods with scanning electron microscope analysis that resolves the seasonal cycle of flux events recorded and demonstrates an annual origin for the laminae. Resting spores of Chaetoceros spp., and more rarely of Thalassiosira antarctica represent early spring blooms with the latter likely due to increased meltwater input. Diatom laminae containing concentrations of Shionodiscus trifultus, Thalassiosira spp., Actinocyclus curvulatus, and Neodenticula seminae, represent flux from the main spring-summer bloom episodes, with the latter indicating influx of seed populations from the North Pacific Alaskan Stream. Concentrations of Coscinodiscus spp. in the uppermost part of the diatom laminae represent “Fall Dump” sedimentation of these stratified-adapted diatoms in response to break down of summer stratification in autumn/early-winter storms. The lithogenic laminae represent mainly winter deposition and rare earth element analysis suggests provenance from the southern Bering Sea shelf and the Aleutian Arc. Productivity was high in the studied intervals with total mass fluxes around 5 times higher than modern values. Variation in lamina thickness and diatom composition contain periodicities of 2–8 years, as well as a bi-decadal variability likely related to influence of the Pacific Decadal Oscillation.

Geodynamic Evolution of Intra-Oceanic Island‒Arc Systems: Expansive (Izu-Bonin‒Marian), Accretionary (Nemuro‒Olutorsky) and Stationary (Aleutian) Types

The authors propose a typification of intra-oceanic island‒arc systems according to the geodynamics of their development in the oceanic space. The currently existing and reconstructed (represented by terranes on the margins of the continents) intraoceanic island-arc systems of the late Mesozoic-Cenozoic are subdivided into expansive, accretionary, and stationary types. Systems of the expansive type (Izu-Bonin–Marian and Lesser Antilles) grow both towards the subducting oceanic plate and towards the free oceanic space – their geodynamics is determined by processes in the oceanic plates. The mantle currents under the overhanging lithospheric plate are directed towards the subducting plate. Accretionary systems such as the Olyutor–East Kamchatka, Nemuro–Lesser Kuril, and Talkitna systems have completed their development as part of active continental margins. The paleotectonic reconstruction of such systems shows that these systems in the course of their development were reduced to relict terranes, tectonically aligned with continental margins. The geodynamics of intra-ocean systems of the accretion type also depends on processes in oceanic plates, but leads to the opposite result compared to expansive systems. This is due to the direction of mantle flows under the overhanging plate, which is opposite to the expansion type, i.e. coinciding in direction with the mantle flow under the absorbed plate. The stationary Aleutian island-arc system is intercontinental and its development in space, as well as the formation of internal structures (the Paleogene island arc of the Bowers Ridge), depended on the difference in the relative movement of the Eurasian and North American lithospheric plates. The most specific feature of this system is the absence of signs of back-arc basin opening, which invariably characterizes expansive and accretionary island-arc systems. It is assumed that this specific feature of the system may be related to the mantle flow under the overhanging slab, which has a transverse direction with respect to the direction of the subducting slab. The Aleutian system, from the moment of its formation, was and remained autochthonous in relation to the North American and Eurasian continents.

Topography of the Aleutian Trench south-east off Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea, in the context of the geological development of North Pacific Ocean

Topography of the Aleutian Trench south-east off Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea, in the context of the geological development of North Pacific Ocean

Topography of the Aleutian Trench south-east off Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea, in the context of the geological development of North Pacific Ocean

The research is focused on the topographic modelling and mapping of the Aleutian Trench. The study area is situated in the Bering Sea, a marginal sea located northernmost of the Pacific Ocean, between Alaska and Kamchatka Peninsula. The geological setting of the region is characterized by the subduction of the oceanic Pacific Plate below the continental North American Plate. Other features include high seismic activity along the Aleutian island arcs bordering the oceanic seafloor. The objective of this paper is to explore the interaction between the geophysical setting affecting the relief of the seafloor by using geoinformation techniques and geological analysis. In the hypothesis of this study, variations in the geophysical fields as independent variables are reflected in the morphology of the seafloor, which can be observed using data visualization by the advanced cartographic scripting solutions. The open source high-resolution topographic map (ETOPO1), marine free-air gravity and Bouguer gravity anomaly data were used and integrated to investigate the potential correlation between the geophysical, geological, tectonic and topographic settings of the Bering Sea. Our main method includes bathymetric mapping of the area with publicly available bathymetric data using GMT. Materials include open source data: ETOPO1 raster grid with 1 arc-minute resolution, EGM96 gravity and vector contour layers of GMT. The research included complex thematic mapping of the region, including topographic, contour, geodetic and geophysical mapping, 3D modelling and geomorphological plotting of the 30 cross-section segments of the trench located SE off the Bowers Ridge. According to the processed ETOPO1 dataset, the minimal depth is -8480 m and the mean is -3089.154 m. The geoid undulations model shows that the majority of the gravity values lie in the interval between -10 and 20 m with the lowest values along the trench. The statistical histogram shows that the most common depth value in the segment of the Aleutian Trench is -4800 m, occurring 1722 times. The profile linear trend modelling was done with four different approaches of the regression model (y = f(x) + e) by weighted least squares (WLS) with arguments: 1) m2t = a + bt (polynomial model degree one); 2) m3t = a + bt + ct2 (polynomial model degree two); 3) m4t = a + bt + ct2 + dcos2π*t + esin2π*t (polynomial model with Fourier series one); and 4) additional plotting residuals. Surface modelling was performed using xyz modelling from the ASCII data enlarging fragment towards SE of the Bowers Ridge. The tested functionality of modules of GMT presented an effective cartographic scripting toolset enabling a precise topographic mapping and 3D modelling. The paper contributes to a more detailed understanding of the Pacific Ocean seafloor bathymetry, more specifically of the selected segment of the Aleutian Trench near Bowers Ridge area.

3D S-velocity model of the lithosphere-asthenosphere system beneath the Bering Sea

The 3D S-velocity structure for the Bering Sea region is determined from dispersion analysis (Rayleigh waves), from which the most conspicuous features of the crust and upper mantle (from 0 to 400 km depth) will be revealed. In the depth range from 0 to 5 km, this model shows the distribution of the sedimentary basins present in the study area, in terms of S-velocity. For the Bering Shelf, the S-velocity values decrease southward, indicating the presence of deep sedimentary basins in the southern Bering Shelf. In the depth range from 5 to 30 km, the S-velocity model shows clearly the division of the Bering Sea basin in three sub-basins: the Aleutian Basin, the Bowers Basin and the Komandorsky Basin, produced by the Bowers Ridge and the Shirshov Ridge. In this model, the low S-velocity pattern determined for the Bering Shelf confirms that its crust is similar to a continental-type crust, no an oceanic crust. The Moho map determined in the present study, from the 3D S-velocity model, is the first Moho map calculated for the Bering Sea region. In this map, the crust beneath the Bering Shelf shows thicker thickness than a typical oceanic crust, from which is concluded that this crust must be considered as a transitional crustal structure. In the depth range from 30 to 100 km, the Aleutian Basin shows a pattern of high S-velocity that can be correlated with the origin of this basin, because this basin is considered as formed by the entrapment of a piece of Pacific plate. In the depth range from 45 to 60 km, the low S-velocity pattern shown for the eastern Aleutian arc is associated to the active arc volcanoes present in this region. From the S-velocity model, the asthenosphere beneath the study area is firstly determined from ~ 100 to ~ 180 km depth. For the depth range from 80 to 400 km, the high S-velocity pattern determined for the eastern Aleutian arc, allows the modeling (imaging) of the subducting Pacific slab, in terms of S-velocity. This pattern of high S-velocity is not visible beneath the western Aleutian arc, because the Pacific plate is not subducting beneath the Bering Sea in the western Aleutian arc.

Benthic foraminifera indicate Glacial North Pacific Intermediate Water and reduced primary productivity over Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea, since the Mid-Brunhes Transition

Abstract. The Mid-Brunhes Transition (MBT) saw an increase in the amplitude of glacial cycles expressed in ice core and deep ocean records from about 400 ka, but its influence on high-latitude climates is not fully understood. The Arctic Ocean is thought to have warmed and exhibited reduced sea ice, but little is known of sea ice marginal locations such as the Bering Sea. The Bering Sea is the link between the Arctic and Pacific Ocean and is an area of high productivity and CO2 ventilation; it hosts a pronounced oxygen minimum zone (OMZ) and is thought to be the location of Glacial North Pacific Intermediate Water (GNPIW) formation in the Pleistocene. To understand palaeoceanographic change in the region, we analysed benthic foraminiferal faunas from Bowers Ridge (Site U1342, 800 m of water depth) over the past 600 kyr, as they are uniquely well preserved and sensitive to changes in deep and surface ocean conditions. We identified and imaged 71 taxa and provide a full taxonomy. Foraminiferal preservation is markedly higher during glacials, indicating the presence of less corrosive GNPIW. The most abundant species are Bulimina exilis, Takayanagia delicata, Alabaminella weddellensis, Gyroidina sp. 2, Cassidulina laevigata, Islandiella norcrossi, and Uvigerina bifurcata, consistent with broadly high net primary production throughout the last 600 kyr. Correspondence analysis shows that the most significant Assemblage 1 comprises B. exilis, T. delicata, Bolivina spissa, and Brizalina, which occur sporadically within intervals of laminated, biogenic-rich sediment, mostly during glacials and also some deglacials, and are interpreted as indicating very high productivity. Other assemblages contain the phytodetritivore species A. weddellensis, I. norcrossi, and C. laevigata, indicative of seasonal phytoplankton blooms. Before the MBT, more numerous intervals of the very high-productivity Assemblage 1 and A. weddellensis occur, which we suggest reflect a time of more sea-ice-related seasonal stratification and ice edge blooms. Our inference of a decrease in sea ice meltwater stratification influence in the central Bering Sea after the MBT is consistent with records showing that the Arctic and Pacific Ocean warmed during glacials and suggests that high-latitude productivity and sea ice changes were an important feature of this climate event.

Facies Structure and Quantitative Parameters of Pleistocene Sediments of the Bering Sea

Lithofacies zoning is described for the first time for the Neo- and Eopleistocene of the Bering Sea. Four lithofacies sedimentation zones are distinguished: (I) terrigenous; (II) siliceous–terrigenous; (III) siliceous, and (IV) volcanoterrigenous ones. Corresponding maps were treated using Ronov volumetric method to quantify sedimentation parameters for distinguished lithofacies zones (subzones) and types of Pleistocene sediments. It was revealed that terrigenous sediments predominate over other sediments. Accumulation of the terrigenous sediments was more intense (by 1.4 times) in the Neopleistocene than in the Eopleistocene. The sedimentation rate of siliceous sediments of the Bowers Ridge in the Eopleistocene was two times higher than in the Neopleistocene.

Modern deep-water agglutinated foraminifera from IODP Expedition 323, Bering Sea: ecological and taxonomic implications

Abstract. Despite the importance of the Bering Sea for subarctic oceanography and climate, relatively little is known of the foraminifera from the extensive Aleutian Basin. We report the occurrence of modern deep-water agglutinated foraminifera collected at seven sites cored during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 323 in the Bering Sea. Assemblages collected from core-top samples contained 32 genera and 50 species and are described and illustrated here for the first time. Commonly occurring species include typical deep-water Rhizammina, Reophax, Rhabdammina, Recurvoides and Nodulina. Assemblages from the northern sites also consist of accessory Cyclammina, Eggerelloides and Glaphyrammina, whilst those of the Bowers Ridge sites consist of other tubular genera and Martinottiella. Of the studied stations with the lowest dissolved oxygen concentrations, the potentially Bering Sea endemic Eggerelloides sp. 1 inhabits the northern slope, which has the highest primary productivity, and the potentially endemic Martinottiella sp. 3 inhabits Bowers Ridge, which has the lowest oxygen concentrations but relatively low annual productivity. Martinottiella sp. 3, with open pores on its test surface, has previously been reported in Pliocene to Recent material from Bowers Ridge. Despite relatively small sample sizes, ecological constraints may imply that the Bering Sea experienced high productivity and reduced oxygen at times since at least the Pliocene. We note the partially endemic nature of the agglutinated foraminiferal assemblages, which may at least in part be due to basin restriction, the geologically long time period of reduced oxygen, and high organic carbon flux. Our results indicate the importance of gathering further surface sample data from the Aleutian Basin.

Biogeochemical cycling in the Bering Sea over the onset of major Northern Hemisphere Glaciation

AbstractThe Bering Sea is one of the most biologically productive regions in the marine system and plays a key role in regulating the flow of waters to the Arctic Ocean and into the subarctic North Pacific Ocean. Cores from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 323 to the Bering Sea provide the first opportunity to obtain reconstructions from the region that extend back to the Pliocene. Previous research at Bowers Ridge, south Bering Sea, has revealed stable levels of siliceous productivity over the onset of major Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) (circa 2.85–2.73 Ma). However, diatom silica isotope records of oxygen (δ18Odiatom) and silicon (δ30Sidiatom) presented here demonstrate that this interval was associated with a progressive increase in the supply of silicic acid to the region, superimposed on shift to a more dynamic environment characterized by colder temperatures and increased sea ice. This concluded at 2.58 Ma with a sharp increase in diatom productivity, further increases in photic zone nutrient availability and a permanent shift to colder sea surface conditions. These transitions are suggested to reflect a gradually more intense nutrient leakage from the subarctic northwest Pacific Ocean, with increases in productivity further aided by increased sea ice‐ and wind‐driven mixing in the Bering Sea. In suggesting a linkage in biogeochemical cycling between the south Bering Sea and subarctic Northwest Pacific Ocean, mainly via the Kamchatka Strait, this work highlights the need to consider the interconnectivity of these two systems when future reconstructions are carried out in the region.

Bering Sea radiolarian biostratigraphy and paleoceanography at IODP Site U1341 during the last four million years

Radiolarian assemblages in sediment cores were investigated at the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1341 on Bowers Ridge in the southern Bering Sea. Radiolarian biozones at Site U1341 spanned the last 4My from the youngest Amphimelissa setosa Zone (late Quaternary), via the Stylatractus universes Zone, the Eucyrtidium matuyamai Zone and a part of the Cycladophora sakaii Zone (middle to late Pliocene). The A. setosa Zone, newly proposed in this paper, is well correlated with the Botryostrobus aquilonaris Zone in the North Pacific Ocean. The bottom of the S. universus and top of the E. matuyamai Zones are emended in this paper by using the first common occurrence of A. setosa. Seventeen radiolarian datum points were identified at Site U1341 and tied to the geomagnetic and oxygen isotope stratigraphy. Radiolarian assemblages during the last 4My showed a turnover from subarctic-transitional species (Spongopyle osculosa and Larcopyle buetschlii) to subarctic species (Ceratospyris borealis) between 3.6 and 2.4Ma, corresponding to the intensification of the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG). Recent polar species (A. setosa and Actinomma boreale) appeared abundantly after the Mid-Pleistocene Transition (MPT, 1.2–0.8Ma). Repeated numbers of individual peaks of the abundances of Cycladophora davisiana, dwelling in cold and well-ventilated intermediate water, suggest intermediate to deep water formation in the Bering Sea during the last 1My.

40Ar–39Ar dating and tectonic implications of volcanic rocks recovered at IODP Hole U1342A and D on Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea

During the Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP), a total of 41.54m of basement rock, consolidated volcaniclastic sediment, was recovered beneath a thin sediment cover. The drilled site is at the eastern end of the crestal area of Bowers Ridge, a north and westward sweeping offshoot of the Aleutian Arc into the Bering Sea. The volcanic sequence recovered from Holes U1342A and U1342D was divided into six major lithologic units. We used the single grain 40Ar–39Ar dating method performed by step-wise heated laser fusion technique to date andesites of Unit 1. Thereby two ages of Oligocene volcanism (34–32Ma, 28–26Ma) were distinguished each other according to our 40Ar–39Ar data. These ages refute a hypothesized Cretaceous origin in the North Pacific as an exotic arc massif or sector of the Hawaiian-Emperor chain and indicate that the Bowers Ridge is a Bering-Sea formed arc or remnant arc that ceased forming in the latest Oligocene to the earliest Miocene time.

Planktonic foraminiferal biostratigraphy and assemblages in the Bering Sea during the Pliocene and Pleistocene: IODP sites U1340 and U1343

IODP Site U1340 and Site U1343 in the Bering Sea have been investigated with regard to planktonic foraminifers and fragmentation. The base of Site U1340 dates back to the Early Pliocene and the base of Site U1343 to the Early Pleistocene. Site U1340 is situated at Bowers Ridge, the southern Bering Sea. Site U1343 is situated near the gateway to the Arctic Ocean in the northern Bering Sea. At both sites there are none or very few planktonic foraminifers during the Pliocene and early Pleistocene. After 1.3–1.4Ma the planktonic foraminifers are continuously present for most of the samples examined. Three stratigraphic events have been identified in this study. The first occurrence (FO) of Neogloboquadrina inglei is observed at 1.4–1.5Ma, although this event may be affected by poor preservation of foraminifers in older sediments. The observed age of the change in the coiling ratio of Neogloboquadrina pachyderma from right to left at 1.2Ma agrees with the dating of the same event at the Californian margin. The age of the last occurrence (LO) of N. inglei also seems to match the same event from the Californian margin at 0.7Ma. This implies that these events are robust regional events for the entire northern Pacific. Multivariate analyses of the quantitative planktonic foraminifer data show three main faunal assemblages. The oldest assemblage from 1.3–1.4Ma to 1.2Ma is dominated by N pachyderma s.l. (dex) together with Globigerina bulloides. Other species in this fauna are N. inglei, N. pachyderma s.l. (sin), Globigerina umbilicata and Turborotalita quinqueloba. After 1.2Ma the faunal assemblage is dominated by N. pachyderma s.l. (sin), but the remaining species are the same as before. At 0.7Ma N. inglei disappears, whilst the remaining fauna assemblage stays the same, with N. pachyderma s.l. (sin) still dominating, reflecting subpolar–polar conditions. Prior to 1.4–1.3Ma there are very few or no planktonic foraminifers. Low shell fragmentation and lower TOC suggest that the lack of planktonic foraminifers in these sediments cannot be explained either by a shoaling of the carbonate compensation depth or by enhanced supralysoclinal dissolution. Instead, we argue that the appearance of abundant foraminifers in the sediment reflects the same evolutionary adaption of N. pachyderma (sin) to cold conditions to have occurred after 1.1–1.0Ma as in the North Atlantic.

Phosphorus burial and diagenesis in the central Bering Sea (Bowers Ridge, IODP Site U1341): Perspectives on the marine P cycle

To reconstruct the cycling of reactive phosphorus (P) in the Bering Sea, a P speciation record covering the last ~4Ma was generated from sediments recovered during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 323 at Site U1341 (Bowers Ridge). A chemical extraction procedure distinguishing between different operationally defined P fractions provides new insight into reactive P input, burial and diagenetic transformations. Reactive P mass accumulation rates (MARs) are ~20–110μmol/cm2/ka, which is comparable to other open ocean locations but orders of magnitude lower than most upwelling settings. We find that authigenic carbonate fluorapatite (CFA) and opal-bound P are the dominant P fractions at Site U1341. An overall increasing contribution of CFA to total P with sediment depth is consistent with a gradual “sink switching” from more labile P fractions (fish remains, Fe oxides, organic matter) to stable authigenic CFA. However, the positive correlation of CFA with Al content implies that a significant portion of the supposedly reactive CFA is non-reactive “detrital contamination” by eolian and/or riverine CFA. In contrast to CFA, opal-bound P has rarely been studied in marine sediments. We find for the first time that opal-bound P directly correlates with excess silica contents. This P fraction was apparently available to biosiliceous phytoplankton at the time of sediment deposition and is a long-term sink for reactive P in the ocean, despite the likelihood for diagenetic re-mobilisation of this P at depth (indicated by increasing ratios of excess silica to opal-bound P). Average reactive P MARs at Site U1341 increase by ~25% if opal-bound P is accounted for, but decrease by ~25% if 50% of the extracted CFA fraction (based on the lowest CFA value at Site U1341) is assumed to be detrital. Combining our results with literature data, we present a qualitative perspective of terrestrial CFA and opal-bound P deposition in the modern ocean. Riverine CFA input has mostly been reported from continental shelves and margins draining P-rich lithologies, while eolian CFA input is found across wide ocean regions underlying the Northern Hemispheric “dust belt”. Opal-bound P burial is important in the Southern Ocean, North Pacific, and likely in upwelling areas. Shifts in detrital CFA and opal-bound P deposition across ocean basins likely occurred over time, responding to changing weathering patterns, sea level, and biogenic opal deposition.

Repeated occurrences of methanogenic zones, diagenetic dolomite formation and linked silicate alteration in southern Bering Sea sediments (Bowers Ridge, IODP Exp. 323 Site U1341)

Diagenetic precipitates, such as dolomite, and the chemistry of residual deeply buried porewater often represent the only traces of past biogeochemical activity in marine sediments. A 600m thick sedimentary section, recently drilled at Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Site U1341 on Bowers Ridge (southern Bering Sea), provides insight into such a 4.3Ma old paleo-diagenetic archive. Hard-lithified calcite–dolomite layers, and laminae of disseminated carbonate, were recovered in diatom-rich sediments over a depth range of 400m. Carbon isotope values of the diagenetic carbonates between −16.6 and −14.4‰ (VPDB) and strontium isotope ratios of dolomites close to past seawater values suggest carbonate precipitation induced by the production of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) during elevated rates of organic carbon mineralization, primarily via sulfate reduction, at shallow sediment depth below the paleo-seafloor. Diagenetic carbonates at 280–440m below seafloor were likely also produced by the intermittent onset of sulfate reduction coupled to the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM) at sulfate–methane transition zones (SMTZ). These microbially mediated processes do not occur in the sediment at this site at present but were likely connected to the presence of a methanogenic zone at 2.58–2.51Ma. A minimum in sulfate concentrations in modern porewaters and low sedimentary Ba/Al ratios resulting from former sulfate depletion are reminiscent of the presence of this large methanogenic zone. The minimum in sulfate concentrations is reflected in a minimum in magnesium concentrations, less radiogenic strontium and isotopically light calcium in the porewater. It is proposed that magnesium was removed from the porewater during carbonate precipitation and volcanic ash alteration which occurred in the former methanogenic zone and also released strontium with a less radiogenic isotope ratio and isotopically light calcium into the porewater. The isotopic composition of porewater calcium was also influenced by ammonium–calcium exchange on clay minerals and carbonate recrystallization. Our study elucidates the response of porewater element concentrations and isotopic profiles interlinked with the formation of diagenetic carbonates to changes in the deposition of organic carbon in sediments of deeper water sites (>2000m water depth) over prolonged timescales. It shows that variations in biogeochemical processes in response to changes in oceanographic conditions and a dynamic subseafloor biogeochemical zonation have to also be taken into account at these deep water sites for a global assessment of organic carbon burial fluxes and remineralization.

Changes in biogenic opal productivity with Milankovitch cycles during the last 1.3 Ma at IODP Expedition 323 Sites U1341, U1343, and U1345 in the Bering Sea

Sediments from three Sites (U1341, U1343 and U1345) of IODP Expedition 323, located in the Bering Sea, were analyzed for variation of biogenic opal representing surface water paleoproductivity. Initial age models of three Sites (bottom age, U1341: 4.3 Ma, U1343: 2.4 Ma, U1345: 0.5 Ma) were established onboard by biostratigraphic and paleomagnetic investigations. The initial age models were tuned by δ18O stratigraphy, which was established on shore. Biogenic opal contents of sediments were analyzed for the interval of 1.3 Ma to the present. Generally, the %biogenic opal values at Site U1341 (Bowers Ridge) were significantly higher than those at the Beringian slope sites (U1343 and U1345). Higher natural gamma radiation (NGR) counts and magnetic susceptibility (MS) at the Beringian slope sites suggested a greater contribution of lithogenic matter than at Site U1341 on Bowers Ridge. The percentages of sea-ice diatoms at the Beringian slope sites are also higher than those at Bowers Ridge Sites. This is primarily attributed to the fact that the sediments from the Beringian slope area were significantly diluted by lithogenic matter derived from the Alaskan continent, and were largely affected by sea-ice cover. The cyclicity of biogenic opal accumulation rates at Site U1341 is determined to be about 160, 40, and 30 ky, whereas that at Site U1343 is determined to be about 330, 100, 40 and 20 ky. If these had been reflecting a global climate change, the cyclicity of biogenic opal contents at all sites would be consistently the same. However, the results do not show such a consistency. Obliquity is observed at both sites of the Bowers Ridge and Beringian slope. A strong eccentricity was observed only at U1343, but no signature for eccentricity was detected at U1341. Therefore, the Milankovitch cycle with 100 ky periodicity was only observed at the Beringian slope area. The results suggest that the %biogenic opal at Site U1341 indicated a local characteristic for biogenic productivity changes. Thus, the absence of the 100 ky cycle of biogenic opal at Site U1341 seems to be due to local phenomena such as water circulation, although the changes in biogenic opal productivity at Site U1341 are attributed to summer insolation.

Diatoms, silicoflagellates, and ebridians at Site U1341 on the western slope of Bowers Ridge, IODP Expedition 323

The biostratigraphy and datum levels of diatoms, silicoflagellates, and ebridians are presented at Site U1341 drilled by the IODP Expedition 323 on the western slope of Bowers Ridge in the Bering Sea. Identified biostratigraphic diatom zones were from the Neodenticula seminae Zone to the Thalassiosira oestrupii Subzone. Silicoflagellate and ebridian zones were from the Distephanus octangulatus Zone to the Distephanus jimlingii Zone. The bottom age in the deepest Hole U1341B is estimated between 4.1Ma and 5.0Ma. Based on the succession of microfossil assemblages throughout the studied holes, the changes in paleoceanographic conditions are outlined.

Nutrient leakage from the North Pacific to the Bering Sea (IODP Site U1341) following the onset of Northern Hemispheric Glaciation?

Intergrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 323 recovered a sediment record covering the last ~4.3 Ma from the Bering Sea (Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Site U1341, Bowers Ridge, 2177 m water depth). To resolve Pliocene‐Pleistocene paleoenvironmental changes in this marginal basin, ~190 sediment samples were analyzed for their bulk element composition. Aluminium contents in Bowers Ridge sediments are variable but overall higher toward younger sediments, probably related to the intensification of the Northern Hemispheric Glaciation and increasing sea ice transport in the Bering Sea. The gradual increase of terrigenous input is mirrored by decreasing SiO2 and excess Si (Sixs) contents, but the overall Si enrichment of the deposits reflects continuous opal deposition since the Pliocene at Bowers Ridge. Unlike in the North Pacific, the Sixs record at Site U1341 does not support a dramatic decrease in opal export following the onset of the Northern Hemispheric Glaciation around 2.7 Ma, but SiO2xs have higher accumulation rates (up to ~8 g/cm2/ka) between ~2.6 and ~1.8 Ma BP. During this period, the major oceanic opal deposition centers shifted globally from open marine high latitude regions to upwelling areas. We here discuss how the onset of North Pacific stratification at ~2.7 Ma BP may have caused leakage of nutrient‐rich deep/intermediate North Pacific water into the Bering Sea via the deep Kamtchatka Strait, leading to increased opal deposition—and likely reactive organic matter export—at Bowers Ridge. As a result, magnetic and geochemical records were overprinted by intensified diagenesis, significantly affecting their applications as paleoceanographic proxies.

The evolution of early diagenetic signals in Bering Sea subseafloor sediments in response to varying organic carbon deposition over the last 4.3 Ma

Transient pore-water and solid-phase signatures in deep subseafloor marine sediments, resulting from changes in both the amount and the quality of the organic matter input, are common but often difficult to interpret. We combined high-resolution pore-water and solid-phase data from Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 323 Site U1341 (Bowers Ridge, Bering Sea) with inverse reaction-transport modeling to examine the evolution and potential preservation of diagenetic signals in these deep subseafloor sediments. We explore how these signals reflect major changes in the deposition and reactivity of organic matter to the seafloor at Bowers Ridge. Results of the inverse model approach reveal that 2.51–2.58Ma ago a high deposition flux of extremely labile organic matter, probably linked to increased surface water primary productivity, affected this site. Associated elevated organoclastic sulfate reduction rates facilitated low sulfate concentrations, the onset of methanogenesis, and consequently sulfate reduction coupled to the anaerobic oxidation of methane (AOM). Sulfate depletion caused the dissolution of biogenic barite reflected by a sedimentary interval with low Ba/Al ratios. Two sulfate–methane transition zones (SMTZs) evolved where high rates of AOM controlled sulfate consumption which was sustained by the influx of sulfate from seawater above and a deep source below. The positions of both SMTZs shifted non-synchronously over the subsequent ∼130,000yrs, until methanogenesis and AOM declined. The present-day sulfate concentration and sulfur isotope profiles still reflect the impact of the reactive organic matter pulse. They also record a period of very low reactive organic matter deposition during the middle to late Pleistocene, probably linked to very low primary productivity, resulting in little microbial carbon turnover in the sediment. Our study shows that combining biogeochemical signatures recorded in the solid-phase of deep subseafloor sediments with the analysis of transient pore-water signals by inverse reaction-transport modeling yields new insights into past deep biosphere processes and the paleoproductivity of marine basins.

On the dynamics of strait flows: an ocean model study of the Aleutian passages and the Bering Strait

A high-resolution numerical ocean circulation model of the Bering Sea (BS) is used to study the natural variability of the BS straits. Three distinct categories of strait dynamics have been identified: (1) Shallow passages such as the Bering Strait and the Unimak Passage have northward, near barotropic flow with periodic pulses of larger transports; (2) wide passages such as Near Straits, Amukta Pass, and Buldir Pass have complex flow patterns driven by the passage of mesoscale eddies across the strait; and (3) deep passages such as Amchitka Pass and Kamchatka Strait have persistent deep return flows opposite in direction to major surface currents; the deep flows persist independent of the local wind. Empirical orthogonal function analyses reveal the spatial structure and the temporal variability of strait flows and demonstrate how mesoscale variations in the Aleutian passages influence the Bering Strait flow toward the Arctic Ocean. The study suggests a general relation between the barotropic and baroclinic Rossby radii of deformations in each strait, and the level of flow variability through the strait, independent of geographical location. The mesoscale variability in the BS seems to originate from two different sources: a remote origin from variability in the Alaskan Stream that enters the BS through the Aleutian passages and a local origin from the interaction of currents with the Bowers Ridge in the Aleutian Basin. Comparisons between the flow in the Aleutian passages and flow in other straits, such as the Yucatan Channel and the Faroe Bank Channel, suggest some universal topographically induced dynamics in strait flows.

Evolution of marine sedimentation in the Bering Sea since the Pliocene

Sediment of the Bering Sea, derived mainly from biogenic, glaciomarine, and, secondarily, riverine sources, reflects the history of oceanographic changes within the basin and climatic changes on the adjacent continents. Integrated Ocean Drilling Program (IODP) Expedition 323 recovered cores that reveal the evolution of sedimentation in the Bering Sea over the past 5 m.y., a period that includes globally significant events such as the early Pliocene warm period, the onset of extensive Northern Hemisphere glaciation, and the Pleistocene glacial-interglacial and millennial-scale climate cycles. To begin to understand the Bering Sea regional response to and role in these global climate change events, we examined the sedimentary constituents of Expedition 323 sites U1339, U1343, and U1344 on the Bering Slope, and U1340 and U1341 on Bowers Ridge. New particle size and petrographic analyses, combined with shipboard lithostratigraphic and physical property data, are used to characterize sediment types and texture and its distribution through space and time. The sediment comprises mainly two components, opaline diatom valves and siliciclastic grains (mainly clay and fine silt size). Approximately 40% of the variance in particle size can be explained by the abundance and preservation of diatom valves, a rough indicator of biogenic opal productivity. Particle size data indicate that productivity was generally higher during interglacials compared to glacials, and higher during the Pliocene warm period, decreasing as Northern Hemisphere glaciation intensified ∼3 m.y. ago. Although the abundance of diatoms in the sediment varied, diatom ooze and diatom mud are the dominant lithologies at Bowers Ridge, indicating that there was a persistent supply of diatoms to the sediment in the open Bering Sea during the past 5 m.y. This study provides a comprehensive view of sediment types and sedimentation processes; future work should be aimed at validating our interpretations of past changes in productivity and siliciclastic sedimentation mechanisms with multiple additional proxies.