Lithogenic Sediment Research Articles

Recommended centrifuge method: Specific grain size separation in the

The isolation of specific grain size classes of lithogenic samples and biogenic carbonate from the <63 µm fraction (i.e. clay and silt) of marine sediment is often a prerequisite to further pre-treatments and/or analytical measurements for palaeoceanographic studies. Established techniques employed have included sieving, settling and micro-filtration (and/or a combination of these). However, these methods often use significant amounts of bulk sediment (often up to ∼3 g) and/or require considerable amounts of time during sediment processing (ranging from 48 h to 3 weeks) to isolate a size specific class for further analyses. Here, we build on previous approaches to isolate three grain size classes (e.g. <2 µm, clay; 2–10 µm, fine silt; and 10–63 µm, coarse silt) from the <63 µm fraction of marine sediment with the aid of a centrifuge at varying revolutions per minute using Stokes’ Law. We show the utility of our approach using two common sediment types dominated by (i) lithogenic and (ii) biogenic carbonate (specifically coccoliths) components of marine sediment cores. Our method reduces the amount of sample material required to 1–2 g to provide an isolated clay fraction (or other targeted size fraction) and decreases the sample processing time (to ∼1 hour) to enable high throughput of analysis, when compared to previous techniques for palaeoceanographic proxy measurements.•We recommend a more straightforward grain size isolation method for lithogenic sediment and biogenic carbonate sediment types•Isolating commonly targeted grain size fractions for palaeoceanographic studies using a centrifuge

Processes controlling the distributions and cycling of dissolved aluminum and manganese in the northeastern Indian Ocean

Aluminum and manganese are both key parameters in the GEOTRACES program. Data on dissolved aluminum (dAl) and dissolved manganese (dMn) relative to their geochemical behavior remain limited in the northeastern Indian Ocean (IO; including the Bay of Bengal (BoB) and equatorial Indian Ocean (Eq. IO)). Seawater samples collected in the BoB and Eq. IO during the spring inter-monsoon period (7 March to 9 April) of 2017 were analyzed to investigate the behavior and main processes controlling the distributions of dAl and dMn in the northeastern IO. The average concentrations of dAl and dMn in the mixed layer of the BoB were 16.6 and 6.7 nM, respectively. A modified 1-D box-model equation was utilized to estimate the contributions of different sources to dAl and dMn in the mixed layer. Al released from the desorption of and/or dissolution of the lithogenic sediments discharged by the Ganga–Brahmaputra (G-B) river system predominantly controlled the dAl distributions in the mixed layer of the BoB, while the desorption from the lithogenic sediments only contributed approximately 13%–21% dMn. Additional dMn input from the advection of Andaman Sea water and photo-reduction–dissolution of particulate Mn(IV) contributed more than 60% dMn in the mixed layer of the BoB. dAl and dMn in the surface mixed layer of the Eq. IO were mainly affected by the mixing of dAl- and dMn-enriched BoB surface water and low-dAl, low-dMn southern Arabian Sea surface water. Considering water mass properties and dAl concentrations, the distributions of dAl in the intermediate water (750–1,500 m) of northeastern IO were controlled by the mixing of Red Sea Intermediate Water, Indonesian Intermediate Water, and intermediate water of the BoB. Different from dAl, the apparent oxygen utilization relationship with dMn concentrations indicated that the regeneration of lithogenic particles under hypoxic conditions played a more important role than the remineralization of settling organic particles in controlling dMn distributions in the subsurface and intermediate water body (100–1,000 m) of the BoB and that remineralization of biogenic particles mattered to dMn in the subsurface of the Eq. IO.

Anthropogenic impacts on tidal creek sedimentation since 1900.

Land cover and use around the margins of estuaries has shifted since 1950 at many sites in North America due to development pressures from higher population densities. Small coastal watersheds are ubiquitous along estuarine margins and most of this coastal land-cover change occurred in these tidal creek watersheds. A change in land cover could modify the contribution of sediments from tidal creek watersheds to downstream areas and affect estuarine habitats that rely on sediments to persist or are adversely impacted by sediment loading. The resilience of wetlands to accelerating relative sea-level rise depends, in part, on the supply of lithogenic sediment to support accretion and maintain elevation; however, subtidal habitats such as oyster reefs and seagrass beds are stressed under conditions of high turbidity and sedimentation. Here we compare sediment accumulation rates before and after 1950 using 210Pb in 12 tidal creeks across two distinct regions in North Carolina, one region of low relief tidal-creek watersheds where land cover change since 1959 was dominated by fluctuations in forest, silviculture, and agriculture, and another region of relatively high relief tidal-creek watersheds where land-use change was dominated by increasing suburban development. At eight of the creeks, mass accumulation rates (g cm-2 y-1) measured at the outlet of the creeks increased contemporaneously with the largest shift in land cover, within the resolution of the land-cover data set (~5-years). All but two creek sites experienced a doubling or more in sediment accumulation rates (cm yr-1) after 1950 and most sites experienced sediment accumulation rates that exceeded the rate of local relative sea-level rise, suggesting that there is an excess of sediment being delivered to these tidal creeks and that they may slowly be infilling. After 1950, land cover within one creek watershed changed little, as did mass accumulation rates at the coring location, and another creek coring site did not record an increase in mass accumulation rates at the creek outlet despite a massive increase in development in the watershed that included the construction of retention ponds. These abundant tidal-creek watersheds have little relief, area, and flow, but they are impacted by changes in land cover more, in terms of percent area, than their larger riverine counterparts, and down-stream areas are highly connected to their associated watersheds. This work expands the scientific understanding of connectivity between lower coastal plain watersheds and estuaries and provides important information for coastal zone managers seeking to balance development pressures and environmental protections.

Can Zn isotopes in sediments record past eutrophication of freshwater lakes? A pilot study at Lake Baldegg (Switzerland)

In this study, the speciation and isotopic composition of Zn were traced across the sediments of a freshwater lake that experienced one hundred years of strong eutrophication, in order to assess the potential of sedimentary Zn isotopes to record such an environmental disturbance. The results indicate that the sedimentary Zn isotope signal varied with the change from pre-eutrophic to eutrophic conditions in the investigated lake. The average δ66ZnJMC value of the dominantly allochthonous lithogenic sediments deposited during the pre-eutrophic period was +0.27‰ ±0.05‰ (i.e. similar to the δ66ZnJMC value of +0.28‰ ±0.05‰ proposed for Bulk Silicate Earth), while enhanced autochthonous biochemical sedimentation during the eutrophic period resulted in significantly lower δ66ZnJMC values down to +0.04‰ ±0.06‰. Synchrotron-based X-ray absorption spectroscopy data revealed a concomitant change in Zn speciation from a dominant fraction of Zn in clay minerals during the pre-eutrophic period to a major fraction of Zn in ZnS during the eutrophic period. A linear regression relating the sedimentary Zn isotope signal to the fraction of Zn in ZnS indicated δ66ZnJMC values of +0.27‰ ±0.06‰ and 0.00‰ ±0.08‰ for Zn in clay minerals and in ZnS, respectively. The enrichment of light Zn in ZnS in the eutrophic sediments is tentatively attributed to enhanced biological uptake of light Zn in the water column, which resulted in an enhanced flux of organic-bound Zn towards the sediments and further transformation of organic Zn into ZnS upon biomass mineralization during early diagenesis. This hypothesis is in agreement with the fractionation towards lighter Zn reported for both biological uptake of Zn and ZnS precipitation. The results of this study emphasize the potential of sedimentary Zn isotopes to register past eutrophic periods in freshwater lakes, and thus to serve as a probe of paleo-environmental conditions and/or past land use at the catchment scale.

Evolution of rare earth element and εNd compositions of Gulf of Mexico seawater during interaction with Mississippi River sediment

A closed-system batch reaction experiment was conducted for 270 days to evaluate the effects of interaction between Gulf of Mexico (GOM) seawater and Mississippi River sediments on the system’s dissolved rare earth elements (REE) concentrations and neodymium isotopic compositions (εNd). This study specifically focuses on geochemical reactions involving silicic sediments derived from weathering of the North American continent as they affect the REEs and εNd of seawater along continental margins, in contrast to previous studies that investigated the influence of basaltic rocks and sediments on REEs and εNd in the ocean. Our results show that the dissolution of labile phases of lithogenic Mississippi River sediments leads to an approximately 100-fold increase in dissolved REE concentrations within the first 33 days of the experiment. Secondary mineral precipitation appears to lower the REE concentrations between days 33 and 270 of the experiment, although seawater REE concentrations remain elevated compared to initial values. The two-way elemental transfer involving dissolution and precipitation results in a net increase by a factor of 24 ± 12 (mean ± 1σ) in the dissolved REE concentrations by the end of the experiment (i.e., day 270). The dissolved REE concentration maxima observed after 33 days of the experiment represent the mobilization of approximately 0.37 % of the REE content of the operationally defined “exchangeable” fraction of the riverine sediments. The εNd values of the reactive lithogenic components were −9.77 and −9.95, which are similar to the GOM value of −9.81 ± 0.36. Because of the similarity between εNd values, changes in the seawater Nd isotope value throughout the experiment were subtle (mean ± std, reacted seawater εNd of −9.87 ± 0.17). The highest REE concentrations coincided with the most radiogenic εNd (-9.65 ± 0.23; day 33), which suggests that REE concentrations and εNd compositions of the GOM may be buffered by fluxes from sediments in the system. Our results are comparable to previous studies involving basaltic rocks and/or sediments of basaltic composition in that they demonstrate that silicic, river sediments are highly reactive in marine environments with regard to REE mobilization. The experimental results further suggest that “boundary exchange” plays an important role in influencing the εNd of seawater along continental margins dominated by large river systems, although the impacts of boundary exchange will be most profound where ambient seawater and river sediments have distinct Nd isotopic compositions (e.g., basaltic, or Precambrian shield material). Finally, our results indicate that the εNd value of GOM seawater is largely controlled by the lithogenic sediment delivered to the basin by the Mississippi River.

Variations in export production, lithogenic sediment transport and iron fertilization in the Pacific sector of the Drake Passage over the past 400 kyr

Abstract. Changes in Southern Ocean export production have broad biogeochemical and climatic implications. Specifically, iron fertilization likely increased subantarctic nutrient utilization and enhanced the efficiency of the biological pump during glacials. However, past export production in the subantarctic southeastern Pacific is poorly documented, and its connection to Fe fertilization, potentially related to Patagonian Ice Sheet dynamics, is unknown. We report biological productivity changes over the past 400 kyr, based on a combination of 230Thxs-normalized and stratigraphy-based mass accumulation rates of biogenic barium, organic carbon, biogenic opal and calcium carbonate as indicators of paleo-export production in a sediment core upstream of the Drake Passage (57.5∘ S, 70.3∘ W). In addition, we use fluxes of iron and lithogenic material as proxies for terrigenous input, and thus potential micronutrient supply. Stratigraphy-based mass accumulation rates are strongly influenced by bottom-current dynamics, which result in variable sediment focussing or winnowing at our site. Carbonate is virtually absent in the core, except during peak interglacial intervals of the Holocene, and Marine Isotope Stages (MIS) 5 and 11, likely caused by transient decreases in carbonate dissolution. All other proxies suggest that export production increased during most glacial periods, coinciding with high iron fluxes. Such augmented glacial iron fluxes at the core site were most likely derived from glaciogenic input from the Patagonian Ice Sheet promoting the growth of phytoplankton. Additionally, glacial export production peaks are also consistent with northward shifts of the Subantarctic and Polar Fronts, which positioned our site south of the Subantarctic Front and closer to silicic acid-rich waters of the Polar Frontal Zone. However, glacial export production near the Drake Passage was lower than in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean, which may relate to complete consumption of silicic acid in the study area. Our results underline the importance of micro-nutrient fertilization through lateral terrigenous input from South America rather than eolian transport and exemplify the role of frontal shifts and nutrient limitation for past productivity changes in the Pacific entrance to the Drake Passage.

Geochemistry and Provenances of the Paleoproterozoic Terrigenous Rocks of the Urik–Iya Graben (Southern Siberian Craton)

Abstract —We present results of petrographic, geochemical, and isotope-geochemical (Sm–Nd) studies of the Paleoproterozoic terrigenous rocks of the Urik–Iya graben, which formed during three successive stages of extension. We have established that these rocks are both petrogenic (Ingashi and Daldarma formations) and lithogenic (Ermosokha Formation) sediments. It is concluded that the rocks in the lower and, partly, middle parts of the Urik–Iya graben section (Ingashi Formation and Lower Daldarma Subformation) resulted mostly from the disintegration of felsic igneous rocks. The terrigenous rocks in the middle part of the section (Upper Daldarma Subformation) might have formed through the disintegration of both felsic and mafic igneous rocks. The rocks in the upper part of the section (Ermosokha Formation) probably formed from the underlying terrigenous rocks of the Ingashi and Daldarma formations. The Nd model age (2.3–2.5 Ga) estimated for the rocks of the three studied sections points to a predominance of rocks of the Neoarchean and Paleoproterozoic upper continental crust in the provenance.

Pleistocene Sediments of the Caribbean Sea

The lithological-facies zoning of the Neo- and Eopleistocene sediments of the Caribbean Sea has been described for the first time based on deep-sea drilling data. Сorresponding maps and isopach schemes were processed using A.B. Ronov’s volumetric method to calculate the quantitative parameters of sedimentation for the distinguished types of Pleistocene sediments. It was revealed that the role of carbonate sediments increased from the east westward. The accumulation of lithogenic and carbonate planktic sediments was more intense in the Neopleistocene than in the Eopleistocene, which was related to the neotectonic orogeny on the Lesser Antilles.

Defining a biogeochemical baseline for sediments at Carbon Capture and Storage (CCS) sites: An example from the North Sea (Goldeneye)

Injection of carbon dioxide (CO2) into subseafloor reservoirs is gaining traction as a strategy for mitigating anthropogenic CO2 emissions to the atmosphere. Yet, potential leakage, migration and dissolution of externally-supplied CO2 from such reservoirs are a cause for concern. The potential impact of CO2 leakage on the biogeochemistry of sediments and overlying waters in the North Sea was studied during a controlled subsurface CO2 release experiment in 2019 at a potential carbon capture and storage site (Goldeneye). This study describes the natural (unperturbed) biogeochemistry of sediments. They are classified as muddy sand to sandy mud with low organic carbon content (∼0.6 %). Distributions of dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) and total alkalinity (TA) in sediment porewaters are reported in addition to in situ benthic fluxes of dissolved nutrients and oxygen between the sediments and the overlying water. Oxygen fluxes into the sediment, measured using benthic chambers and eddy covariance, were 6.18 ± 0.58 and 5.73 ± 2.03 mmol m−2 d-1, respectively. Diagnostic indicators are discussed that could be used to detect CO2 enrichment of sediments due to reservoir leakage at CCS sites. These include the ratio TA and ammonium to sulfate in sediment porewaters, benthic fluxes and chloride-normalized cation distributions. These indicators currently suggest that the organic carbon at Goldeneye has an oxidation state below zero and is mainly degraded via sulfate reduction. Carbonate precipitation is apparently negligible, whereas decreases in Mg2+ and K+ point toward ongoing alteration of lithogenic sediments by reverse weathering processes.

Deep-sea sediments of the global ocean

Abstract. Although the deep-sea floor accounts for approximately 60 % of Earth's surface, there has been little progress in relation to deriving maps of seafloor sediment distribution based on transparent, repeatable, and automated methods such as machine learning. A new digital map of the spatial distribution of seafloor lithologies below 500 m water depth is presented to address this shortcoming. The lithology map is accompanied by estimates of the probability of the most probable class, which may be interpreted as a spatially explicit measure of confidence in the predictions, and probabilities for the occurrence of five lithology classes (calcareous sediment, clay, diatom ooze, lithogenous sediment, and radiolarian ooze). These map products were derived by the application of the random-forest machine-learning algorithm to a homogenised dataset of seafloor lithology samples and global environmental predictor variables that were selected based on the current understanding of the controls on the spatial distribution of deep-sea sediments. It is expected that the map products are useful for various purposes including, but not limited to, teaching, management, spatial planning, design of marine protected areas, and as input for global spatial predictions of marine species distributions and seafloor sediment properties. The map products are available at https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.911692 (Diesing, 2020).

Middle to Late Pleistocene Evolution of the Bengal Fan: Integrating Core and Seismic Observations for Chronostratigraphic Modeling of the IODP Expedition 354 8° North Transect

AbstractWe investigate chronology and age uncertainty for the middle to upper Pleistocene lower Bengal Fan using a novel age‐depth modeling approach that factors lithostratigraphic, magnetostratigraphic, biostratigraphic, cyclostratigraphic, and seismic stratigraphic constraints, based on results from the International Ocean Discovery Program Expedition 354 Bengal Fan and analysis of the GeoB97‐020/027 seismic line. The initial chronostratigraphic framework is established using regionally extensive hemipelagic sediment units, and only age‐depth models of fan deposits that respect the superposition of channel‐levee systems between sites are accepted. In doing so, we reconstruct signals of regional sediment accumulation rate and lithogenic sediment input through the perspective of a two‐dimensional ~320 km transect at 8°N that are consistent with more distal and more ambiguous regional records. This chronology allows us to discuss the depositional history of the middle to upper Pleistocene lower Bengal Fan within the context of sea level, climate, and tectonic controls. We hypothesize, based on the timing of accumulation rate changes, that progradation and intensification of the Bengal Fan's channel‐levee system at 8°N was largely driven by increases in sea level amplitude during this time. However, it is also possible this progradation was influenced by changes in Pleistocene climate and increased Himalayan erosion rates, driving greater sediment flux to the fan.

Lithogeochemistry and depositional environments of sedimentary rocks of the upper Vendian and lower Cambrian of the North-West Baltic monocline

«Вестник Санкт-Петербургского университета. Науки о Земле» — научно-теоретический рецензируемый журнал, обобщающий результаты исследований в области геологии, гидрогеологии и геохимии, петрологии и экологии, ландшафтного планирования и геоморфологии, экономической и социальной географии.

Dissolved aluminium cycling in the northern, equatorial and subtropical gyre region of the Indian Ocean

Dissolved aluminium (hereafter, dAl) concentrations have been determined on 34 full vertical water column profiles, sampled along the two separate GEOTRACES-India transects (GI-01 and GI-06) to understand the biogeochemical controls on dAl distribution in the northern (the Bay of Bengal, the Andaman Sea and the Arabian Sea), equatorial and subtropical gyre region of the Indian Ocean. Al released due to the partial dissolution of and/or Al desorption from the suspended lithogenic sediments, supplied in a huge amount to the Bay of Bengal (BoB) waters by the Ganga-Brahmaputra (G-B) river system, Indian peninsular rivers and sediment resuspension from the continental shelf and slope, predominantly controls the dAl distribution in the BoB and results in an overall increase in the dAl concentrations throughout the water column towards the northern BoB and the eastern coast of India. Considering the steady-state balance between the dAl input from the lithogenic sediment flux in the upper water column and first-order scavenging removal of dAl, the fractional solubility of Al from the lithogenic sediments in the BoB surface waters is estimated to be in the range of 1.1–4.7%. Advection of Indonesian Sea surface waters through the Strait of Malacca and dAl input from the partial dissolution of resuspended terrigenous sediments, sourced from the insular shelf of the Nicobar Islands, set major controls on the dAl distribution in the surface and upper thermocline waters of the southern Andaman Sea and the southern BoB region near the Nicobar Islands. Rapid renewal of and vertical mixing in the deeper waters (>1000 m) relative to scavenging removal of dAl results in near-uniform dAl concentrations (∼3.7 nM) in the deeper waters at the center of the southern Andaman Sea. In the south-eastern Arabian Sea, the continental outflow of mineral dust and advection of dAl enriched Bay of Bengal surface waters control the dAl distribution in the surface water layer. dAl in the surface waters of the equatorial Indian Ocean, during the late winter sampling period of the GI-06 cruise, is predominantly determined by the mixing between dAl-rich surface waters of the southern BoB and relatively, dAl-depleted surface waters of the southern Arabian Sea under the influence of the Northeast Monsoon Current. The scavenging residence time of dAl in the deep waters of the equatorial Indian Ocean is estimated using a 1-D scavenging-advection–diffusion model and found to be in the range of 92–141 years. Deposition of Australian dust and advection of Indonesian Throughflow Water translates to the dAl enrichment in the upper water column (<500 m) at the northern end of the Indian Subtropical Gyre. Sediment resuspension near the Central Indian Ridge probably enrich the dAl in the ambient deep water depth (2000–3500 m) and this signal dampens as the deep waters progress north-westward in the Central Indian Ocean Basin. The bottom water (>3500 m) advects across the Ninety East Ridge from the Western Australian Basin to bring the dAl-rich waters to the northern end of the Central Indian Ocean Basin.

Synchronous Changes in Sediment Transport and Provenance at the Iceland‐Faroe Ridge Linked to Millennial Climate Variability From 55 to 6 ka BP

AbstractUnique marine sediment cores retrieved from the southwestern slope of the Iceland‐Faroe Ridge (IFR), close to the main axis of the Iceland‐Scotland Overflow Water (ISOW), revealed prominent sedimentary cycles reflecting near‐bottom current dynamics, sediment transport, and deposition, coincident with Dansgaard‐Oeschger cycles and deglacial perturbations of the Atlantic Meridional Overturning Circulation. The transition between Greenland Stadials (GSs) and Greenland Interstadials (GIs) follows a distinct, recurring sedimentation pattern. Basaltic (Ti‐rich) silts were transported from local volcanic sources by strong bottom currents and deposited during GIs comparable to modern ocean circulation. Finer‐grained felsic (K‐rich) sediments were deposited during GSs, when Iceland‐Scotland Overflow was weak. Possible felsic source areas include British‐Ireland and/or Fennoscandian shelf areas. A cyclic sawtooth pattern of bottom current strength is characterized by gradual intensification during GIs followed by a sharp decline toward GSs as is documented at core sites along the flank of Reykjanes Ridge. The cores north of the Faroe Channel instead document the opposite pattern. This suggests that the near‐bottom currents along the Reykjanes Ridge are strongly controlled by the flow cascading over the IFR. Heinrich‐(like) HS‐1 and HS‐2, are characterized by the deposition of very fine felsic sediments pointing to weakened bottom currents. Distinct coarse‐grained intervals of ice‐rafted debris are absent from the sediment records, although pebble‐ and gravel‐sized ice‐rafted debris is irregularly distributed throughout the fine sediment matrix. Near‐bottom currents are considered to have a major control on the lithogenic sediment deposition southwest of the IFR and further downstream.

Facies structure and quantitative parameters of pleistocene sediments from the east australian continental margin

Lithological and facies zonality of Neopleistocene and Eopleistocene sediments of Australian seas is described firstly. Processing of these maps and isopach schemes by A.B. Ronov volumetric method gave us an opportunity to calculate quantitative parameters of sedimentation for different types of Pleistocene sediments. It was revealed the dominance of carbonate sediments comparatively to other sediment groups. In Neopleistocene carbonate planktic sediments and lithogenic sediments accumulated more intensively than in Eopleistocene.

Facies Structure and Quantitative Parameters of Pleistocene Sediments from the East Australian Continental Margin

Abstract—Lithological and facies zonality of Neopleistocene and Eopleistocene sediments of the Australian seas is described for the first time. Processing of these maps and isopach schemes by A.B. Ronov volumetric method gave us an opportunity to calculate the quantitative parameters of sedimentation for different types of the Pleistocene sediments. It was revealed that carbonate sediments predominate over other sediment groups. The Neopleistocene was characterized by more intense accumulation of carbonate planktic sediments and lithogenic sediments than Eopleistocene.

REE distribution and Nd isotope composition of estuarine waters and bulk sediment leachates tracing lithogenic inputs in eastern Canada

The rare earth element (REE) concentrations and the neodymium (Nd) and strontium (Sr) isotope compositions of the detrital fraction and authigenic FeMn oxyhydroxide coatings of marine sediments may provide valuable information for better understanding the pathways of weathering inputs and estuarine and coastal exchange processes on different time scales. Here, we present the REE concentrations and 143Nd/144Nd (expressed in epsilon units, εNd) and 87Sr/86Sr ratios of detrital and authigenic (leached FeMn oxyhydroxides) fractions from sediment core-top samples and of estuarine water samples collected in the Estuary and Gulf of St. Lawrence (EGSL) and continental shelf off southeastern Canada. The REE distribution patterns, εNd values, and 87Sr/86Sr isotopic values from the detrital fraction allow for the discrimination of sediment from continental sources in the EGSL. Sediments in the Baie des Chaleurs and on the continental shelf, which have εNd values ranging from −14.3 to −16, 87Sr/86Sr values ranging from 0.72708 to 0.71475, and low La/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios, are mainly supplied by the early Paleozoic Appalachian Mountains. In contrast, sediments in the Laurentian and Esquiman channels (εNd = −18.7 to −21.8, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.72068 to 0.72607, and high La/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios) come from the Grenvillian metamorphic rocks in the Canadian Shield, and surface sediments on the southern Labrador Shelf (εNd = −28.7, 87Sr/86Sr = 0.73062, and high La/Yb and Gd/Yb ratios) mainly originate from the Hudson Strait and Baffin Bay. The εNd values obtained from estuarine water samples and bulk sediment leachates are unradiogenic, with values ranging between −18.9 and − 21.7 and between −16.1 and − 27.2, respectively. Based on these results and the dissolved REE concentrations, we speculate that salt-induced coagulation of colloidal matter, dissolution of lithogenic sediments from the adjacent continents (notably from the erosion of the Grenville Province on the North Shore), bottom scavenging within the nepheloid layer, and brine rejection during sea ice formation significantly influence the distribution of REEs and the authigenic εNd signal throughout the water column in the EGSL. Overall, our results both underscore the fact that caution must be exercised when interpreting authigenic εNd records due to bottom water-mass mixing in estuarine and coastal marine environments and highlight the potential of REE and NdSr isotope compositions in investigating changes in sediment sources and transport pathways in the EGSL.

Biogeochemical cycling of Fe and Fe stable isotopes in the Eastern Tropical South Pacific

The basin-scale distributions of iron (Fe) and Fe isotopes provide important insights into the biogeochemical cycling of this growth-limiting micronutrient in the ocean. Here we present new observations of dissolved Fe concentrations and stable isotope ratios (δ56Fe) from the US GEOTRACES Eastern Pacific Zonal Transect GP16. The western portion of the transect is characterized by low dissolved Fe concentrations with a heavy δ56Fe signature of + 0.4 to + 0.6‰, similar to the dust-influenced North Atlantic deep waters. This is punctuated by Fe inputs from hydrothermal vents along the East Pacific Rise, with a δ56Fe of − 0.3‰. One striking feature of the transect is a large plume of high dissolved Fe and low δ56Fe (0 to − 0.5‰) in the east, near the Peru margin. Here, maximum dissolved Fe occurs between 1000 and 3000 m and the elevated concentrations persist over 1000 km from the margin. The region of markedly lower δ56Fe extends even further, to roughly 4000 km offshore. The mid-slope depth at which this plume occurs (1000–3000 m) is at odds with current conceptual and numerical models of Fe inputs along continental margins, which predict a shallower and more restricted dissolved Fe maximum (upper-slope; ~ 100–1000 m). Here, we explore four possible explanations for the mid-slope Fe plume: (1) Fe fluxes are actually higher from mid-slope sediments; (2) the mid-slope plume is transported from a remote region (3) mid-slope Fe originates from resuspended sediments in a very persistent form, which remains in the dissolved phase for longer than Fe released from the upper-slope; (4) Fe is supplied from upper-slope sediments, and then transferred to greater depth by reversible scavenging onto sinking particles. Simple modeling is used to show that both input of persistent Fe from mid-slope sediments and reversible scavenging could explain the data. Flux of a more persistent chemical form of Fe from the mid-slope would be consistent with other tracers such as particle composition and 228Ra, which suggest that lithogenic sediments are preferentially resuspended at this depth, but may be at odds with the low δ56Fe signature. Reversible scavenging is consistent with both Fe concentrations and δ56Fe. Whatever its provenance, the plume observed near the Peru margin impacts Fe concentrations and δ56Fe throughout the entire eastern South Pacific region, suggesting that the roles of persistent Fe input and reversible scavenging should be appraised in fully coupled iron-carbon cycle models in order to better understand the global cycling of Fe and δ56Fe.

Holocene glacial activity in Barilari Bay, west Antarctic Peninsula, tracked by magnetic mineral assemblages: Linking ice, ocean, and atmosphere

AbstractWe investigate the origin and fate of lithogenic sediments using magnetic mineral assemblages in Barilari Bay, west Antarctic Peninsula (AP) from sediment cores recovered during the Larsen Ice Shelf System, Antarctica (LARISSA) NBP10‐01 cruise. To quantify and reconstruct Holocene changes in covarying magnetic mineral assemblages, we adopt an unsupervised mathematical unmixing strategy and apply it to measurements of magnetic susceptibility as a function of increasing temperature. Comparisons of the unmixed end‐members with magnetic observations of northwestern AP bedrock and the spatial distribution of magnetic mineral assemblages within the fjord, allow us to identify source regions, including signatures for “inner bay,” “outer bay,” and “northwestern AP” sources. We find strong evidence that supports the establishment of a late Holocene ice shelf in the fjord coeval with the Little Ice Age. Additionally, we present new evidence for late Holocene sensitivity to conditions akin to positive mean Southern Annual Mode states for western AP glaciers at their advanced Neoglacial positions.

Controls on the distribution of deep‐sea sediments

AbstractDeep‐sea sediments represent the largest geological deposit on Earth and provide a record of our planet's response to conditions at the sea surface from where the bulk of material originates. We use a machine learning method to analyze how the distribution of 14,400 deep‐sea sediment sample lithologies is connected to bathymetry and surface oceanographic parameters. Our probabilistic Gaussian process classifier shows that the geographic occurrence of five major lithologies in the world's ocean can be predicted using just three parameters. Sea‐surface salinity and temperature provide a major control for the growth and composition of plankton and specific ranges are also associated with the influx of non‐aerosol terrigenous material into the ocean, while bathymetry is an important parameter for discriminating the occurrence of calcareous sediment, clay and coarse lithogenous sediment from each other. We find that calcareous and siliceous oozes are not linked to high surface productivity. Diatom and radiolarian oozes are associated with low salinities at the surface but with discrete ranges of temperatures, reflecting the diversity of planktonic species in different climatic zones. Biosiliceous sediments cannot be used to infer paleodepth, but are good indicators of paleotemperature and paleosalinity. Our analysis provides a new framework for constraining paleosurface ocean environments from the geological record of deep‐sea sediments. It shows that small shifts in salinity and temperature significantly affect the lithology of seafloor sediment. As deep‐sea sediments represent the largest carbon sink on Earth these shifts need to be considered in the context of global ocean warming.