Sapropel Layers Research Articles

Surficial mass movements and submarine slope stability analysis between Kerkyra and Paxi slope (Western Greek slope)

This paper presents the results of a marine geophysical/geotechnical survey, which was carried out between Kerkyra and Paxi slope (part of the western Greek slope). The main bathymorphological features are numerous canyons and intercanyon ridges that exhibit high slope gradients (up to 30Ί). The canyon flanks as well as the ridges are affected by numerous mass movements that include slides, rotated sediment blocks, well-expresed sediment detachment surfaces, mass flows and creeping. Most of the aforementioned movememtns present a retrogressive action of the failure mechanism. The unstable sediment masses are often transported through the canyons and are deposited in the adjacent basin creating a sequence of alternating mass flow deposits and turbiditic/hemipelagic sediments. The gravity cores collected along two ridges, in the Kerkyra and Paxi slopes, revealed a certain sedimentary sequence consisting of calcareous ooze, oxidized mud and a sapropel layer overlaying hemipelagic mud. Along those sediment facies turbiditic muddy to sandy deposits usually appear. The main geotechnical characteristics of these lithofacies are the low undrained shear strength and high water content in the sapropel layer and the inverse relationship of the abovementioned properties in the oxidized mud. The water content of all the sediments is higher than the liquid limit indicating the very soft nature of the deposits and the possible destabilization upon disturbance (i.e. earthquake). The stability of the sedimentary cover was evaluated using the infinite slope, the Bishop and the Janbu methods. The main results that stemmed from the analysis are that (i) the Kerkyra slope is unstable both in static and dynamic conditions and (ii) the Paxi slope is unstable in dynamic conditions, whilst the very surficial layers (<1.5m in thickness) can be also unstable under static conditions. The possible failure planes are located 5-20m under the seabed. The absence of the oxidized mud and sapropel layers in the Kerkyra slope as well as their presence in the Paxi slope, and the presence of an episapropelic layer in the Kerkira-Paxi basin are all indicative of the unstable nature of the seafloor. Cyclic loading by earthquakes, high slope gradients and sediment bedding parallel to the slope are believed to be the predominant slope failure mechanisms in the surveyed area.

Evidence of sapropel S1 formation from Holocene lacustrine sequences in Lake Vrana in Dalmatia (Croatia)

The sediment core from Lake Vrana (between 1000 and 500 cm) on the eastern Adriatic coast was analyzed using palynological and geochemical approaches to detect environmental changes during the Holocene. The deepest sediments (between 1000 and 967 cm) in Lake Vrana could correspond to Late Pleistocene to Holocene transition. Although this interval is not dated, it is indicated by the palynological record. After that, the Holocene warming is evident and the observed dark layers are identified as Holocene sapropel S1, known in the eastern Mediterranean (10.8–6.1 cal kyr BP). Sapropelic layer S1a in Lake Vrana sediment core is evident between 905 and 790 cm and it ended at 7.9 cal kyr BP. It is formed in a very shallow freshwater ecosystem, dominated by cyanobacteria Gleocapsa and terrigenous detritus as a consequence of runoff. Periodically anoxic condition occurred. The geochemical signature of sapropelic layer S1a from Lake Vrana is consistent with post-depositional oxidation due to transition to the bottom water oxygenation evidenced in elevated Mn and Mn peak at the end of sapropelic layer S1a deposition. Sapropelic layer S1b, deposited between 7.4 and 6.4 cal kyr BP, is characterized by amorphous organic matter. The two sapropelic layers are separated by the horizon at 7.9–7.4 cal kyr BP, corresponding to the drier climate conditions, indicated by the presence of Poaceae, Ericaceae, Juniperus and Pistacia. This horizon reflects regional climatic cooling associated with reduced levels of precipitation that interrupted a period of generally higher precipitation. Based on geochemical data, Total organic carbon (TOC) and Nitrogen (N), the sapropelic layers are characterized by elevated values comparing to the rest of the core.The new records allow reconstruction of paleoenvironmental changes on land, which give insight into the processes and climate conditions that led to the formation of S1. The evidence indicates that: (i) S1 sapropelic layer in Lake Vrana sediments is an organic-poor deposit; (ii) the S1 period in the study area can be divisible into two sub-phases (S1a and S1b). The key factor that initiated the formation of S1 was increased discharge of freshwater into the Lake Vrana basin during warmer and wetter climate in the Early Holocene.

Geochemistry of Diagenesis of Organogenic Sediments: An Example of Small Lakes in Southern West Siberia and Western Baikal Area

Organogenic sediments (sapropels) in lakes are characterized by a reduced type of diagenesis, during which organic compounds are decomposed, the chemical composition of the pore waters is modified, and authigenic minerals (first of all, pyrite) are formed. Pyrolysis data indicate that organic matter undergoes radical transformatons already in the uppermost sapropel layers, and the composition of this organic matter is principally different from the composition of the organic matter of the its producers. The sapropels contain kerogen, whose macromolecular structure starts to develop during the very early stages of diagenesis, in the horizon of unconsolidated sediment (0–5 cm). The main role in the diagenetic transformations of organic matter in sediments is played by various physiological groups of microorganisms, first of all, heterotrophic, which amonifying, and sulfate-reducing bacteria. SO42− and Fe2+ concentrations in the pore waters of the sediments are determined to decrease (because of bacterial sulfate reduction), while concentrations of reduced Fe and S species (pyrite) in the solid phase of the sediment, conversely, increase. Comparative analysis shows that, unlike sapropels in lakes in the Baikal area, sapropels in southern West Siberia are affected by more active sulfate reduction, which can depend on both the composition of the organic matter and the SO42− concentration in the pore waters.

End-member modelling as a tool for climate reconstruction-An Eastern Mediterranean case study.

The Eastern Mediterranean Sea is a sink for terrigenous sediments from North Africa, Europe and Asia Minor. Its sediments therefore provide valuable information on the climate dynamics in the source areas and the associated transport processes. We present a high-resolution dataset of sediment core M40/4_SL71, which was collected SW of Crete and spans the last ca. 180 kyr. We analysed the clay mineral composition, the grain size distribution within the silt fraction, and the abundance of major and trace elements. We tested the potential of end-member modelling on these sedimentological datasets as a tool for reconstructing the climate variability in the source regions and the associated detrital input. For each dataset, we modelled three end members. All end members were assigned to a specific provenance and sedimentary process. In total, three end members were related to the Saharan dust input, and five were related to the fluvial sediment input. One end member was strongly associated with the sapropel layers. The Saharan dust end members of the grain size and clay mineral datasets generally suggest enhanced dust export into the Eastern Mediterranean Sea during the dry phases with short-term increases during Heinrich events. During the African Humid Periods, dust export was reduced but may not have completely ceased. The loading patterns of two fluvial end members show a strong relationship with the Northern Hemisphere insolation, and all fluvial end members document enhanced input during the African Humid Periods. The sapropel end member most likely reflects the fixation of redox-sensitive elements within the anoxic sapropel layers. Our results exemplify that end-member modelling is a valuable tool for interpreting extensive and multidisciplinary datasets.

PRELIMINARY STUDIES ON SEDIMENT CORE FROM THE TYRO BASIN

The present paper summarizes the preliminary results of the mineralogical and micropaleontological analysis conducted on sediment samples from core TYR05 retrieved from the anoxic and hypersaline Tyro basin in the eastern Mediterranean Sea. The core comprises a complex lithostratigraphic sequence attributed to the strong geodynamic regime of the area. The planktonic foraminifera associations present fluctuations which coincide with changes in the lithology of the core. The mineralogical composition of the sediments shows influence from the evaporites developed on the bottom of the basin. The mineral constituents in association to the microfauna assemblages suggest that the sediments include sapropelic layers. Further analyses are needed in order to determine safely the sapropelic deposits.

CHEMICAL AND BIOLOGICAL PROPERTIES OF THE LAKE BLUE CLAY

In this paper the chemical and biological properties of the lake blue clay are explored. A blue clay bed layer was found under the sapropel layer in the lake Plusons (area 4.8 km2, Ludza countries, Latvia). It has been determined that the lake Plusons blue clay has a colloid composition, which contains Na, Mg, K, Ca, Fe, Cr, Mn, Co, Ni, Cu, Zn, Cd, Pb, Al, Ag, Ba. In samples Candida albicans, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphylococcus aureus and a total number of aerobic mezofile bacterium have been defined. In microbiological analyses the presence of Candida albicans, Pseudomona aeruginosa, Staphilacoccus aureus has not been stated. The number of mesophyll aerobic microorganisms is

Pore fluids in Dead Sea sediment core reveal linear response of lake chemistry to global climate changes

Abstract Pore fluids extracted from a 456 m sediment core, recovered within the framework of a multinational and International Continental Scientific Drilling Program (ICDP) co-sponsored effort at the bottom of the terminal Dead Sea, recorded the chemical variations in the deep lake over the past 220 k.y. Mg2+ and Br– were shown to be conservative in the pore fluids, increasing in concentration during interglacial periods, diluting during glacials, and providing excellent proxies for deep lake net water balance changes. Furthermore, the Na/Cl ratio recorded the process of halite precipitation and dissolution induced by these hydrological changes. Mg2+ and Br– records follow a glacial-interglacial pattern, such as observed in atmospheric CO2 concentrations and global sea-surface temperatures, albeit with a phase offset. At the end of the last interglacial (ca. 116 ka), there is a delay in onset of dilution of the deep lake, most likely due to the limnological transition from holomictic to meromictic conditions. The increase in deep lake concentrations at Last Glacial Termination I is delayed as a result of freshwater input into the deep lake during the cooler Younger Dryas period. There is a persistent relationship between precipitation in the watershed and North Atlantic sea-surface temperatures, similar to conditions observed over the past instrumental record. Deviations from the long-term trends occurred during interglacial periods, Marine Isotope Stages MIS 5e and MIS 1, when the deep Dead Sea was significantly diluted, and coincided with Mediterranean sapropel layers S5 and S1.

Sea surface temperatures and environmental conditions during the “warm Pliocene” interval (~ 4.1–3.2 Ma) in the Eastern Mediterranean (Cyprus)

Organic geochemical (alkenones) and micropaleontological (nannofossil) data from the Pissouri South section (PPS) in the island of Cyprus provided a detailed description of the paleoclimatic (sea surface temperature-SST) and paleoenvironmental conditions during the “warm Pliocene” (c. 4.1–3.25Ma) in the Eastern Mediterranean. We found that the suite of sapropel events recorded in the studied interval took place under conditions of increased SST, enhanced water column stratification and development of a productive deep chlorophyll maximum (DCM), as witnessed by the dominance of Florisphaera profunda species. Such conditions are similar to those prevailing during Quaternary sapropel formation, triggered by freshwater discharges from the N. African margin due to insolation-driven intensification of the African monsoon. The absence of F. profunda in Pliocene sapropels from central Mediterranean records highlights the sensitive response of the eastern basin to freshwater perturbations. Comparisons between alkenone and calcareous nannofossil assemblage patterns infer Pseudoemiliania lacunosa as the main alkenone producer in sapropel layers; yet Reticulofenestra spp. contribution cannot be ruled out.The first Pliocene alkenone-SST record in the E. Mediterranean presented here documents the “warm Pliocene” period (~4.1–3.25Ma) characterized by mean SST of c. 26°C. Distinct SST minima at ~3.9Ma, 3.58Ma and between 3.34 and 3.31Ma, correspond to the MIS Gi16, MIS MG12 and MIS M2 global cooling episodes, before the onset of the Northern Hemisphere glaciation. Our findings imply that the peak of the MIS M2 cooling in the Eastern Mediterranean may be up to ~40kyrs older than the age attributed before to benthic stable oxygen isotopes records of this event.

HIGH RESOLUTION BIOSTRATIGRAPHY AND PALEOECOLOGY OF THE EARLY PLIOCENE SUCCESSION OF PISSOURI BASIN (CYPRUS ISLAND)

The Pissouri basin (Cyprus Island) corresponds to a small tectonically controlled depression elongated NNW-SSE and widening southward in the direction of the deep Mediterranean domain. In the centre of the basin, the section Pissouri South, about 100 m thick, consists of well-preserved cyclic marine sediments including laminated brownish layers alternating with grey homogeneous marls. Plankton biostratigraphy (calcareous nannofossil and planktonic foraminifera) revealed a remarkable number of biovents bracketing the Zanclean-Piacenzian boundary. In particular the Highest Occurrence (HO) of Reticulofenestra pseudoumbilicus suggests the presence of NN14/15-NN16 nannofossil biozone boundary, dated at 3.84 Ma. Additionally the defined planktonic foraminiferal MPL3-MPL4a and MPL4a-MPL4b zone boundaries point to ages between 3.81 and 3.57 Ma, in Pissouri North section. Zanclean/Piacenzian boundary (3.6 Ma) is placed at 75.8 m from the base of the section, considering Discoaster pentaradiatus top paracme (3.61 Ma) and Globorotalia crassaformis first influx (3.6 Ma) bioevents. The cyclically developed sapropelic layers around the Zanclean – Piacenzian boundary suggest a climate characterized by a period of warm temperate conditions and a highly stratified water column that occurred at times of precession minima.

Preliminary results of high resolution paleoceanography and paleoclimatology during sapropel S1 deposition (South Limnos Basin, North Aegean Sea).

The paleoenviromental conditions during the depositional interval of sapropel S1 in the northeastern Aegean (gravity core M-4, length 2.53 m; south Limnos basin) are studied based on quantitative micropaleontological (benthic and planktonic foraminifera) and geochemical (OC, δ13Corg) analyses. Special feature of core M-4 is the thickness of S1 layer (96 cm). Our study points that sapropelic layer S1a has been deposited in more dysoxic and warmer conditions in respect to S1b. Both primary productivity and preservation of organic material are more intense during the lower part of S1. An interruption of the sapropelic conditions at 8.0 Ka BP which is mainly characterized by the increase of agglutinated foraminiferal forms confirms both higher oxygen bottom conditions and freshwater input.

Combined Sr-Nd isotopic and geochemical fingerprinting as a tool for identifying tephra layers: Application to deep-sea cores from Eastern Mediterranean Sea

Tephra layers from six deep-sea cores, recovered between the Ionian and the Aegean Seas, and covering a time span between ~102 and ~8.2ka BP, were investigated with the aim of identifying their volcanic source. The stratigraphic position of each tephra layer defined by means of nannofossil biostratigraphy and occurrence of sapropel layers was integrated with a thorough geochemical characterization of glass shards based on major oxides and trace elements content, and Sr-Nd isotope ratios. Major oxides composition permitted their subdivision into three groups (K-trachyte, peralkaline rhyolite, andesite), confirmed by Principal Component Analysis on trace elements data. Primordial mantle-normalized trace elements distribution patterns allowed for precise identification of the geochemical affinity and geodynamical setting of each group. Although the Sr isotopic composition of some investigated tephras was deeply affected by seawater alteration as expected, the 143Nd/144Nd values discriminate well the three groups of tephras in combination with major oxides and trace elements data. Therefore, La/Yb and Th/Y vs. 143Nd/144Nd discrimination diagrams are proposed for identification of potential volcanic sources active in the 102–8.2ka BP time span in the Eastern Mediterranean area for unknown tephras.The obtained results have permitted the attribution of six K-trachytic tephras to the Y-5 stratigraphic marker (Campanian Ignimbrite eruption of Campi Flegrei, Southern Italy, ~39ka BP), and two pantelleritic (=peralkaline rhyolite) tephras to the Y-6 stratigraphic marker (Green Tuff eruption of Pantelleria Island, Sicily Channel, ~46ka BP). The andesitic tephra, stratigraphically constrained between ~39 and ~83–102ka BP, might correspond to the X-1 stratigraphic marker, found in several deep-sea cores of the Eastern Mediterranean Sea, although its attribution is still debated in the literature. On the basis of trace elements content, supported by Sr-Nd isotopic features, it is here hypothesized that this tephra could be related to a volcanic source located in the Aegean Sea area, probably the island of Santorini. More generally, this study demonstrates that the combination of Sr-Nd isotopic with major oxide and trace element geochemical fingerprinting on selected and purified glass shards is a very effective tool for identifying nature and source of doubtful tephra layers.

MIS 5–1 dinoflagellate cyst analyses and morphometric evaluation of Galeacysta etrusca and Spiniferites cruciformis in southwestern Black Sea

Here we evaluate the changes in dinoflagellate cyst assemblages and intraspecies morphometric variability in dominant Black Sea species during MIS 5−1 in sediment recovered from DSDP Site 380. Twenty-three taxa represent the majority of the 16,000 cysts tabulated. Qualitative assessment of assemblage composition indicates that the taxa are distributed in three ecological assemblages; marine stenohaline, marine euryhaline, and brackish Ponto-Caspian endemic species; the fluctuation of these assemblages provide evidence for changes in environmental conditions from the end of MIS 5e to MIS 1. Although some fluctuations in sea-surface salinity are highlighted by changes in dinoflagellate assemblages, the continuous presence of Pyxidinopsis psilata, Galeacysta etrusca and Spiniferites cruciformis likely indicate brackish conditions for most of the interval sampled at this site. Statistical analysis of measured morphometric changes in Galeacysta etrusca endocyst:ectocyst ratios indicate that the specimens recovered mostly belong to a smaller morphotype forming group ‘b’ of Popescu et al. (2009), interpreted as indicative of brackish–marine conditions after migration to the Mediterranean from the Paratethys. Although not fully conclusive because of sampling constraints and limited chronological control, the lack of sudden, large abundance changes in marine salinity-tolerant species the relatively low species diversity, and the sequence of sapropelic layers relative to banded clastic muds provides evidence against the occurrence of sustained marine flooding between ca. 0.07–0.007 Ma and it is not clear that the last interglacial marine highstand during MIS 5e was fully sampled at this site.

A simple method to model the reduced environment of lake bottom sapropel formation

The Kambala and Barchin brackish lakes (Baraba steppe, southern West Siberia) contain an organic-rich sapropel layer that was formed in oxygen-depleted waters. We measured the bulk sediment elemental composition, the water chemistry and determined the mineralogical composition and predominant biota species (Diatoms and Cyanobacteria in phytoplankton community respectively) in the lakes. The result indicates that the first lake has a siliceous type of sapropel and the second a carbonaceous one. A computer thermodynamic model was developed for chemical interaction in water-bottom sediment systems of the Kambala and Barchin Lakes. The surface sodium bicarbonate waters are supersaturated with respect to calcite, magnesite (or low Mg-calcite), quartz and chlorite with minor strontianite, apatite and goethite (pH 8.9–9.3, Eh 0.3 V). Nevertheless, it is shown that during sapropel deposition, deep silt waters should be anoxic (Eh<0 V). The virtual component CH2O has been used to create an anoxic environment suitable for pyrite formation due to the biotic community impact and abiotic reduction. Thermodynamic calculation has shown that silt water is not necessarily euxinic (anoxic and sulfidic). Depending on Eh, sulfate sulfur can dominate in solution, causing the formation of gypsum together with pyrite. An attempt was made to find a reason for solution supersaturation with respect to Ca and Mg ions due to their complexation with humic acids.

A distal 140 kyr sediment record of Nile discharge and East African monsoon variability

Abstract. Clay mineral assemblages in a sediment core from the distal Nile discharge plume off Israel have been used to reconstruct the late Quaternary Nile sediment discharge into the eastern Mediterranean Sea (EMS). The record spans the last ca. 140 kyr. Smectite abundances indicate the influence of the Blue Nile and the Atbara River that have their headwaters in the volcanic rocks of the Ethiopian Highlands. Kaolinite abundances indicate the influence of wadis, which contribute periodically to the suspension load of the Nile. Due to the geographical position, the climate and the sedimentary framework of the EMS is controlled by two climate systems. The long-term climate regime was governed by the African monsoon that caused major African humid periods (AHPs) with enhanced sediment discharge at 132 to &lt; 126 (AHP 5), 116 to 99 (AHP4), and 89 to 77 ka (AHP3). They lasted much longer than the formation of the related sapropel layers S5 (&gt; 2 kyr), S4 (3.5 kyr), and S3 (5 kyr). During the last glacial period (Marine Isotope Stages (MISs) 4–2), the long-term changes in the monsoonal system were superimposed by millennial-scale changes in an intensified midlatitude glacial system. This climate regime caused short but pronounced drought periods in the Nile catchment, which are linked to Heinrich events and alternate with more humid interstadials. The clay mineral record further implies that feedback mechanisms between vegetation cover and sediment discharge of the Nile are detectable but of minor importance for the sedimentary record in the southeastern Mediterranean Sea during the investigated African humid periods.

Late Quaternary chronostratigraphy of the Aegean Sea sediments: special reference to the ages of sapropels S1–S5

Four sapropel layers (S1, S3, S4, and S5) are identified in five 6-10-m-long piston cores collected from the Aegean Sea basins. A chronostratigraphic framework is established for the last ~130 ka using benthic and planktonic foraminiferal oxygen isotope curves, total organic carbon contents, volcanic ash layers, and limited radiocarbon dates. These data show that the onsets of sapropels S3, S4, and S5 in the Aegean Sea basins were not synchronous, highlighting the heterogeneity of the Aegean Sea basins in terms of rapid versus lagged responses to changing ocean-climate boundary conditions. In all cases, however, the development of sapropels S3, S4, and S5 in the Aegean Sea predate their counterparts in the eastern Mediterranean by several hundred to several thousand years. The onsets of sapropel deposition were abrupt, but sapropel terminations were more gradual, controlled both by the amplitude of paleoclimatic changes and the physiography/location of the basins.

Holocene Climatic Optimum centennial-scale paleoceanography in the NE Aegean (Mediterranean Sea)

Combined micropaleontological and geochemical analyses of the high-sedimentation gravity core M-4G provided new centennial-scale paleoceanographic data for sapropel S1 deposition in the NE Aegean Sea during the Holocene Climatic Optimum. Sapropel layer S1a (10.2–8.0 ka) was deposited in dysoxic to oxic bottom waters characterized by a high abundance of benthic foraminiferal species tolerating surface sediment and/or pore water oxygen depletion (e.g., Chilostomella mediterranensis, Globobulimina affinis), and the presence of Uvigerina mediterranea, which thrives in oxic mesotrophic-eutrophic environments. Preservation of organic matter (OM) is inferred based on high organic carbon as well as loliolide and isololiolide contents, while the biomarker record and the abundances of eutrophic planktonic foraminifera document enhanced productivity. High inputs of terrigenous OM are attributed to north Aegean borderland riverine inputs. Both alkenone-based sea surface temperatures (SSTs) and δO18G. bulloides records indicate cooling at 8.2 ka (S1a) and ~7.8 ka (S1 interruption). Sapropelic layer S1b (7.7–6.4 ka) is characterized by rather oxic conditions; abundances of foraminiferal species tolerant to oxygen depletion are very low compared with the U. mediterranea rise. Strongly fluctuating SSTs demonstrate repeated cooling and associated dense water formation, with a major event at 7.4 ka followed by cold spells at 7.0, 6.8, and 6.5 ka. The prominent rise of the carbon preference index within the S1b layer indicates the delivery of less degraded terrestrial OM. The increase of algal biomarkers, labile OM-feeding foraminifera and eutrophic planktonic species pinpoints an enhanced in situ marine productivity, promoted by more efficient vertical convection due to repeated cold events. The associated contributions of labile marine OM along with fresher terrestrial OM inputs after ~7.7 ka imply sources alternative/additional to the north Aegean riverine borderland sources for the influx of organic matter in the south Limnos Basin, plausibly related to the inflow of highly productive Marmara/Black Sea waters.

Fluctuations of Mediterranean Outflow Water circulation in the Gulf of Cadiz during MIS 5 to 7: Evidence from benthic foraminiferal assemblage and stable isotope records

We studied variations in benthic foraminiferal assemblages and δ13C for the last 225kyr at IODP site U1387 which is currently bathed by upper core of the Mediterranean Outflow Water (MOW). The MOW paleocirculation and sea-floor environment (oxygen level, trophic condition, bottom current strength) have been inferred from faunal composition; species diversity, abundances of selected index species/groups, microhabitat preferences combined with δ13C record of the epifaunal Cibicidoides pachyderma. The faunal and isotope records indicate relatively better ventilation at sea-floor and low trophic condition during MIS 1, 5 and 7 possibly due to increased influence of upper MOW in the Gulf of Cadiz. Our multi-proxy record reflects significant and rapid changes during cold (stadial) and warm (interstadial) phases within the interglacials MIS 5 and 7 and at Termination II. The faunal and isotope records reveal strong MOW flow and better ventilated, oligotrophic bottom-water conditions during stadials MIS 5b, 5d, 7b and 7d. The study further demonstrates weakened MOW intensity associated with poor ventilation and increased trophic level at sea-floor during interstadials MIS 5a, 5e, 7a and 7c. MOW flow was relatively sluggish at Termination II, followed by its strengthening at the end of MIS 5e. The chronology of these events suggests that periods of weakened MOW correlate with sapropel layers of the Mediterranean Sea, implying strong coupling between glacial–interglacial climate and MOW circulation in the Gulf of Cadiz.

Biogeochemical specifics of sapropel formation in Cisbaikalian undrained lakes (exemplified by Lake Ochki)

The biogeochemistry of organic lacustrine sediments (sapropels) has been poorly studied in Siberia. In this paper we show the specifics of sapropel formation caused by low pH and mineralization of water by the example of Lake Ochki in Cisbaikalia. The main sources of organic matter are zoo- and phytoplankton, which concentrate mostly basic chemical elements and also some alkaline, alkali-earth, and chalcophile elements and move them to the sediment. The calculated enrichment factors (EF) have shown that the lake plankton is strongly enriched with phosphorus and chalcophile elements. The calculations have also revealed a great contribution of the plankton to the elemental composition of sapropel (Mebio, %): P (-100), Cd (57), Br (45), Hg (40), Se and Na (30), Zn (23), K (21), and Ca (15). Elements are rather uniformly distributed throughout the 3.2m thick sapropel layer. Lithophile elements (Al, Sc, Ti, Y, Zr, Nb) and LREE are mostly from a terrigenous source. The high contents of mobile elements (Cd, Sb, Sn, Pb, Zn) in the upper part of sapropel are probably due to anthropogenic factors. The high Cu and Zn contents in some sapropel layers are probably related to the inflow of deep-level groundwaters, and the elevated contents of Hg, Cd, and Sb might have been caused by forest fires.

Tephrochronology of core PRAD 1-2 from the Adriatic Sea: insights into Italian explosive volcanism for the period 200–80 ka

Core PRAD 1-2, located on the western flank of the Mid-Adriatic Deep, was investigated for tephra content within the part of the sequence assigned on biostratigraphic and sapropel-layer stratigraphy to MIS 5 and 6 (ca. 80–200 ka BP). A total of 11 discrete tephra layers are identified, 8 visible and 3 cryptotephra layers. 235 geochemical measurements obtained from individual glass shards using WDS-EPMA enabled 8 of the 11 tephras to be correlated to known eruption events, 5 of which are represented in the Lago Grande di Monticchio (LGdM) regional tephra archive sequence. Three of these layers are recognised ultra-distally for the first time, extending their known distributions approximately 210 km further north. The results provide an independent basis for establishing an age-depth profile for the MIS 5–6 interval in the PRAD 1-2 marine record. This approach allowed age estimates to be interpolated for the tephra layers that could not be correlated to known events. It also provides an independent test of, and support for, the broad synchroneity of sapropel-equivalent (S-E) events in the Adriatic Sea with the better-developed sapropel layers of the eastern Mediterranean, proposed by Piva et al. (2008a).

Cooling Mediterranean Sea surface temperatures during the Late Miocene provide a climate context for evolutionary transitions in Africa and Eurasia

In the Late Miocene, grasslands proliferated, succulent plants diversified in the mid-latitudes, and the desert-like conditions appeared in the Sahara. Despite this major environmental change on land, the coeval deep-sea oxygen isotope record does not provide evidence for significant high latitude cooling or continental ice growth, making it difficult to relate widespread terrestrial environmental change to global climatic changes. A U37K′ –derived sea surface temperature (SST) reconstruction spanning 13 to 6 Ma from uplifted hemipelagic sediments in Northern Italy provides the first continuous mid-latitude temperature record with which to compare the evolution of aridity and biotic events at similar latitudes in Northern Africa and Pakistan. Between 13 and 8.8 Ma, Mediterranean SST lay near the upper limit of the alkenone temperature proxy (∼28 °C), exceeding modern SST at the site by as much as 10 °C. Throughout the record, sapropel layers correspond to local SST maxima, suggesting that Late Miocene hydrological conditions in the Mediterranean responded to insolation forcing via mechanisms similar to those documented for the Plio-Pleistocene. Mediterranean SST cooled rapidly beginning at ∼8 Ma, with an episode of intense cooling to ∼19 °C between 7.2 Ma and 6.6 Ma, followed by a rebound to ∼25 °C preceding the Messinian Salinity Crisis at 5.9 Ma. These observations establish, for the first time, a direct relationship between increasing aridity in the Northern hemisphere mid-latitudes and significant cooling. Evidently, this cooling was not accompanied by significant growth in continental ice volume. The extreme warmth and subsequent cooling of the Mediterranean Sea are not well-represented in current Late Miocene climate models, which our results suggest underestimate regional warmth prior to the Late Miocene cooling. Evidence of secular cooling during the Late Miocene gives new support to the much-debated link between a possible decline in atmospheric CO2 levels and Late Miocene changes in vegetation on land.