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Central Arctic Lithostratigraphy: Implication for Sediment Transport and Paleoceanography

Council, Edward Augustus, III
http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1347911225

Abstract Details

2012, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD), Wright State University, Environmental Sciences PhD.
Multiple cores from the Arctic were analyzed by XRF methods to determine the western Arctic lithostratigraphy as expressed in its geochemistry. In general, glacial and interglacial events have distinctly different chemistry. During glacial events, the sediments have elevated Ti, Fe, Rb, and Zr concentrations and depressed Sr and Mn concentrations. The opposite is true of the brown layers, where Ti, Fe, Rb and Zr are lower with higher levels of Mn and Sr. These data indicate that there are 18 chemically unique lithologic units (LUs) that exist among MIS-1 to MIS-16 age sediments. Isopach maps indicate two general depositional patterns appear to have existed during the late Quaternary. The first pattern is defined as a glacial depositional pattern based on sediment thicknesses present in Clark et al. (1980) SLUs F, H, J, and L. This pattern has the thickest deposits located on parts of the Northwind-Alpha Ridges as well as within the Makarov Basin. The second pattern is associated with interglacial deposits and is based on sediment thicknesses present in SLUs G, I, and K. The interglacial pattern is characterized by much thinner deposits especially for the central Arctic region. Based on the isopach sediment patterns, the potential source areas of the sediments deposited during the glacial and interglacial periods are slightly different. During glacial stages, a strong Canadian source area is suggested. During interglacial stages a Canadian source area exists for deposits in the Canadian Basin, and a potential mixture of Canadian and Russian source areas for sediments located along the Trans-Polar Drift between the Mendeleev-Lomonosov Ridges. Stratigraphic correlations indicate that the western Arctic, central Lomonosov Ridge, and eastern Arctic are geochemically different suggesting different sources for each area. Analysis of the coarse ice-rafted fraction (>250 μm) from strata associated with MIS-16 (LU-17) indicates a Canadian source for the carbonate grains in this unit. However, statistical analysis of these grains in four cores supports the existence of a modified Beaufort Gyre circulation system existed during this period, similar to that identified by Bischof and Darby (1997).
Steve Higgins, PhD (Committee Chair)
Dennis Darby, PhD (Committee Co-Chair)
Leonid Polyak, PhD (Committee Member)
Thaddeus Tarpey, PhD (Committee Member)
331 p.
Oceanography
Arctic; Sediment; lithostratigraphy, XRF, provenance

Recommended Citations

Citations

  • Council, III, E. A. (2012). Central Arctic Lithostratigraphy: Implication for Sediment Transport and Paleoceanography [Doctoral dissertation, Wright State University]. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1347911225

    APA Style (7th edition)

  • Council, III, Edward. Central Arctic Lithostratigraphy: Implication for Sediment Transport and Paleoceanography. 2012. Wright State University, Doctoral dissertation. OhioLINK Electronic Theses and Dissertations Center, http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1347911225.

    MLA Style (8th edition)

  • Council, III, Edward. "Central Arctic Lithostratigraphy: Implication for Sediment Transport and Paleoceanography." Doctoral dissertation, Wright State University, 2012. http://rave.ohiolink.edu/etdc/view?acc_num=wright1347911225

    Chicago Manual of Style (17th edition)

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© 2012, all rights reserved.
This open access ETD is published by Wright State University and OhioLINK.