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Variations in terrigenous dilution in western Mediterranean Sea pelagic sediments in response to climate change during the last glacial cycle

Variations in terrigenous dilution in western Mediterranean Sea pelagic sediments in response to climate change during the last glacial cycle
Variations in terrigenous dilution in western Mediterranean Sea pelagic sediments in response to climate change during the last glacial cycle
Hemipelagic intervals in four giant Calypso piston cores from the Balearic Abyssal Plain (western Mediterranean Sea) were studied in order to determine fluctuations in the supply of terrigenous sediments to the basin during the last 130,000 years and possible climatic modulation of terrigenous sediment and particle flux. Carbonate records from hemipelagic intervals in these cores display distinct ‘Atlantic’ type cycles, where glacial periods show, on average, 20% lower calcium carbonate contents than interglacial period equivalents. The decrease in calcium carbonate seen during glacials may be the result of increased dilution by terrigenous (aeolian and fluvial) particles derived from aeolian and/or fluvial sources. Higher glacial aeolian particle fluxes to the western Mediterranean Sea may have been caused by changes in the prevailing atmospheric conditions, resulting in drier and colder climatic conditions in the source areas and more frequent and intense outbreaks of dust transport. The colder and drier climatic conditions in combination with a lowered sea level would allow rivers to dump their sediment load closer to the shelf edge, promoting enhanced fluvial input into the basin. Besides significant calcium carbonate variations that correlate with glacial/interglacial cycles, several short-term abrupt changes in the calcium carbonate content are recorded, which appear coincident with enhanced magnetic susceptibility values, especially the events within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. The timing of these short-term events may be linked with cooling events in the North Atlantic, particularly Heinrich Events and cold events within MIS 5. These short-term trends may possibly be explained by increased terrigenous particle transport, due to drier and colder climate in the Mediterranean borderlands. Our results further show that about 90% of the sedimentary sequence of the Balearic Abyssal Plain consists of turbidites. Generally, these appear not to have caused significant erosion, and an almost complete continuous time stratigraphy is present in the intercalated hemipelagic intervals.
dilution, terrigenous sediment, western Mediterranean, last glacial cycle, calcium carbonate records
0025-3227
21-43
Hoogakker, B.A.A.
38e5c382-9641-487e-910d-402786d3d1c2
Rothwell, R.G.
fe473057-bf44-46d1-8add-88060037beb5
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Paterne, M.
c32f0577-36cf-44b4-bdf8-1aa4c399ea64
Stow, D.A.V.
434350cd-0ae5-4bb3-b71f-e1da90587f74
Herrle, J.O.
666d87e9-0e21-4d4f-bb8e-51f7b0a15a87
Clayton, T.
d942929b-d30e-4679-8b95-3c17cc83cd20
Hoogakker, B.A.A.
38e5c382-9641-487e-910d-402786d3d1c2
Rothwell, R.G.
fe473057-bf44-46d1-8add-88060037beb5
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Paterne, M.
c32f0577-36cf-44b4-bdf8-1aa4c399ea64
Stow, D.A.V.
434350cd-0ae5-4bb3-b71f-e1da90587f74
Herrle, J.O.
666d87e9-0e21-4d4f-bb8e-51f7b0a15a87
Clayton, T.
d942929b-d30e-4679-8b95-3c17cc83cd20

Hoogakker, B.A.A., Rothwell, R.G., Rohling, E.J., Paterne, M., Stow, D.A.V., Herrle, J.O. and Clayton, T. (2004) Variations in terrigenous dilution in western Mediterranean Sea pelagic sediments in response to climate change during the last glacial cycle. Marine Geology, 211 (1-2), 21-43. (doi:10.1016/j.margeo.2004.07.005).

Record type: Article

Abstract

Hemipelagic intervals in four giant Calypso piston cores from the Balearic Abyssal Plain (western Mediterranean Sea) were studied in order to determine fluctuations in the supply of terrigenous sediments to the basin during the last 130,000 years and possible climatic modulation of terrigenous sediment and particle flux. Carbonate records from hemipelagic intervals in these cores display distinct ‘Atlantic’ type cycles, where glacial periods show, on average, 20% lower calcium carbonate contents than interglacial period equivalents. The decrease in calcium carbonate seen during glacials may be the result of increased dilution by terrigenous (aeolian and fluvial) particles derived from aeolian and/or fluvial sources. Higher glacial aeolian particle fluxes to the western Mediterranean Sea may have been caused by changes in the prevailing atmospheric conditions, resulting in drier and colder climatic conditions in the source areas and more frequent and intense outbreaks of dust transport. The colder and drier climatic conditions in combination with a lowered sea level would allow rivers to dump their sediment load closer to the shelf edge, promoting enhanced fluvial input into the basin. Besides significant calcium carbonate variations that correlate with glacial/interglacial cycles, several short-term abrupt changes in the calcium carbonate content are recorded, which appear coincident with enhanced magnetic susceptibility values, especially the events within Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3. The timing of these short-term events may be linked with cooling events in the North Atlantic, particularly Heinrich Events and cold events within MIS 5. These short-term trends may possibly be explained by increased terrigenous particle transport, due to drier and colder climate in the Mediterranean borderlands. Our results further show that about 90% of the sedimentary sequence of the Balearic Abyssal Plain consists of turbidites. Generally, these appear not to have caused significant erosion, and an almost complete continuous time stratigraphy is present in the intercalated hemipelagic intervals.

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More information

Published date: 2004
Keywords: dilution, terrigenous sediment, western Mediterranean, last glacial cycle, calcium carbonate records

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 11081
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/11081
ISSN: 0025-3227
PURE UUID: 9cdd24ce-08e1-491a-bda7-c46b295ea53c
ORCID for E.J. Rohling: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5349-2158

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 26 Oct 2004
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:46

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Contributors

Author: B.A.A. Hoogakker
Author: R.G. Rothwell
Author: E.J. Rohling ORCID iD
Author: M. Paterne
Author: D.A.V. Stow
Author: J.O. Herrle
Author: T. Clayton

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