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Benthic foraminiferal response to changes in bottom water oxygenation and organic carbon flux in the eastern Mediterranean during LGM to Recent times

Benthic foraminiferal response to changes in bottom water oxygenation and organic carbon flux in the eastern Mediterranean during LGM to Recent times
Benthic foraminiferal response to changes in bottom water oxygenation and organic carbon flux in the eastern Mediterranean during LGM to Recent times
We present a high-resolution study of benthic foraminiferal abundances in 4 cores from the central Aegean and NE Levantine Seas, spanning the interval from 30 ka BP to the present. The benthic foraminiferal faunas indicate that during LGM times, bottom waters were well ventilated, while organic flux to the sea floor was significantly higher than today. From 30 to 10.2 ka BP, faunal density and composition suggest a gradual decrease in organic flux to the sea floor. This trend is interrupted by a short return to higher organic flux levels during the Younger Dryas (12.8–11.5 ka BP). The faunas immediately preceding the early to middle Holocene organic-rich layer (sapropel) S1 are very similar to Late Holocene faunas, indicating oligotrophic conditions. The transition from well ventilated bottom waters to anoxic (Levantine Basin) or strongly dysoxic (Aegean Sea) bottom waters appears to take place within a time-span of only 600 years, from 10.8 to 10.2 ka BP. Sapropel S1 (10.2–6.4 ka BP) is characterized by extended periods of bottom-water anoxia in the Levantine Basin, and by strongly dysoxic conditions punctuated by episodic re-ventilation events in the Aegean Sea. Re-establishment of fully oxygenated bottom-water conditions after sapropel S1 was extremely rapid. The ensuing Late Holocene faunas are very similar to recent faunas found in the Aegean Sea, suggesting much lower fluxes of organic matter to the sea floor than during glacial times.
benthic foraminifera, organic matter, sapropel, oligotrophic, Mediterranean
0377-8398
46-68
Abu-Zied, R.H.
8883b0d9-b7ca-4635-90d2-cc3da2f36a7f
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Jorissen, F.J.
5e9da85b-8b77-465e-8816-0ed4acf2da63
Fontanier, C.
8cd62729-bb6f-4b48-a244-6d9ec43a46dd
Casford, J.S.L.
ab6215ef-d18d-4b90-bb9c-31468744826e
Cooke, S.
d5031b11-137c-4b03-8115-5a1d334bfa62
Abu-Zied, R.H.
8883b0d9-b7ca-4635-90d2-cc3da2f36a7f
Rohling, E.J.
a2a27ef2-fcce-4c71-907b-e692b5ecc685
Jorissen, F.J.
5e9da85b-8b77-465e-8816-0ed4acf2da63
Fontanier, C.
8cd62729-bb6f-4b48-a244-6d9ec43a46dd
Casford, J.S.L.
ab6215ef-d18d-4b90-bb9c-31468744826e
Cooke, S.
d5031b11-137c-4b03-8115-5a1d334bfa62

Abu-Zied, R.H., Rohling, E.J., Jorissen, F.J., Fontanier, C., Casford, J.S.L. and Cooke, S. (2008) Benthic foraminiferal response to changes in bottom water oxygenation and organic carbon flux in the eastern Mediterranean during LGM to Recent times. Marine Micropaleontology, 67 (1-2), 46-68. (doi:10.1016/j.marmicro.2007.08.006).

Record type: Article

Abstract

We present a high-resolution study of benthic foraminiferal abundances in 4 cores from the central Aegean and NE Levantine Seas, spanning the interval from 30 ka BP to the present. The benthic foraminiferal faunas indicate that during LGM times, bottom waters were well ventilated, while organic flux to the sea floor was significantly higher than today. From 30 to 10.2 ka BP, faunal density and composition suggest a gradual decrease in organic flux to the sea floor. This trend is interrupted by a short return to higher organic flux levels during the Younger Dryas (12.8–11.5 ka BP). The faunas immediately preceding the early to middle Holocene organic-rich layer (sapropel) S1 are very similar to Late Holocene faunas, indicating oligotrophic conditions. The transition from well ventilated bottom waters to anoxic (Levantine Basin) or strongly dysoxic (Aegean Sea) bottom waters appears to take place within a time-span of only 600 years, from 10.8 to 10.2 ka BP. Sapropel S1 (10.2–6.4 ka BP) is characterized by extended periods of bottom-water anoxia in the Levantine Basin, and by strongly dysoxic conditions punctuated by episodic re-ventilation events in the Aegean Sea. Re-establishment of fully oxygenated bottom-water conditions after sapropel S1 was extremely rapid. The ensuing Late Holocene faunas are very similar to recent faunas found in the Aegean Sea, suggesting much lower fluxes of organic matter to the sea floor than during glacial times.

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More information

Published date: April 2008
Keywords: benthic foraminifera, organic matter, sapropel, oligotrophic, Mediterranean

Identifiers

Local EPrints ID: 48102
URI: http://eprints.soton.ac.uk/id/eprint/48102
ISSN: 0377-8398
PURE UUID: aee33db9-3fbb-4c28-b8a4-01979cfbf2b7
ORCID for E.J. Rohling: ORCID iD orcid.org/0000-0001-5349-2158

Catalogue record

Date deposited: 28 Aug 2007
Last modified: 16 Mar 2024 02:46

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Contributors

Author: R.H. Abu-Zied
Author: E.J. Rohling ORCID iD
Author: F.J. Jorissen
Author: C. Fontanier
Author: J.S.L. Casford
Author: S. Cooke

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