ALBERT

Description: During the expeditions ARK-VII/1, ARK-VII/3 and ARK-Xl2 sediment cores were taken by "RV Polarstern" from the shelf and the fjords of East Greenland and the Greenland Sea. The magnetic susceptibility and heavy mineral were determined at 48 surface sediment samples from undisturbed box cores. The main objective of this study was the identification of source areas and transport processes of terrigenous sediments at the East Greenland continental margin. The results can be summarized as lollows: 1a) Magnetic susceptibility in the North Atlantic is useful to detect delivery regions of the material transported by currents. b) The magnetic susceptibility is controlled by the ferromagnetic particles of the silt fraction. c) There are four important source areas: . The ferromagnetic particles of the box core PS2644-2 are transported from the Iceland Archipelago. . The material from the Geiki-Plateau effects the magnetic susceptibility in the Scoresby Sund Basin. . The magnetic susceptibility in the shelf regions in the North are produced by material from the fjords. . The ferromagnetic particles in the Greenland Sea are derived from the Mid Atlantic Ridges in the east. d) It is possible to determine the rock type, which delivers the ferromagnetic material because of differences in magnetic susceptibility of different intensity. . The erosion of the basalts of the Geiki-Plateau and the basalts of the Mid Atlantic ridges produce the high magnetic susceptibility in the south. . The magnetic susceptibility on the shelf in the north are probably produced by erosionproducts of the gneises of East Greenland. (2a) Heavy mineral assemblages show a significant difference between material transported by the Transpolar Drift from the Eurasian shelf regions (amphiboles, clinopyroxene, orthopyroxene) and material derived from East Greenland (garnets and opaque minerals). Transport via ice is dominant. b) lt is also possible to show different petrographic provenances (volcanic and metamorphic provenances). These associations verify the source areas. c) The information of heavy mineral composition gives no more detailed hint on the rock type or rock formation in the source area, due to mixing processes, large area of investigation and the sample quantity.

Description: On- and off-mound sediment cores from Propeller Mound (Hovland Mound province, Porcupine Seabight) were analysed to understand better the evolution of a carbonate mound. The evaluation of benthic foraminiferal assemblages from the off-mound position helps to determine the changes of the environmental controls on Propeller Mound in glacial and interglacial times. Two different assemblages describe the Holocene and Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and late MIS 3 (~31 kyr BP). The different assemblages are related to changes in oceanographic conditions, surface productivity and the waxing and waning of the British Irish Ice Sheet (BIIS) during the last glacial stages. The interglacial assemblage is related to a higher supply of organic material and stronger current intensities in water depth of recent coral growth. During the last glaciation the benthic faunas showed high abundances of cassidulinid species, implying cold bottom waters and a reduced availability of organic matter. High sedimentation rates and the domination of Elphidium excavatum point to shelf erosion related to sea-level lowering (~50 m) and the progradation of the BIIS onto the shelf. A different assemblage described for the on-mound core is dominated by Discanomalina coronata, Gavelinopsis translucens, Planulina ariminensis, Cibicides lobatulus and to a lower degree by Hyrrokkin sarcophaga. These species are only found or show significantly higher relative abundances in on-mound samples and their maximum contribution in the lower part of the record indicates a higher coral growth density on Propeller Mound in an earlier period. They are less abundant during the Holocene, however. This dataset portrays the boundary conditions of the habitable range for the cold-water coral Lophelia pertusa, which dominates the deep-water reefal ecosystem on the upper flanks of Propeller Mound. The growth of this ecosystem occurs during interglacial and interstadial periods, whereas a retreat of corals is documented in the absence of glacial sediments on-mound. Glacial conditions with cold intermediate waters, a weak current regime and high sedimentation rates provide an unfavourable environmental setting for Lophelia corals to grow. A Late Pleistocene decrease is observed in the mound growth for Propeller Mound, which might face its complete burial in the future, as it already happened to the buried mounds of the Magellan Mound province further north.

Description: The relationship between planktonic and benthic foraminiferal stable-isotope values and oceanographic conditions and factors controlling isotopic variations are discussed on the basis of oxygen and carbon isotopic analyses of 192 modern surface and Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) samples from the South China Sea (SCS). The harmonic variation of benthic delta18O in surface sediments with water depth and temperature implies that the temperature is the main factor influencing benthic delta18O variations. Planktonic delta18O fluctuates with sea surface temperature (SST) and salinity (SSS). The N-S temperature gradient results in planktonic delta18O decreasing from the northeast to the south. Cool, saline waters driven by the winter monsoon are interpreted to have been responsible for the high delta18O values in the northeast SCS. The East Asian monsoons not only bring nutrients into the South China Sea and maintain high nutrient concentration levels at the southwestern and northeastern ends, which cause depleted delta13C both in planktonic (surface) and benthic (bottom) samples but also reduce planktonic/benthic delta18O differences. The distribution of delta18O and delta13C in the surface and LGM samples are strikingly similar, indicating that the impact of SST and SSS has been maintained, and nutrient inputs, mainly from the northeastern and southwestern ends, have been controlled by monsoons since the LGM. Comparisons of the modern and LGM delta18O indicate a difference of about 3.6 °C in bottom-water temperature and a large surface-to-bottom temperature gradient during the LGM as compared to today.

Description: The study of particulate organic matter (OM) in Arctic Ocean sediments from the Late Cretaceous to the Eocene (IODP Expedition 302) has revealed detailed information about the aquatic/marine OM fluxes, biological sources, preservation and export of terrestrial material. Here, we present detailed data from maceral analysis, vitrinite reflectance measurements and organic geochemistry. During the Campanian/Paleocene, fluxes of land-derived OM are indicated by reworked and oxidized macerals (vitrinite, inertinite) and terrigenous liptinite (cutinite, sporinite). In the Early Eocene, drastic environmental changes are indicated by peaks in aquatic OM (up to 40-45%, lamalginite, telalginite, liptodetrinite, dinoflagellate cysts) and amorphous OM (up to 50% bituminite). These events of increased aquatic OM flux, similar to conditions favoring black shale deposition, correlate with the global d13C events "Paleocene/Eocene Thermal Maximum" (PETM) and "Elmo-event". Freshwater discharge and proximity of the source area are documented by freshwater algae material (Pediastrum, Botryococcus) and immature land-plant material (corphuminite, textinite). We consider that erosion of coal-bearing sediments during transgression time lead to humic acids release as a source for bituminite deposited in the Early Eocene black shales.

Description: Periods of enhanced terrigenous input to the ocean's basins of the North Atlantic have been reported for the last glacial period. We present a set of new sediment cores recovered from the Sophia Basin north of Svalbard which exhibit wide spread IRD layers reflecting enhanced terrigenous input throughout the last ~200 kyr. BP. Their consistent stratigraphic position, sedimentological character, high sedimentation rate and geochemical characteristic point to synchronously deposited layers which we name terrigenous input events (TIEs). Due to their higher densities, they generate excellent reflectors for sediment penetrating acoustic devices and prominent acoustic layers in the imagery of sedimentary structures. Therefore TIEs can be used for regional acoustic stratigraphy. Each of the events can be linked to major glacial activity on Svalbard. However, the Early Weichselian glaciation is not recorded as a TIE and, in agreement with other work, might not have occurred on Svalbard as a major glacial advance to the shelf break. Non-synchronous timing of western and northern sources on Svalbard points against sea-level induced iceberg discharge events.

Description: NW African climate shows orbital and millenial-scale variations, which are tightly connected to changes in marine productivity. We present an organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) record from a sediment core off Cape Yubi at about 27°N in the Canary Basin covering the time period from 47 to 3ka before present (BP). The dinocyst record reflects differences in upwelling intensity and seasonality as well as the influence of fluvial input. Sea-level changes play an important role for the upwelling pattern and productivity signals at the core site. Within the studied time interval, four main phases were distinguished. (1) From 45 to 24ka BP, when sea-level was mostly about 75m lower than today, high relative abundances of cysts of heterotrophic taxa point to enhanced upwelling activity, especially during Heinrich Events, while relatively low dinocyst accumulation rates indicate that filament activity at the core location was strongly reduced. (2) At sea-level lowstand during the LGM to H1, dinocyst accumulation rates suggest that local filament formation was even more inhibited. (3) From the early Holocene to about 8ka BP, extraordinary high accumulation rates of most dinocyst species, especially of Lingulodinium machaerophorum, suggest that nutrient supply via fluvial input increased and rising sea-level promoted filament formation. At the same time, the upwelling season prolongated. (4) A relative increase in cysts of photoautotrophic taxa from about 8ka BP on indicates more stratified conditions while fluvial input decreased. Our study shows that productivity records can be very sensitive to regional features. From the dinocyst data we infer that marine surface productivity off Cape Yubi during glacial times was within the scale of modern times but extremely enhanced during deglaciation.

Description: Organic and inorganic components from terrestrial origin can be transported into the marine system by wind and rivers. In the study region wind transport forms the major transport mechanism by episodically transporting large amounts of particles into the upper water column. Recent studies have revealed that these particles are most probably not transported down through the water column immediately but that there are several layers within the water column where these particles remain in suspension. It is suggested that the residence time of these particles within these so called nepheloid layers might be up to several thousands of years. For adequate subsampling of these layers with the help of in-situ pumps and a Rosette containing 18 Niskin bottles (10 l volume), the temperature, density, chlorophyll and oxygen differences of the upper 600m of the water column was determined using a CTD (seabird 911+).

Description: Integrated interpretation of multi-beam bathymetric, sediment-penetrating acoustic (PARASOUND) and seismic data show a multiple slope failure on the northern European continental margin, north of Spitsbergen. The first slide event occurred during MIS 3 around 30 cal. ka BP and was characterised by highly dynamic and rapid evacuation of ca. 1250 km**3 of sediment from the lower to the upper part of the continental slope. During this event, headwalls up to 1600 m high were created and ca. 1150 km**3 material from hemi-pelagic sediments and from the lower pre-existing trough mouth fan has been entrained and transported into the semi-enclosed Sophia Basin. This megaslide event was followed by a secondary evacuation of material to the Nansen Basin by funnelling of the debris through the channel between Polarstern Seamount and the adjacent continental slope. The main slide debris is overlain by a set of fining-upward sequences as evidence for the associated suspension cloud and following minor failure events. Subsequent adjustment of the eastern headwalls led to failure of rather soft sediments and creation of smaller debris flows that followed the main slide surficial topography. Discharge of the Hinlopen ice stream during the Last Glacial Maximum and the following deglaciation draped the central headwalls and created a fan deposit of glacigenic debris flows.

Description: Isotopic composition of strontium and oxygen and strontium concentrations from 4 hydrographic sites in Scoresby Sund Fjord and 6 rivers draining the adjacent Jameson Land have been investigated. Schuchert Flod, the major river on Jameson Land, erodes a large celestite (SrSO4) deposit. Dissolved Sr in Schuchert Flod has 87Sr/86Sr = 0.7137 and is responsible for most of the continental Sr flux to the fjord. The Sr isotope data have been used to construct a mixing model for the surface water in Scoresby Sund Fjord. Salinity (S) and Sr concentrations (CSr) of brackish water from the fjord show conservative mixing between river water and seawater. Results of the 87Sr/86Sr–salinity mixing model of seawater and fresh water were used to interpret the isotopic composition of Sr (87Sr/86Sr) and oxygen (d18Oc) of recent and interglacial (Eemian ~120 ka) shallow-water bivalve shells from the coast of Jameson Land. Because of the high CSr in some of the rivers draining Jameson Land, a correlation exists between 87Sr/86Sr and d18Oc of recent and interglacial shallow water bivalve shells from the coast of Jameson Land. Higher-than-seawater 87Sr/86Sr values in shells from the Langelandselv interglaciation can be explained only if the shells were formed close to a Sr-rich fresh water source which is not present in the Langelandselv area today. These results suggest that there was a different river and drainage system on the Jameson Land peninsula during the Last Interglacial. The 87Sr/86Sr values indicate that shell formation took place in waters with salinities between 20 and 31‰ in a fjord with less glacial melt-water than seen today.

Description: Sedimentological, geochemical (in particular biogenic content) and physical properties from the Weddell, Lazarev and Cosmonaut seas along the Antarctic continental margin were analysed in order to reconstruct the late Quaternary productivity and sedimentary processes of this region. Seven undisturbed sediment cores were chosen. The sediments represent a depositional period from 400,000 years to the recent time. The late Quaternary climatic changes influence changes in the paleoenvironmental and the geological conditions, directly forced by the behaviour of the Antarctic ice sheet. All investigated cores are positioned within the oscillating ice sheet area and reflect the influence of the ice sheet in response to the climatic cycles. The organic carbon, carbonate, biogenic opal, and barium contents were measured, andlor calculated, together with the determination by XRD of the terrigenous components such as quartz and plagioclase (expressed as relative to corundum standard). The contents of organic carbon and carbonate in general are very low. The results provide an indication that organic carbon content is a preservation signal and not a productivity signal. Carbonate is not correlated with biogenic opal and biogenic barium. Profiles of biogenic opal and barium were measured within the sediment cores providing a qualitative and quantitative tool to estimate changes in paleoproductivity over the investigated time. Generally, good correlations between the barium and opal records of the sediment cores indicate that dissolution of opal in the water column and the sediment does not obscure the surface productivity signal. Therefore, opal can be used in combination with other proxies for paleoproductivity discussions in this area. Maximum paleoproductivity rates (PPmax) during peak warm stages reach values between 82-345 gC/m2/a and maximum export productivity rates (Pnew, max) between 14-177 gC/m2/a, that are representative of high-productivity areas. They are drastically reduced during glacial times (PPmax = 14-107 gC/m2/a, Pnew, max = 1-25 gC/m2/a). The results allow the development of a model for paleoproductivity processes for the last 400,000 years at the Antarctic continental margin of the Atlantic sector. Following the estimated productivity rates it can be concluded that during the last 400,000 years, North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) heat flux into the southernmost South Atlantic Ocean was restricted to interglacial periods with stronger input of NADW driven deep water circulation during interglacial stages 1, 5 (5.5) and 7.