Stable isotope systematics in Pleistocene deep-sea sediment records

Thesis/Dissertation · Sun Jan 01 00:00:00 EST 1984

OSTI ID:5517019

Schiffelbein, P A

The distribution of stable isotopes of oxygen and carbon in deep-sea sediments is a prime information carrier in paleoceanography. Isotope stratigraphies from deep-sea cores provide a tool for correlation, as well as an index for monitoring paleoclimate. Stable isotope systematics have been examined at several levels: 1) Data precision. Stable isotope data quality for a number of foraminifera species and size fractions is assessed by performing multiple analyses on subgroups of a given sample. Error measures have been determined which can be used to plan sampling. 2) Benthic mixing. Stratigraphic signals recovered from the deep-sea have been subjected to distortion from the activity of benthic organisms. A quantitative look at the effects of the mixing on the recovery of stratigraphic signals is presented. The unmixing problem, that is the problem of recovering high-frequency information lost in the mixing process, is also examined. A technique is developed, which allows determination of the benthic mixing parameters from certain stratigraphic relationships in multiple delta/sup 18/O signals. 3) Sedimentation rate nonlinearity. Spectral analyses are almost routinely performed on deep-sea delta/sup 18/O records, usually with the intent of finding climatic driving signals. This type of analysis assumes a linear sedimentation rate. Nonlinearity of sedimentation rate is examined at two levels. A long period (500 ka) dissolution cycle in the late Pleistocene is examined. It is demonstrated that this dissolution has affected stable isotopes and that considerable carbonate material has been dissolved.

• OSTI ID: 5517019
• Resource Relation: Other Information: Thesis (Ph. D.)
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
QUATERNARY PERIOD
CLIMATES
SEA BED
SEDIMENTS
PALEONTOLOGY
CARBON 12
CARBON 13
ISOTOPE RATIO
OXYGEN 16
OXYGEN 17
OXYGEN 18
STRATIGRAPHY
CARBON ISOTOPES
CENOZOIC ERA
EVEN-EVEN NUCLEI
EVEN-ODD NUCLEI
GEOLOGIC AGES
GEOLOGY
ISOTOPES
LIGHT NUCLEI
NUCLEI
OXYGEN ISOTOPES
STABLE ISOTOPES
580500* - Oceanography- (1980-1989)