Processes of benthic foraminiferal fossil assemblage formation on the continental slope

Conference · Thu Feb 28 23:00:00 EST 1991 · AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States)

OSTI ID:7159051

Loubere, P ^[1]

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1. Northern Illinois Univ., DeKalb (United States)

Theoretical analysis of benethic foraminiferal fossil assemblage formation shows that the assemblage eventually preserved in the sediments is an integrated result of species' test production rate, microhabitat behavior, and biogeochemical processes that control the probability of species' test preservation. The biogeochemical processes that influence test preservation in slope sediments are controlled by the flux of organic carbon to the sea-bed and the botton water oxygen concentration. These variables also affect the depth of the biotic habitation zone in the sediments. Therefore, organic carbon flux and bottom water oxygen content should be reflected in benthic foraminiferal fossil assemblages for both ecologic and taphonomic reasons. An integrated study of fossil assemblage generation was conducted on the Gulf of Mexico continental slope using box cores collected along depth transects across the oxygen minimum, and using live and dead assemblage analysis combined with {sup 210}Pb measurements to quantify biotic activity in the sediments and pore water nutrient and metals analysis to quantify biogeochemical processes acting in the sediment habitation zone. The results show that the size of the habitation zone and live standing stock are influenced by organic carbon flux and oxygen supply to the sea-bed. The fossil assemblage is created progressively through the upper 10-20 cm of sediment and biologichemically driven test destruction (taphonomic process) is important in determining the assemblage that enters the geologic record.

• OSTI ID: 7159051
• Report Number(s): CONF-910403--
• Journal Information: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States), Journal Name: AAPG Bulletin (American Association of Petroleum Geologists); (United States) Vol. 75:3; ISSN AABUD; ISSN 0149-1423
• Country of Publication: United States
• Language: English

Related Subjects

58 GEOSCIENCES
580000* -- Geosciences
ANIMALS
AQUATIC ORGANISMS
ATLANTIC OCEAN
BENTHOS
BIOCHEMICAL REACTION KINETICS
BIOCHEMISTRY
BIOGEOCHEMISTRY
BODY
CARBON
CARIBBEAN SEA
CHEMISTRY
CONTINENTAL MARGIN
CONTINENTAL SLOPE
DISSOLUTION
ELEMENTS
EXOSKELETON
FORAMINIFERA
FOSSILS
GEOCHEMISTRY
GROUND WATER
GULF OF MEXICO
HYDROGEN COMPOUNDS
INTERFACES
INTERSTITIAL WATER
INVERTEBRATES
KINETICS
MICROORGANISMS
NONMETALS
ORGANS
OXYGEN
OXYGEN COMPOUNDS
PALEONTOLOGY
PROTOZOA
REACTION KINETICS
SARCODINA
SEAS
SEDIMENT-WATER INTERFACES
SEDIMENTS
SKELETON
SURFACE WATERS
WATER
WATER CHEMISTRY