Sediment transport time measured with U-Series isotopes: Resultsfrom ODP North Atlantic Drill Site 984
High precision uranium isotope measurements of marineclastic sediments are used to measure the transport and storage time ofsediment from source to site of deposition. The approach is demonstratedon fine-grained, late Pleistocene deep-sea sediments from Ocean DrillingProgram Site 984A on the Bjorn Drift in the North Atlantic. The sedimentsare siliciclastic with up to 30 percent carbonate, and dated by sigma 18Oof benthic foraminifera. Nd and Sr isotopes indicate that provenance hasoscillated between a proximal source during the last three interglacialperiods volcanic rocks from Iceland and a distal continental sourceduring glacial periods. An unexpected finding is that the 234U/238Uratios of the silicate portion of the sediment, isolated by leaching withhydrochloric acid, are significantly less than the secular equilibriumvalue and show large and systematic variations that are correlated withglacial cycles and sediment provenance. The 234U depletions are inferredto be due to alpha-recoil loss of234Th, and are used to calculate"comminution ages" of the sediment -- the time elapsed between thegeneration of the small (<_ 50 mu-m) sediment grains in the sourceareas by comminution of bedrock, and the time of deposition on theseafloor. Transport times, the difference between comminution ages anddepositional ages, vary from less than 10 ky to about 300 to 400 ky forthe Site 984A sediments. Long transport times may reflect prior storagein soils, on continental shelves, or elsewhere on the seafloor. Transporttime may also be a measure of bottom current strength. During the mostrecent interglacial periods the detritus from distal continental sourcesis diluted with sediment from Iceland that is rapidly transported to thesite of deposition. The comminution age approach could be used to dateQuaternary non-marine sediments, soils, and atmospheric dust, and may beenhanced by concomitant measurement of 226Ra/230Th, 230Th/234U, andcosmogenic nuclides.
- Research Organization:
- Lawrence Berkeley National Lab. (LBNL), Berkeley, CA (United States)
- Sponsoring Organization:
- USDOE Director. Office of Science. Basic EnergySciences
- DOE Contract Number:
- DE-AC02-05CH11231
- OSTI ID:
- 923283
- Report Number(s):
- LBNL-60856; EPSLA2; R&D Project: 468202; BnR: KC0303020; TRN: US200804%%1042
- Journal Information:
- Earth and Planetary Science Letters, Vol. 248, Issue 1-2; Related Information: Journal Publication Date: 2006; ISSN 0012-821X
- Country of Publication:
- United States
- Language:
- English
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