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Marine Sediments Marine Sediments


Fig. CO-4
Marine sediments Marine sediments
Eroded rock particles and fragments Eroded rock particles and fragments
Transported to ocean Transported to ocean
Deposit by settling through water column Deposit by settling through water column
Oceanographers decipher Earth history Oceanographers decipher Earth history
through studying sediments through studying sediments
Classification of marine sediments Classification of marine sediments
Classified by origin Classified by origin
Lithogenic Lithogenic (derived from land) (derived from land)
Biogenic Biogenic (derived from organisms) (derived from organisms)
Hydrogenic Hydrogenic (derived from water) (derived from water)
Also known as Also known as Authigenic Authigenic
Cosmogenic Cosmogenic (derived from outer space) (derived from outer space)
Lithogenous sediments Lithogenous sediments
Eroded rock fragments from land Eroded rock fragments from land
Reflect composition of rock from which Reflect composition of rock from which
derived derived
Transported from land by Transported from land by
Water (e.g., river Water (e.g., river- -transported sediment) transported sediment)
Wind (e.g., windblown dust) Wind (e.g., windblown dust) - - aeolian aeolian transport transport
Ice (e.g., ice Ice (e.g., ice- -rafted rocks) rafted rocks)
Gravity (e.g., turbidity currents) Gravity (e.g., turbidity currents)
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Lithogenous sediments Lithogenous sediments
Fig. 4.5
Lithogenous sediments Lithogenous sediments
Most lithogenous sediments at continental Most lithogenous sediments at continental
margins margins
Coarser (larger) sediments closer to shore Coarser (larger) sediments closer to shore
Finer (smaller) sediments farther from shore Finer (smaller) sediments farther from shore
Mainly mineral quartz (SiO Mainly mineral quartz (SiO
2 2
) and ) and
aluminum aluminum- -iron silicate (clays) iron silicate (clays)
Relationship of fine Relationship of fine- -grained quartz grained quartz
and prevailing winds and prevailing winds
Fig. 4.6b
Sediment texture Sediment texture
Grain size Grain size
Proportional to energy of transportation Proportional to energy of transportation
and deposition and deposition
Table 4.2
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Distribution of sediments Distribution of sediments
Neritic Neritic
Shallow water deposits Shallow water deposits
Close to land Close to land
Dominantly lithogenous Dominantly lithogenous
Typically deposited quickly Typically deposited quickly
Pelagic Pelagic
Deeper water deposits Deeper water deposits
Finer Finer- -grained sediments grained sediments
Deposited slowly Deposited slowly
Neritic lithogenous sediments Neritic lithogenous sediments
Beach deposits Beach deposits
Mainly wave Mainly wave- -deposited quartz deposited quartz- -rich sands rich sands
Continental shelf deposits Continental shelf deposits
Relict sediments Relict sediments
Turbidite deposits Turbidite deposits
Glacial deposits Glacial deposits
High latitude continental shelf High latitude continental shelf
Pelagic lithogenous sediments Pelagic lithogenous sediments
Sources of fine material: Sources of fine material:
Volcanic ash (volcanic eruptions) Volcanic ash (volcanic eruptions)
Wind Wind- -blown dust blown dust
Fine Fine- -grained material transported by grained material transported by
deep ocean currents deep ocean currents
Abyssal clay (red clay) Abyssal clay (red clay)
Oxidized iron Oxidized iron
Abundant if other sediments absent Abundant if other sediments absent
Biogenous marine sediments Biogenous marine sediments
shells or skeletons of organisms that sink to the sea floor
after the organisms death; made of silicate or carbonate
Sediments of Diatoms (left ), foraminifera (center) and radiolaria (right)
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Biogenous marine sediments Biogenous marine sediments
Hard remains of once Hard remains of once- -living living
organisms organisms
Shells, bones, teeth Shells, bones, teeth
Macroscopic (large remains) Macroscopic (large remains)
Microscopic (small remains) Microscopic (small remains)
Tiny shells or tests settle through Tiny shells or tests settle through
water column water column
Biogenic ooze (30% or more tests) Biogenic ooze (30% or more tests)
Mainly algae and protozoans Mainly algae and protozoans
Biogenous marine sediments Biogenous marine sediments
Commonly either Commonly either calcium carbonate calcium carbonate
(CaCO (CaCO
3 3
) ) or or silica silica (SiO (SiO
2 2
or SiO or SiO
2 2
nH nH
2 2
O) O)
Usually Usually planktonic planktonic (free (free- -floating) floating)
Distribution of biogenous Distribution of biogenous
sediments sediments
Most common as pelagic deposits Most common as pelagic deposits
Factors controlling distribution Factors controlling distribution
Productivity Productivity
Destruction (dissolution) Destruction (dissolution)
Dilution Dilution
Silica in biogenic sediments Silica in biogenic sediments
Diatoms Diatoms (algae) (algae)
Photosynthetic Photosynthetic
Diatomaceous earth Diatomaceous earth
Radiolarians Radiolarians
(protozoans) (protozoans)
Use external food Use external food
They form They form Siliceous Siliceous
ooze ooze (high amounts (high amounts
of of Si Si) )
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Siliceous ooze Siliceous ooze
Seawater undersaturated with silica Seawater undersaturated with silica
Siliceous ooze commonly associated with Siliceous ooze commonly associated with
high biologic productivity in surface ocean high biologic productivity in surface ocean
Fig. 4.11
Calcium carbonate in biogenous Calcium carbonate in biogenous
sediments sediments
Coccolithophores Coccolithophores
(algae) (algae)
Photosynthetic Photosynthetic
Coccoliths Coccoliths
( (nano nano- -plankton) plankton)
Rock chalk Rock chalk
Fig. 4.8a
White Cliffs of Dover, England
Calcium carbonate in biogenous Calcium carbonate in biogenous
sediments sediments
Foraminifera Foraminifera
(protozoans) (protozoans)
Use external food Use external food
Calcareous ooze Calcareous ooze
Fig. 4.8c
Calcareous ooze and the CCD Calcareous ooze and the CCD
Warm, shallow ocean saturated with Warm, shallow ocean saturated with
calcium carbonate calcium carbonate
Cool, deep ocean undersaturated with Cool, deep ocean undersaturated with
calcium carbonate calcium carbonate
Lysocline Lysocline-- --depth at which depth at which a significant amount a significant amount
of of CaCO CaCO
3 3
begins to dissolve rapidly begins to dissolve rapidly
Calcite compensation depth Calcite compensation depth CCD CCD-- --depth depth
where CaCO where CaCO
3 3
readily dissolves readily dissolves
Rate of supply = rate at which the shells dissolve Rate of supply = rate at which the shells dissolve
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Calcareous ooze and the CCD Calcareous ooze and the CCD
Scarce calcareous ooze below 5000 m in Scarce calcareous ooze below 5000 m in
modern ocean modern ocean
Ancient calcareous oozes at greater Ancient calcareous oozes at greater
depths if moved by sea floor spreading depths if moved by sea floor spreading
Fig. 4.13
Hydrogenous marine sediments Hydrogenous marine sediments
Minerals precipitate directly from seawater Minerals precipitate directly from seawater
Manganese nodules Manganese nodules
Phosphates Phosphates
Carbonates Carbonates
Metal sulfides Metal sulfides
Sea Salt Deposits (Sodium Chloride) Sea Salt Deposits (Sodium Chloride)
Small proportion of marine sediments Small proportion of marine sediments
Distributed in diverse environments Distributed in diverse environments
Iron Iron- -manganese nodules manganese nodules
Fist Fist- -sized lumps of manganese, iron, and sized lumps of manganese, iron, and
other metals other metals
Very slow accumulation rates Very slow accumulation rates
Why are they on surface sea floor? Why are they on surface sea floor?
Fig. 4.15a
Manganese nodules Manganese nodules
Metal Composition
Mn (%) 25%
Fe (%) 5%
Ni (%) 1%
Cu (%) 1.5%
Plus many other metals
Growth Rate = 1-5 mm per million years
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Cosmogenous marine sediments Cosmogenous marine sediments
Macroscopic meteor debris Macroscopic meteor debris
Microscopic iron Microscopic iron- -nickel and silicate nickel and silicate
spherules spherules
Tektites Tektites
Space dust Space dust
Overall, insignificant proportion of Overall, insignificant proportion of
marine sediments marine sediments
Mixtures of marine sediments Mixtures of marine sediments
Usually mixture of different sediment Usually mixture of different sediment
types types
For example, biogenic oozes can contain For example, biogenic oozes can contain
up to 70% non up to 70% non- -biogenic components biogenic components
Typically one sediment type Typically one sediment type
dominates in different areas of the dominates in different areas of the
sea floor sea floor
How sea floor sediments represent How sea floor sediments represent
surface ocean conditions surface ocean conditions
Microscopic tests sink slowly from Microscopic tests sink slowly from
surface ocean to sea floor (10 surface ocean to sea floor (10- -50 50
years) years)
Tests could be moved horizontally Tests could be moved horizontally
Most biogenous tests clump together Most biogenous tests clump together
in fecal pellets in fecal pellets
Fecal pellets large enough to sink Fecal pellets large enough to sink
quickly (10 quickly (10- -15 days) 15 days)
Distribution of neritic and pelagic marine sediments Distribution of neritic and pelagic marine sediments
Fig. 4.19
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Sampling of Marine Sediments Sampling of Marine Sediments
Sampling of Marine Sediments Sampling of Marine Sediments
Many different methods available:
dependent on what question you are trying
to answer and importantly, what
environment you are sampling
Marsh (not under water)
Shallow water (sub-tidal)
Deeper water (ocean bottom)
Depth of Core (10 cm versus 10s meters)
Surface Sediment (bioactive zone)
Sediments often represent Environmental Conditions Sediments often represent Environmental Conditions
Temperature Temperature
Nutrient supply Nutrient supply
Abundance of marine life Abundance of marine life
Atmospheric winds Atmospheric winds
Ocean current patterns Ocean current patterns
Volcanic eruptions Volcanic eruptions
Major extinction events Major extinction events
Changes in climate Changes in climate
Movement of tectonic plates Movement of tectonic plates
Chemical Pollution Chemical Pollution
Retrieving sediments Retrieving sediments
Dredge Dredge
Ponar Ponar
Shipex Shipex
Ekman Ekman
Surface Samples or Core Samples
Gravity corer Gravity corer
Box corer Box corer
Piston corer Piston corer
Drill Ship Drill Ship
Surface Sediment Sample
Core Sediment Sample
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Retrieving sediments: Samplers Retrieving sediments: Samplers
Ponar
Shipex
Hand Held Piston Corer
Gravity Corer
Ekman Dredge
Retrieving sediments: Samplers Retrieving sediments: Samplers
Drill Ship and how it works
Field Sampling, J une 2003 Field Sampling, J une 2003
Vibra Vibra Coring on the Anacostia River, DC Coring on the Anacostia River, DC
Retrieving sediments: Retrieving sediments:
Vibra Vibra Coring in Potomac Coring in Potomac
River River
Cores can be taken by Cores can be taken by
SCUBA Divers! SCUBA Divers!
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Piston Core: One of many methods for taking a marsh core
Cores 2 Cores 2
What a cores looks like: What a cores looks like:
The Ashley Taste Test
Key Geochemical and Health Test on All Cores Taken!
Sediments: an ecosystems memory Sediments: an ecosystems memory
1950
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Chemical-Sediment
Sediment
Sediment surfaceslowly builds up
burying chemicals with newer
sediment
2000
1950
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210
Pb or
137
Cs Activit y (relat ive)
0 2 4 6 8 10
0
100
200
300
400
500
210
Pb,
137
Cs and other tracers for dating of sediments
Pb dating is good for approx. 100 to 150 yrs
Sources of 210Pb
supported
210
Pb produced byradioactive decaywithin
sediments
unsupported
210
Pb transported to lake fromwatershed
(atmto water and watershed)
Pb is very particle reactive so it is immobile
mainly with sediments.
137
Cs distribution in sediments

137
Cs produced by
atomic weapons or
power plants
Particle reactive
but can desorb in
marine waters
Peaks are used to
mark a specific time
Assume linear rates
between dates
Bopp et al. EST (Hudosn Est)
Supported Pb
Unsupported + Supported Pb
137Cs
Half Life = 22.5 yrs
210
Pb (activity)
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(
f
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t
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m
)
0
100
c
m
50 0 25
Half the amount of
210
Pb is at 20 cm
So, approximate sedimentation rate = 20 cm/22.5 yr
= 0.9 cm/yr
50
Half Life of
210
Pb= 22.5 yrs
210
Pb for dating of sediments
Distribution of Phosphorus in Woodbury Marsh Core (New Jersey)
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Why did Phosphorus levels decrease over the past 30 years?
CWA Clean Water Act
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End of End of
CHAPTER 4 CHAPTER 4
Marine Marine
Sediments Sediments
Fig. 4E

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