西菲律宾海3个岩柱的重矿物组合研究

对西菲律宾海盆西部 Wp1 ,Wp2与 Wp40 3个岩柱中的 47个沉积物样品进行了重矿物组合的研究。分析结果表明 ,调查区内的重矿物中以辉石类为主 ,其平均含量可达 40～ 5 4%。它是海底火山的产物 ,为 3岩柱中存在火山沉积类型提供了依据 ,并根据辉石类含量在不同岩柱中的差异 ,说明 Wp2与 Wp40两个岩柱中的火山物质多于 Wp1岩柱 ,而 Wp1岩柱中的风成物质则较 Wp2与wp40两岩柱更为发育。     

马里亚纳海沟万米级水文观测研究

深渊观测是开展深渊科学研究的前提。文章介绍了2020年7月"东方红3"船在马里亚纳海沟"挑战者深渊"附近完成的一次海洋调查。基于船载温盐深综合剖面测量系统获取的万米级剖面数据,分析全海深的温盐性质,并依据Thorpe尺度方法和细尺度参数化方法,进一步估算不同深度层的湍动能耗散率。结果表明:"挑战者深渊"的深层海水十分稳定, 3 000—5 000 dbar的温盐特征与下层绕极水相同;受弱层结背景下的内潮影响, 5 000—8 000 m的耗散率显著提升。本次调查获取的万米级水文剖面为马里亚纳海沟的深渊探索提供了数据方面的支撑。     

马里亚纳“沟−盆”深水沉积环境稀土元素特征与物源约束

通过对西太平洋帕里西维拉海盆东南部的C-P19柱状样和马里亚纳海沟南坡的L3柱状样进行粒度和稀土元素地球化学分析,探讨了二者物源的异同。结果表明:研究区沉积物的稀土元素含量基本不受沉积物粒度控制,主要受控于物源变化。物源判别结果指示二者的物源具有同源性,其中西马里亚纳海脊剥蚀下来的火山物质对研究区的物质来源贡献最大。火山物质中的重矿物可以影响到稀土元素的含量,例如锆石的含量和稀土元素总量(ΣREY)的相关系数可达0.86。来自中国内陆黄土的陆源风尘物质对两个研究区的物源供给也有一定贡献,但其贡献程度较小。由于马里亚纳海沟南坡更加远离大陆且纬度更低,其接受的亚洲风尘也比帕里西维拉海盆和挑战者深渊更少。此外,南极底层水流经研究区,对海盆和海沟的沉积物都造成一定影响,而且在马里亚纳海沟南坡更加活跃,因而帕里西维拉海盆东南部的沉积物比马里亚纳海沟南坡更易于保存。     

Mineral provinces and matter provenance of the surficial sediments in the western Philippine Sea: implication for modern sedimentation in West Pacific marginal basin

The characteristics and distribution patterns of detrital minerals (0.063~0.125 mm) in marine sediments provide a significant indicator for the identification of the origin of sediment.The detrital mineral composition of 219 surface sediment samples was analysed to identify the distribution of sediments within the western Philippine Sea. The area can be divided into three mineral provinces: (I) province east of the Philippine Trench, the detrital minerals in this province are mainly composed of calcareous or siliceous organisms, with the addition of volcanogenic minerals from an adjacent island arc; (II) middle mineral province, clastic minerals including feldspar, quartz and colorless volcanic glass, sourced from seamounts with intermediate-acid volcanic rock, or erupting intermediate-acid volcano; (III) province west of the Palau—Kyūshū Ridge, the matter provenance within this province is complex; the small quantity of feldspar and quartz may be sourced from seamounts or erupting volcano with intermediate-acid composition, with a component of volcanic scoria sourced from a volcano erupting on the Palau—Kyūshū Ridge. it is suggested that, (1) Biogenic debris of the study area is closely related to water depth, with the amount of biogenic debris controlled by carbonate lysocline. (2) Volcaniclastic matter derived from the adjacent island arc can be entrained by oceanic currents and transported towards the abyssal basin over a short distance. The weathering products of volcanic rocks of the submarine plateau (e.g.,Benham Plateau) and adjacent ridges provide an important source of detrital sedimentation, and the influence scope of them is constrained by the intensity of submarine weathering. (3) Terrigenous sediments from the continent of Asia and the adjacent Philippine island arc have little influence on the sedimentation of this study area, and the felsic mineral component is probably sourced from volcanic seamounts of intermediate-acid composition.     

Modern modes of provenance and dispersal of terrigenous sediments in the North Pacific and Bering Sea: implications and perspectives for palaeoenvironmental reconstructions

During expedition 202 aboard the RV Sonne in 2009, 39 seafloor surface sediment sites were sampled over a wide sector of the North Pacific and adjoining Bering Sea. The data served to infer land–ocean linkages of terrigenous sediment supply in terms of major sources and modes of sediment transport within an over-regional context. This is based on an integrated approach dealing with grain-size analysis, bulk mineralogy and clay mineralogy in combination with statistical data evaluation (end-member modelling of grain-size data, fuzzy cluster analysis of mineralogical data). The findings on clay mineralogy served to update those of earlier work extracted from the literature. Today, two processes of terrigenous sediment supply prevail in the study area: far-distance aeolian sediment supply to the pelagic North Pacific, and hemipelagic sediment dispersal from nearby land sources via ocean currents along the continental margins and island arcs. Aeolian particles show the finest grain sizes (clay and fine silt), whereas hemipelagic sediments have high abundances of coarse silt. Exposed sites on seamounts and the continental slope are partly swept by strong currents, leading to residual enrichment of fine sand. Four sediment sources can be distinguished on the basis of distinct index minerals revealed by statistical data analysis: dust plumes from central Asia (quartz, illite), altered materials from the volcanic regions of Kamchatka and the Aleutian Arc (smectite), detritus from the Alaskan Cordillera (chlorite, hornblende), and fluvial detritus from far-eastern Siberia and the Alaska mainland (quartz, feldspar, illite). These findings confirm those of former studies but considerably expand the geographic range of this suite of proxies as far south as 39°N in the open North Pacific. The present integrated methodological approach proved useful in identifying the major modern processes of terrigenous sediment supply to the study region. This aspect deserves attention in the selection of sediment core sites for future palaeoenvironmental reconstructions related to aeolian and glacial dynamics, as well as the recognition of palaeo-ocean circulation patterns in general.     

南海表层沉积物火山玻璃分布特征与源区分析

火山碎屑是边缘海沉积的重要来源,其分布特征对研究沉积作用与构造活动具有重要意义。对南海2276个表层站位碎屑矿物分析表明,664个站位含火山玻璃,占总站位数的29.17%,其中含量最高达95.8×10−3。表层沉积物火山玻璃主要出现在南海东部海域,往西呈逐渐降低趋势。南海东部主要重矿物磁铁矿和角闪石分布与火山玻璃十分相似,表明可能具有相同的来源。这些特征表明火山玻璃主要来自菲律宾群岛。这与南海东缘的琉球-台湾-菲律宾火山－地震带的吕宋岛大量活火山分布吻合。南海南缘苏门答腊-爪哇岛弧火山-地震带,虽然第四纪火山和地震活动频发,但对表层样火山玻璃贡献不大。南海海域火山可能有少量贡献,但不是主要因素,南海北缘及西缘基本没有贡献火山玻璃。     

Definition of the plate boundary along the East Pacific Rise off Mexico

Tectonic and volcanic activity along the East Pacific Rise near Lat. 21°N is generally restricted to a 3–4‐km‐wide area centered over the rise axis. The East Pacific Rise is a medium‐rate (60 mm/yr) spreading center characterized by modest (100–200 m) relief of hills and seapeaks across the crestal region that is typical for such spreading centers. Few tectonic features appear in an axial volcanic zone 600–1, 200 m wide characterized by fresh, glassy pillow basalt and little or no sediment cover. This volcanic terrain is commonly flanked by tectonic zones where older lavas are cut by numerous normal faults bounding horst and graben systems and open fissures; these tectonic zones are commonly of unequal width on each side of the central volcanic zone and locally may be absent on one side. Bottom photographs and visual observations from a manned submersible indicate that most faults and fissures in the tectonic zones are young. Farther than 2 or 3 km from the axial volcanic zone, recent tectonic activity appears limited to a few faults that bound linear abyssal hills with total offset, suggesting relatively minor extension, so that instrumentation to measure the rate of plate separation along the rise crest will have to span both the volcanic and tectonic zones. The total width of the active plate boundary is at least 20 km, although less than 10% of the separation of the oceanic plates is accounted for by fault displacement and open fissures observed in the tectonic zones and on adjacent rise flanks. The asymmetric widths of the extensional tectonic zones result from migration of the volcanic extrusive zone over time.     

东北沙地重矿物组成及其对物源的指示

了解中国东北沙地的重矿物组成并探讨其在亚洲风尘系统研究中的作用具有重要意义。目前较少甚至缺乏的重矿物数据,这影响了对该地区风尘系统的深入理解。为分析东北沙地的重矿物组成并探究其在东北风尘系统研究中的作用,分别从浑善达克沙地（OD）、科尔沁沙地（HQ）、呼伦贝尔沙地（HL）和松嫩沙地（SN）采集了34个风成沙和河流沙样品并进行了分粒级处理（＜63 μm及63～125 μm）。同时,从哈尔滨荒山黄土剖面采集了4个末次冰期黄土样品（＜63 μm）,利用Frequentist模型对哈尔滨黄土物源进行了定量重建。通过范围检验、非参数Kruskal-Wallis H检验和逐步判别函数分析（DFA）,选择了7种重矿物及特征指数（蓝晶石、锐钛矿、石榴子石、辉石、钛铁矿（磁性）、稳定系数W 、GZi指数）作为最佳复合指标进行定量重建。结果表明,钛铁矿（磁性）为浑善达克沙地的特征矿物,磁铁矿为科尔沁沙地的特征矿物,氧化铁矿物（赤铁矿、褐铁矿）为呼伦贝尔沙地的特征矿物,氧化铁矿物（磁性）、绿帘石、角闪石和石榴子石为松嫩沙地的优势矿物;不同粒度组分的重矿物含量存在明显差异,极稳定矿物优先富集于细颗粒。哈尔滨黄土与松嫩和呼伦贝尔沙地（＜63 μm组分）具有相近的重矿物组成,而与浑善达克和科尔沁沙地有一定程度的差异。根据Frequentist模型,哈尔滨黄土的来源贡献依次为：松嫩沙地（44%～86%）、呼伦贝尔沙地（10%～39%）、科尔沁沙地（3%～16%）和浑善达克沙地（0～7%）。本研究突出了细颗粒沉积物的重矿物组成结合定量模型在风尘物源示踪研究中具有很好的应用前景。     

Traces of dissolved particles,including coccoliths,in the tests of agglutinated foraminifera from the Challenger Deep (10,897 m water depth,western equatorial Pacific)

We examined four multilocular agglutinated foraminiferan tests from the Challenger Deep, the deepest point in the world's oceans and well below the depth at which biogenic and most detrital minerals disappear from the sediment. The specimens represent undescribed species. Three are trochamminaceans in which imprints and other traces of dissolved agglutinated particles are visible in the orange or yellowish organic test lining. In Trochamminacean sp. A, a delicate meshwork of organic cement forms ridges between the grain impressions. The remnants of test particles include organic structures identifiable as moulds of coccoliths produced by the genus Helicosphaera. Their random alignment suggests that they were agglutinated individually rather than as fragments of a coccosphere. Trochamminacean sp. C incorporates discoidal structures with a central hole; these probably represent the proximal sides of isolated distal shields of another coccolith species, possibly Hayaster perplexus. Imprints of planktonic foraminiferan test fragments are also present in both these trochamminaceans. In Trochamminacean sp. B, the test surface is densely pitted with deep, often angular imprints ranging from roughly equidimensional to rod-shaped. The surfaces are either smooth, or have prominent longitudinal striations, probably made by cleavage traces. We presume these imprints represent mineral grains of various types that subsequently dissolved. X-ray microanalyses reveal strong peaks for Ca associated with grain impressions and coccolith remains in Trochamminacean sp. C. Minor peaks for this element are associated with coccolith remains and planktonic foraminiferan imprints in Trochamminacean sp. A. These Ca peaks possibly originate from traces of calcite remaining on the test surfaces. Agglutinated particles, presumably clay minerals, survive only in the fourth specimen (‘Textularia’ sp.). Here, the final 4–5 chambers comprise a pavement of small, irregularly shaped grains with flat surfaces and no obvious intervening cement. Our observations suggest that (1) small biogenic particles can reach the deepest parts of the ocean intact in rapidly sinking phytodetrital aggregates or faecal pellets and (2) some agglutinated foraminifera living at extreme hadal depths construct a test from biogenic or detrital particles, which subsequently dissolve, leaving imprints and other remnants in the organic matrix of the test.     

Sedimentary inorganic nitrogen and its isotope ratio in the western subarctic Pacific over the last 145 kyr

We have measured inorganic nitrogen (IN) content and the isotope ratio of IN (δ¹⁵N_IN) in a sediment core covering the last 145 kyr in the western subarctic Pacific (WSAP). IN content was generally high during glacial periods and shows positive correlations with both eolian dust content and the ratio of organic carbon (C) to organic nitrogen (ON) (C/ON) found in our previous studies. This means that IN was transported from continental areas to the WSAP together with eolian dust and that the IN was not contaminated by volcanic materials, because the eolian dust content was reconstructed using metal components to remove contaminating volcanic materials. Therefore, IN content in the WSAP sediments, the clay fraction of which is not greatly affected by drift deposits seen at the other sites in this region, may potentially be an effective proxy for eolian dust, without the need to consider contamination by volcanic materials. δ¹⁵N_IN was generally low during glacial periods and shows negative correlations with IN, eolian dust, and C/ON. The possible causes of the observed variations in δ¹⁵N_IN are as follows: (1) authigenic fixation of NH₄ ⁺ in water-column and pore water of sea-floor sediments to clay minerals; (2) contamination of measured IN by highly resistant organic matter; or (3) variations in the continental source region of the eolian dust supplied to the WSAP and climatically induced changes in δ¹⁵N of soil organic matter there. The last mechanism shows the potential for δ¹⁵N_IN to be used as a proxy for climate change on land, and is consistent with other published explanations of the spatial distribution of δ¹⁵N_IN in modern sea-floor sediments.     

西南印度洋中脊扩张轴部(34.9°S)西翼沉积物地球化学分析及物源探讨

西南印度洋中脊沉积物来源广泛,是区域海洋环境演化的记录器,对其沉积物特征及物源研究是区域古海洋研究的基础。对采自西南印度洋中脊扩张轴部(34.9°S)西翼的重力柱沉积物样品进行总碳、总有机碳、生物硅、主量元素、微量及稀土元素测试, 测试结果显示,样品中生物成因组分为沉积物的主要组成,主要包括碳酸盐和二氧化硅;主微量元素除了Ca、Sr与LOI外,其余元素的分布趋势基本一致,且相关系数基本大于0.8。结合不同生物组分特点进行分析计算,获得了沉积物中各生物组分的含量。去除生物成因组分重新计算了非生物成因元素含量,通过潜在物源及相应地球化学指标对比分析,发现非生物成因组分主要由非洲南部风成陆源物质组成,含少量洋中脊硫化物与结壳物质。     

Deep CTD Casts in the Challenger Deep,Mariana Trench

On 1 December 1992, CTD (conductivity-temperature-depth profiler) casts were made at three stations in a north-south section of the Challenger Deep to examine temperature and salinity profiles. The station in the Challenger Deep was located at 11°22.78′ N and 142°34.95′ E, and the CTD cast was made down to 11197 db or 10877 m, 7 m above the bottom by reeling out titanium cable of 10980 m length. The southern station was located at 11° 14.19′ N and 142°34.79′ E, 16.1 km from the central station, where water depth is 9012 m. CTD was lowered to 7014 db or 6872 m. The northern station was located at 11°31.47′ N and 142° 35.30′ E, 15.9 km from the central station, and CTD was lowered to 8536 db or 8336 m, 10 m above the bottom. Below the thermocline, potential temperature decreased monotonously down to 7300–7500 db beyond a sill depth between 5500 m and 6000 m, or between 5597 db and 6112 db, of the trench. Potential temperature increased from 7500 db to the bottom at a constant rate of 0.9 m°C/1000 db. Salinity increased down to 6020–6320 db, and then stayed almost constant down to around 9000 db. From 9500 db to the bottom, salinity increased up to 34.703 psu at 11197 db. Potential density referred to 8000 db increased monotonously down to about 6200 db, and it was almost constant from 6500 db to 9500 db. Potential density increased from 9500 db in accordance with the salinity increase. Geostrophic flows were calculated from the CTD data at three stations. Below an adopted reference level of 3000 db, the flow was westward in the north of Challenger Deep and eastward in the south, which suggests a cyclonic circulation over the Challenger Deep. Sound speed in Challenger Deep was estimated from the CTD data, and a relation among readout depth of the sonic depth recorder, true depth, and pressure was examined.     

晚更新世末期南黄海中部陆架古地貌特征

晚更新世末期(12000-25000a BP)为玉木冰期最盛时期,气候寒冷而干燥,极地冰流的扩展使世界海面大幅度下降,我国东部沿海海面下降约130-160m,黄海、东海陆架裸露成陆。在寒冷干燥的气候条件下,陆架沉积物不仅受到强烈的机械风化作用,而且受到来自北方强大干冷气流的吹扬作用,陆架沉积物在这些外力因素的作用下破坏解体,形成一系列的风沙地貌和风沙沉积,反映出晚更新世末期南黄海陆架沙漠化景观。根据本区浅地层测量断面分析研究的结果,并结合柱状岩芯及钻孔资料,初步揭示了本地区晚更新世末期的古地貌特征。     

南海火山玻璃的分布特征、化学成分及源区探讨

研究了南海火山玻璃的分布特征、化学成分及源区,结果表明,表层沉积物中的火山玻璃含量基本呈南北向分布,由北部、西部、南部大陆架分别向中部、东部深海盆逐渐增加;柱样沉积物中的火山玻璃在深海盆出现的层数多、含量大.火山玻璃化学组分之间的相关性不显著,表层沉积物中的火山玻璃属于安山岩,柱样沉积物中的火山玻璃的岩石类型广泛,主要属于安山岩和流纹岩.菲律宾岛弧火山带、南海深海盆火山喷发以及印尼岛弧火山带是南海火山玻璃主要源区,火山玻璃搬运和沉积主要受台风、越赤道气流和环流的影响和控制.     

Recent sediment dynamics in hadal trenches: Evidence for the influence of higher-frequency (tidal,near-inertial) fluid dynamics

In addition to high hydrostatic pressure, scarcity of food is viewed as a factor that limits the abundance and activity of heterotrophic organisms at great ocean depths, including hadal trenches. Supply of nutritious food largely relies on the flux of organic-rich particulate matter from the surface ocean. It has been speculated that the shape of hadal trenches helps to ‘funnel’ particulate matter into the deeper parts of the trench, leading to sediment ‘focussing’ and improved benthic food supply. Here we investigate for five Northwest Pacific trenches the efficiency of sediment focussing by evaluating ratios of measured (sediment-derived) and expected (water-column-derived) sedimentary inventories of the naturally occurring and radioactive particulate-matter tracer ²¹⁰Pb_xs. The sites comprise a broad range of surface-ocean productivity and physical-oceanographic regimes. Across the five trench-axis settings the inventory ratio varies between 0.5 and 4.1, with four trench-axis settings having ratios>1 (sediment focussing) and one trench-axis setting a ratio<1 (sediment winnowing). Although the fluid- and sediment-dynamical forcing behind sediment focussing remains unclear, this study finds evidence for another mechanism that is superimposed on, and counteracts, the focussing mechanism. This superimposed mechanism is related to higher-frequency (tidal, near-inertial) fluid dynamics. In particular, there is evidence for a strong and negative relation between the intensity of propagating internal tides and the extent of sediment focussing in the trench-axis. The relation can be approximated by a power function and the most intense drop in sediment focussing already occurs at moderate internal-tide intensities. This suggests that propagating internal tides may have a subtle but significant influence on particulate-matter dynamics and food supply in hadal trenches in particular, but possibly also in the deep seas in general. A mechanism for the influence of internal tides on sediment dynamics is proposed.     

Ocean circulation patterns and dust supply into the South Atlantic during the last glacial cycle revealed by statistical analysis of kaolinite/chlorite ratios

Multivariate statistical analysis on the kaolinite/chlorite ratios from 20 South Atlantic sediment cores allowed for the extraction of two processes controlling the fluctuations of the kaolinite/chlorite ratio during the last 130,000 yrs, (1) the relative strength of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) inflow into the South Atlantic Ocean and (2) the influx of aeolian sediments from the south African continent. The NADW fluctuation can be traced in the entire deep South Atlantic while the dust signal is restricted to the vicinity of South Africa. Our data indicate that NADW formation underwent significant changes in response to glacial/interglacial climate changes with enhanced export to the Southern Hemisphere during interglacials. The most pronounced phases with Enhanced South African Dust Export (ESADE) occurred during cold Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 5d and across the Late Glacial/Holocene transition from 16 ka to 4 ka (MIS 2 to 1). This particular pattern is attributed to the interaction of Antarctic Sea Ice extent, the position of the westerlies and the South African monsoon system.     

Measurements and modelling of the advection of suspended sediment in the swash zone by solitary waves

Novel laboratory experiments and numerical modelling have been performed to study the advection scales of suspended sediment in the swash zone. An experiment was designed specifically to measure only the sediment picked up seaward of the swash zone and during bore collapse. The advection scales and settling of this sediment were measured during the uprush along a rigid sediment-free beach face by a sediment trap located at varying cross-shore positions. Measurements were made using a number of repeated solitary broken waves or bores. Approximately 25% of the pre-suspended sediment picked up by the bores reaches the mid-swash zone (50% of the horizontal run-up distance), indicating the importance of the sediment advection in the lower swash zone. The pre-suspended sediment is sourced from a region seaward of the shoreline (still water line) which has a width of about 20% of the run-up distance. An Eulerian–Lagrangian numerical model is used to model the advection scales of the suspended sediment. The model resolves the hydrodynamics by solving the non-linear shallow water equations in an Eulerian framework and then solves the advection–diffusion equation for turbulence and suspended sediment in a Lagrangian framework. The model provides good estimates of the measured mass and distribution of sediment advected up the beach face. The results suggest that the correct modelling of turbulence generation prior to and during bore collapse and the advection of the turbulent kinetic energy into the lower swash is important in resolving the contribution of pre-suspended sediment to the net sediment transport in the swash zone.     

晚上新世以来菲律宾海盆XT4孔黏土矿物特征及其古环境意义

菲律宾海是典型风尘汇聚区,菲律宾海远离吕宋岛的深海沉积物是重建构造尺度亚洲风尘演化历史的良好载体。选取菲律宾海盆XT4孔沉积物开展了黏土矿物研究,并结合前人研究成果,在明确该孔黏土矿物来源的基础上,探讨了晚上新世以来亚洲风尘的演化历史及其可能的影响机制。菲律宾海盆XT4孔黏土矿物以伊利石为主,平均含量为39%,蒙脱石含量次之,平均为28%,绿泥石平均含量为18%,高岭石平均含量为15%。XT4孔黏土矿物组成符合亚洲大陆风尘与周边火山岛弧的二端元混合模型特征,其中蒙脱石主要为周边火山岛弧物质贡献,而伊利石、绿泥石和高岭石主要是亚洲风尘贡献。晚上新世以来XT4孔的伊利石/蒙脱石比值表现为阶段性变化,主要反映了北半球高纬冰川的扩张导致亚洲中纬度地区干旱化加剧。此外,东亚夏季风降雨强弱和空间分布的变化也是源区风尘释放的重要环境因子之一。本文结果初步揭示了晚上新世以来中国干旱-半干旱地区的环境演化历程,有助于深入理解多圈层相互作用下的风尘循环及其生物地球化学效应。     

西南印度洋中脊表层沉积物非碳酸盐组分的粒度特征及其地质意义

The carbonate-free fraction of 20 surface sediments collected from the ultraslow-spreading Southwest Indian Ridge(SWIR) was studied by grain size analysis and mineralogical analysis with X-ray powder diffraction(XRD),stereo microscopy and scanning electron microscopy(SEM). The characteristics of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments were obtained, and related influential factors were discussed. The results show that the mean grain size of this fraction is in 1.96Φ–8.19Φ, with poorly sorting and unimodal, bimodal or irregular bimodal distribution patterns. Four grain size end members of the fraction are derived with the End Member Model method. The finest end member EM1 shows a significant contribution of terrigenous materials of the aeolian input and sediment carried by the bottom current. End member EM2 with medium size mainly reflects sediment of a siliceous bioclast origin. EM3 and EM4 are interpreted as representing the coarser volcanic materials related to bedrock weathering or volcanic activities. Multi-provenance is the dominant factor controlling the grain size pattern of the carbonate-free fraction of the sediments in that area. In addition, sediment transport processes such as the bottom current and wind are the minor factors that influence the grain size distribution of the carbonate-free fraction sediments.     

The mineralogy and provenance of deep-sea sediments recovered by gravity corer off Sierra Leone,West Africa

The mineralogy of eight gravity cores recovered between Sierra Leone and 25°W longitude has been examined in an investigation of the provenance of the recent sediments in the eastern Equatorial Atlantic. X-ray analyses show that the principal mineral components are calcite, quartz, feldspar, kaolinite, illite and montmorillonite. One core taken from the upper continental slope off Freetown also contains gibbsite, a product of intense tropical weathering. Biogenic material forms the dominant component of most sections of the cores but it is clear from the abundance of quartz, kaolinite and freshwater diatoms that an aeolian supply of continental detritus has been important in the formation of the recent sediment cover. A significant contribution from volcanic sources can be recognised to the west of the Sierra Leone Rise. The occurrence of calcareous turbidites in two cores from the St. Paul's Fracture Zone and from the basin west of the Sierra Leone Rise appears to be a reflection of recent tectonic activity.