Experimental study on mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments using kaolin clay

A triaxial system is designed with a temperature range from-20 ℃ to 25 ℃ and a pressure range from 0 MPa to 30 MPa in order to improve the understanding of the mechanical properties of gas hydrate-bearing sediments.The mechanical properties of synthetic gas hydrate-bearing sediments (gas hydrate-kaolin clay mixture) were measured by using current experimental apparatus.The results indicate that:(1) the failure strength of gas hydrate-bearing sediments strongly depends on the temperature.The sediment’s strength increases with the decreases of temperature.(2) The maximum deviator stress increases linearly with the confining pressure at a low-pressure stage.However,it fluctuates at a high-pressure stage.(3) Maximum deviator stress increases with increasing strain rate,whereas the strain-stress curve has no tremendous change until the axial strain reaches approximately 0.5%.(4) The internal friction angles of gas hydrate-bearing sediments are not sensitive to kaolin volume ratio.The cohesion shows a high kaolin volume ratio dependency.     

Release and uptake of dissolved silica in seawater by marine sediments

Natural marine sediments can release dissolved silica to silica-poor seawater and can remove silica from seawater enriched with dissolved silica. These are fast reactions, with sufficient reaction occurring within the first 48 hours to indicate clearly the direction of the reaction. The relative importance of these two processes varies with the ratio of clays to biogenic silica in the sediment. Both the release and the uptake reactions approach the interstitial water concentration of dissolved silica as an end point, which suggests that these reactions may influence this concentration. No change in sediment reactivity with respect to silica uptake or release reactions was observed with increasing depth in core for the three sediment cores investigated; this indicates that uptake sites are not saturated, and silica is available for dissolution for a long time after deposition.     

Role of Siliceous Fossil Dissolution in Downcore Variations of Grain Size and Water Content: Western Margin of Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone, NE Equatorial Pacific

Grain size and water content in box-core sediments from the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone (C-C zone) in the northeast equatorial Pacific were analyzed in detail to understand the downcore variations across a hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Grain-size distributions in the topmost core sediments show two modes: a coarse mode (peaked at 50 μm) and a fine mode (at 2-25 μm). The coarse mode disappears gradually with depth accompanied by the dissolution of siliceous fossil tests, whereas the fine mode coarsens due to the formation of authigenic minerals. Water content increases abruptly across a color boundary between an upper pale brown layer and a lower dark brown layer that is the hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Abundant smectites and microvoid molds, which are created by the prolonged fossil dissolution in the underlying sediment, are attributed for the abrupt downcore variation of water content. Overall variations in grain size and water content in the topmost core sediments in the western C-C zone are possibly constrained by the dissolution of biogenic siliceous fossils. Variations in geotechnical properties related to these changes must be considered in the design of nodule collectors.     

Late Quaternary variations in calcium carbonate preservation of deep-sea sediments in the northern Cape Basin: results from a multiproxy approach

In this study, we test various parameters in deep-sea sediments (bulk sediment parameters and changes in microfossil abundances and preservation character) which are generally accepted as indicators of calcium carbonate dissolution. We investigate sediment material from station GeoB 1710-3 in the northern Cape Basin (eastern South Atlantic), 280 km away from the Namibian coast, well outside today’s coastal upwelling. As northern Benguela upwelling cells were displaced westward and periodically preceded the core location during the past 245 kyr (Volbers et al., submitted), GeoB 1710-3 sediments reflect these changes in upwelling productivity. Results of the most commonly used calcium carbonate dissolution proxies do not only monitor dissolution within these calcareous sediments but also reflect changes in upwelling intensity. Accordingly, these conventional proxy parameters misrepresent, to some extent, the extent of calcium carbonate dissolution. These results were verified by an independent dissolution proxy, the Globigerina bulloides dissolution index (BDX′) (Volbers and Henrich, submitted). The BDX′ is based on scanning electronic microscope ultrastructural investigation of planktonic foraminiferal tests and indicates persistent good carbonate preservation throughout the past 245 kyr, with the exception of one pronounced dissolution event at early oxygen isotopic stage (OIS) 6.

The early OIS 6 is characterized by calcium carbonate contents, sand contents, and planktonic foraminiferal concentrations all at their lowest levels for the last 245 kyr. At the same time, the ratio of radiolarian to planktonic foraminiferal abundances and the ratio of benthic to planktonic foraminiferal tests are strongly increased, as are the rain ratio, the fragmentation index, and the BDX′. The sedimentary calcite lysocline rose above the core position and GeoB 1710-3 sediments were heavily altered, as attested to by the unusual accumulation of pellets, aggregates, sponge spicules, radiolaria, benthic foraminifera, and planktonic foraminiferal assemblages.

Solely the early OIS 6 dissolution event altered the coarse fraction intensely, and is therefore reflected by all conventional calcium carbonate preservation proxies and the BDX′. We attribute the more than 1000 m rise of the sedimentary calcite lysocline to the combination of two processes: (a) a prominent change in the deep-water mass distribution within the South Atlantic and (b) intense degradation of organic material within the sediment (preserved as maximum total organic carbon content) creating microenvironments favorable for calcium carbonate dissolution.     

Role of Siliceous Fossil Dissolution in Downcore Variations of Grain Size and Water Content: Western Margin of Clarion-Clipperton Fracture Zone,NE Equatorial Pacific

Abstract

Grain size and water content in box-core sediments from the Clarion-Clipperton fracture zone (C-C zone) in the northeast equatorial Pacific were analyzed in detail to understand the downcore variations across a hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Grain-size distributions in the topmost core sediments show two modes: a coarse mode (peaked at 50 μm) and a fine mode (at 2–25 μm). The coarse mode disappears gradually with depth accompanied by the dissolution of siliceous fossil tests, whereas the fine mode coarsens due to the formation of authigenic minerals. Water content increases abruptly across a color boundary between an upper pale brown layer and a lower dark brown layer that is the hiatus between Quaternary and Tertiary layers. Abundant smectites and microvoid molds, which are created by the prolonged fossil dissolution in the underlying sediment, are attributed for the abrupt downcore variation of water content. Overall variations in grain size and water content in the topmost core sediments in the western C-C zone are possibly constrained by the dissolution of biogenic siliceous fossils. Variations in geotechnical properties related to these changes must be considered in the design of nodule collectors.     

Flow simulation with reactive transport applied to carbonate rock diagenesis

Significant volumes of the known hydrocarbon reserves are found in carbonate rocks, many of these dolomitized. The spatial distribution of diagenesis on these rocks is one of the main challenges in oil reservoir modeling. Reactive transport models can be a powerful tool to understand the active diagenetic processes and their effects on the quality of these reservoirs. In this study it was used, for the first time, the CMG-GEM simulator to model diagenetic evolution of a carbonate sequence, subjected to compaction-driven and geothermal flow in a simulated period of 200 thousand years. It was simulated carbonate cementation, dolomitization and dissolution, with and without presence of faults. Among the analyzed variables, the volume of circulating fluid was the most important factor. For both mechanisms, flow simulated velocities obtained had magnitudes smaller than 10⁻⁶ m/day. Diagenesis was insignificant for these low speeds at simulated time interval. Only dolomitized facies presented relevant diagenesis in form of calcite dissolution and dolomite precipitation. Simulations with flow rates of 1 m/day revealed a considerable increase in observed diagenesis, especially in carbonate cementation and in porosity enhancement. Diagenesis was more pronounced in more permeable sediments, highlighting the role of fluid flow in diagenetic reactions. Relative dissolution was greatly reduced during simulations performed with absence of dolomite and dolomitization reactions. The presence of faults strongly influences spatial distribution of diagenesis, especially relatively to dissolution. More permeable facies were more dissolved near fault, decreasing with increasing distance. Low permeability facies, as mudstones, are not dissolved, even near fault. Spatial distribution of diagenesis would then be dependent mainly on the quality of original pore structure, of fault presence and mineral composition of rock.     

舟山—岱山间西部海域第四纪海底沉积物物理力学指标统计分析

根据工程地质钻探资料,对舟山—岱山岛间西部海域第四纪沉积物的物理力学指标进行统计分析,发现本海区第四纪海底土具有含水量高、孔隙比大、高压缩性、抗剪强度低等特征.统计表明,物理指标之间、力学指标和物理指标之间因参数的不同,相关性和变异性具有明显的不同,且随着地层深度的变化,物理力学指标的变异系数变化较明显.物理指标和力学...     

Dissolution kinetics of biogenic silica collected from the water column and sediments of three Southern California borderland basins

Understanding biogenic silica (bSi) dissolution kinetics in margin environments is important in assessing the global silicon cycle, a cycle closely linked to the global carbon cycle. This understanding is also essential to answer the question of whether bSi content in marine sediment is a valid indicator of productivity in the overlying surface ocean. In this study, plankton tow, sediment trap, and sediment samples were collected at sites in three Southern California borderland basins. Batch dissolution experiments with plankton tow and sediment trap materials (conducted in the laboratory at 22 °C) showed linear dissolution kinetics, from which mean dissolution rate constants of 0.05 d^? 1 for plankton tow samples and 0.07 d^? 1 for sediment trap samples could be calculated. The dissolution rate constants for both types of samples showed seasonal variability but not the same seasonal patterns. Faster dissolution was observed with sediment trap samples collected at 800 m than at 550 m. With sediment multi-core samples, non-linear dissolution kinetics was observed, which complicates the direct comparison of dissolution rates. Nonetheless, dissolution appeared to be slower for the sediments samples than for samples collected from the water column and to decrease with depth in the sediments. Rate constants for surface sediment (0–0.5 cm) were at least 3–5 times less, and sediments at depths > 2 cm had rate constants at least 6–13 times less than those for material sinking to the sediment surface at these sites. Dissolution experiments conducted with Santa Barbara Basin surface sediment samples amended with dissolved aluminum (Al) and San Pedro Basin trap samples amended with enriched detrital materials (obtained by leaching bSi from sediment samples) suggested that dissolution was inhibited by Al and that the sediments from the different basins varied in the extent of Al release.     

Consolidation and erosion of deposited cohesive sediments in Northern Chesapeake Bay,USA

Deposits of dredged cohesive sediments were monitored for changes in volume, bulk characteristics, and susceptibility to resuspension and erosion at disposal sites in Chesapeake Bay. There is a 23–48% volume reduction during the first six months, with correspondingly greater changes over longer time periods. A bulk density increase from 1.15 to 1.3 g/cm³ due to dewatering and compaction accounts for the majority of the volume change. Tidal current induced resuspension is a minor process. The observed suspended sediment load can be accounted for by erosion of only a fraction of a millimeter of sediment on each tidal cycle.     

Rock magnetic property of gravity core CSH1 from the northern Okinawa Trough and the effect of early diagenesis

Detailed rock magnetic investigations were undertaken at 2~4 cm interval for the gravity core CSH1(with a length of 17.36 m) from the northern Okinawa Trough.Time-scale of the core was constructed by two characteristic tephras and foraminferal assemblages,indicating an age of 50 ka for the bottom of the core.Except for three tephras and abrupt decrease in surface,there are little changes in all kinds of rock magnetic parameters that can be correlated to the climate change for the last 50 ka.Different from the common sediments,most S-ratios(S equals the negative ratio of IRM-0.3T to SIRM,which is an indicator of low coercivity content)of the sediments are smaller than 0.9,which implies a substantial amount of magnetic minerals with high coercivity.The existence of iron sulphide(greigite or pyrrhotite) is revealed by representative susceptibility-temperature curves showing 200~350 ℃ Curie temperature in addition to 580 ℃ of magnetite,and also by awful smell during heating and dark heating products.Both the occurrence of authigenic iron sulphide and quick decrease of magnetic parameters near the surface clearly show that sediments from Core CSH1 have undergone early diagenesis.The featureless magnetic changes of the whole core except for three tephras mean that the post-depositonal alteration is so strong that most original signals have been destroyed.For the same reason,the organic matter in sediment and sulphate in pore water must have been consumed along with dissolution,precipitation of iron and manganese happening sequencially during the redox reaction series.Great caution must be taken when using these altered chemical parameters for the interpretation of climatic changes.     

Imbalance in the carbonate budget of surficial sediments in the North Atlantic Ocean: variations over the last millenium?

Fluxes contributing to the particulate carbonate system in deep-sea sediments were investigated at the BENGAL site in the Porcupine Abyssal Plain (Northeast Atlantic). Deposition fluxes were estimated using sediment traps at a nominal depth of 3000 m and amounted to 0.37±0.1 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. Dissolution of carbonate was determined using flux of total alkalinity from in situ benthic chambers, is 0.4±0.1 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹. Burial of carbonate was calculated from data on the carbonate content of the sediment and sedimentation rates from a model age based on ¹⁴C dating on foraminifera (0.66±0.1 mmol C m⁻² d⁻¹). Burial plus dissolution was three times larger than particle deposition flux which indicates that steady-state is not achieved in these sediments. Mass balances for other components (BSi, ²¹⁰Pb), and calculations of the focusing factor using ²³⁰Th, show that lateral inputs play only a minor role in this imbalance. Decadal variations of annual particle fluxes are also within the uncertainty of our average. Long-term change in dissolution may contribute to the imbalance, but can not be the main reason because burial alone is greater than the input flux. The observed imbalance is thus the consequence of a large change of carbonate input flux which has occured in the recent past. A box model is used to check the response time of the solid carbonate system in these sediments and the time to reach a new steady-state is in the order of 3 kyr. Thus it is likely that the system has been perturbed recently and that large dissolution and burial rates reflect the previously larger particulate carbonate deposition rates. We estimate that particulate carbonate fluxes have certainly decreased by a factor of at least 3 and that this change has occurred during the last few centuries.     

Changes in physical properties of a reservoir sandstone as a function of burial depth – The Etive Formation,northern North Sea

Rock physical properties, like velocity and bulk density, change as a response to compaction processes in sedimentary basins. In this study it is shown that the velocity and density in a well defined lithology, the shallow marine Etive Formation from the northern North Sea increase with depth as a function of mechanical compaction and quartz cementation. Physical properties from well logs combined with experimental compaction and petrographic analysis of core samples shows that mechanical compaction is the dominant process at shallow depth while quartz cementation dominates as temperatures are increased during burial. At shallow depths (<2000–2500 m, 70–80 °C) the log derived velocities and densities show good agreement with results from experimental compaction of loose Etive sand indicating that effective stress control compaction at these depths/temperatures. This indicates that results from experimental compaction can be used to predict reservoir properties at burial depths corresponding to mechanical compaction. A break in the velocity/depth gradient from about 2000 m correlates with the onset of incipient quartz cementation observed from petrographic data. The gradient change is caused by a rapid grain framework stiffening due to only small amounts of quartz cement at grain contacts. At temperatures higher than 70–80 °C (2000–2500 m) the velocities show a strong correlation with quartz cement amounts. Porosity reduction continues after the onset of quartz cementation showing that sandstone diagenesis is insensitive to effective stress at temperatures higher than 70–80 °C. The quartz cement is mainly sourced from dissolution at stylolites reflected by the fact that no general decrease in intergranular volume (IGV) is observed with increasing burial depth. The IGV at the end of mechanical compaction will be important for the subsequent diagenetic development. This study demonstrates that mechanical compaction and quartz cementation is fundamentally different and this needs to be taken into consideration when analyzing a potential reservoir sandstone such as the Etive Formation.     

渤海海域歧南断阶带侏罗系优质储层影响因素

歧南断阶带侏罗系储层内部结构复杂,具有强储层非均质性,储层发育特征及影响因素一直制约着该区勘探。通过对岩石类型、储层物性特征、储集空间类型及孔隙结构的分析证实,研究区侏罗系为一套富含火山碎屑物质的近源沉积,发育多套煤层;储层物性以中孔低渗为主,发育低渗背景下的优质储层,孔隙结构分析表明不同孔隙结构储层在孔隙度方面相差不大,渗透率相差较大;储集空间以溶蚀形成的次生孔为主,多为长石及火山物质溶蚀;有利的沉积因素,多期次多类型的溶蚀作用是本区形成优质储层的主要因素,研究区煤系地层的存在有效地增加了有机酸浓度,在促进溶蚀作用进行的同时,减少了碳酸盐矿物的胶结;此外储层中大量发育的火山碎屑物质在酸性流体下易于溶蚀,增强了储集物性,但其也降低了岩石抗压能力,对储层物性的影响具有双面性。     

Phosphorus regeneration vs. burial in sediments of the Arabian Sea

Solid-phase phosphorus (P) speciation and benthic phosphate fluxes have been determined in Arabian Sea sediments. Benthic phosphate fluxes are highest in the continental slope sediments, underlying bottom waters with low oxygen concentrations. Organic matter degradation and phosphate desorption from iron oxides do not produce sufficient phosphate to explain these high phosphate fluxes. The potentially high deposition of P associated with fish debris (P_fish) in the Arabian Sea, and a good correlation between benthic phosphate fluxes and P_fish accumulation rates suggest that benthic phosphate fluxes in these sediments are to a large extent governed by dissolution of biogenic apatite. Factors controlling dissolution and preservation of fish debris, therefore, may play an important role in the burial and regeneration of P in continental margin sediments. A sharp decrease of the reactive P accumulation rate with increasing water depth, in combination with rather constant primary productivity rates throughout the northern Arabian Sea, indicates that P burial in continental margin sediments located within the OMZ is more efficient than in deep basin sediments. The effectiveness of P burial is to a large extent regulated by P regeneration occurring in the water column and redeposition processes. Sedimentary phosphorus burial efficiencies, thus, should be interpreted with caution in terms of the environmental conditions.     

Burial fluxes and sources of organic carbon in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area over the past 200 years

Long-term changes of composition,sources and burial fluxes of TOC(total organic carbon) in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area and their possible affecting factors are discussed in this paper.Firstly,similarity analysis is employed to confirm that the carbon burial features resulted from two collected cores are typical in the central Yellow Sea mud area where YSWC(Yellow Sea Warm Current) is prevalent.On this basis,the burial flux of TOC here was considered to be 235.5–488.4 μmol/(cm2?a) since the first industrial revolution,accounting for about 70%–90% among burial fluxes of TC(total carbon) in the sediments.Compared TOC/TC ratio in the two cores with that in other marine sediments worldwide,we suggest that the growth of calcareous/non-calcareous organisms and dissolution of IC(inorganic carbon) are important factors controlling the TOC/TC ratio in sediment.Results of two-end mixed model based on δ13C data indicate that marine-derived organic carbon(OCa)is the main part among total burial organic carbon which accounts for a ratio over 85%.Due to the high TOC/TC ratio in the two cores,TC in the sediments also mainly exists as OCa,and the proportion of OCa is about 60%–80%.Away from the shore and relatively high primary production in upper waters are the main reasons that OCa is predominant among all burial OC in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area.Burial of OC in this mud area is probably mainly influenced by the human activities.Although the economic development during the late 19 th century caused by the first industrial revolution in China did not obviously increase the TOC burial fluxes in the sediments,the rise of industry and agriculture after the founding of new China has clearly increased the TOC burial flux since 1950 s.Otherwise,we also realize that among TC burial fluxes,TIC account for about 10%–30% in sediments of the central Yellow Sea mud area,so its burial could not be simply ignored here.Distinct from TOC burial,long-term TIC burial fluxes variations relate with climate changes more closely:the East Asian summer monsoon may influence the strength of the Huanghe River(Yellow River) flood,which could further affect the transport of terrestrial IC from land to the central Yellow Sea as well as the burial of these IC in the sediments.     

A simplified approach to backscattering from a rough seafloor withsediment inhomogeneities

Current models used to predict the backscattering strength of the ocean floor are either very involved, requiring geoacoustic parameters usually unavailable for the site in practical applications, or overly simplistic, relying mainly on empirical terms such as Lambert's law. In any case, solutions are very approximate and the problem is still far from being solved. In this paper, a model is presented that avoids empirical functional forms yet requires only a few physical parameters to describe the surficial sediments, often tabulated for typical sediments. The aim of this paper is to develop a simple algorithm for operational prediction of bottom reverberation with only one free parameter, i.e., the volume scattering coefficient. The algorithm combines a two scale surface scattering model with scattered contributions originating from inhomogeneities within the sediments, talking into consideration the rough interface. No specific mechanism is assumed for scattering at the volume inhomogeneities; however, the inhomogeneities are assumed to be uniform and isotropic. The volume scattering coefficient, combined with the bottom attenuation and density and referenced to the surface, plays a role similar to the Lambert's constant in empirical models. The model is exercised on a variety of published datasets for low and moderately high frequency. In general, the model performs very well for both fast and slow sediments, showing a definite improvement over Lambert's law     

A giant three-stage submarine slide off Norway

One of the largest submarine slides known, The Storegga Slide, is located on the Norwegian continental margin. The slide is up to 450 m thick and has a total volume of about 5,600 km3. The headwall of the slide scar is 290 km long and the total run-out distance is about 800 km. The slide involved sediments of Quaternary to Early Tertiary age and occurred in three stages. Earthquakes combined with decomposition of gas hydrates are believed to be the main triggering agents for the slides. The first slide event is tentatively dated to be about 30,000 to 50,000 years B.P. and the two last major events are dated to be at 6,000 to 8,000 years B.P.     

Paleomagnetic results from deep-sea sediment of the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) area (northern equatorial Pacific) and their paleodepositional implications

Paleomagnetic properties of sediment cores were examined to reconstruct paleodepositional conditions in the Korea Deep Ocean Study (KODOS) area, located in the northeastern equatorial Pacific. The studied KODOS sediments have a stable remanent magnetization with both normal and reversed polarities, which are well correlated with the geomagnetic polarity timescale for the late Pliocene and Pleistocene. Average sedimentation rates are 1.56 and 0.88 mm/kiloyear for the Pleistocene and late Pliocene, respectively. Clay mineralogy and scanning electron microscope analyses of the sediments indicate that terrestrial material was transported to the deep-sea floor during these times. The variations of sedimentation rates with age may be explained by the onset of the northern hemisphere glaciation and subsequent climatic deterioration during the Pliocene and Pleistocene. For the Pleistocene, an increasing sedimentation rate implies that input of terrestrial materials was high, and also a high input of biogenic materials was detected as a result of increased primary production in the surface water. The down-core variations in paleomagnetic and rock-magnetic properties of the KODOS sediments were affected by dissolution processes in an oxic depositional regime. As shown by magnetic intensity and hysteresis parameters, the high natural remanent magnetization (NRM) stability in the upper, yellowish brown layers indicates that the magnetic carrier was in pseudo-single domain states. In the lower, dark brown sediments, only coarse magnetic grains survived dissolution and the NRM was carried by more abundant, multi-domain grains of low magnetic stability. The down-core variation of magnetic properties suggests that the KODOS sediments were subjected to dissolution processes resulting in a loss of the more stable components of the magnetic fraction with increasing core depth.     

应用电感耦合等离子体质谱测定深海富稀土沉积物中稀土元素方法研究

深海富稀土沉积物作为潜在的新型矿产资源,其元素赋存特征及物源指示意义成为目前研究热点。采用高压密闭酸溶、过氧化钠碱熔2种前处理方法,用电感耦合等离子体质谱仪（ICP-MS）测定稀土元素。以In和Re做内标元素,用标准物质进行了比对试验,2种方法的实测值与推荐值基本相符,测试精密度均满足测试要求;对3个深海富稀土沉积物样品进行前处理,稀土元素测试结果具有很好的一致性。从实验结果来看,密闭酸溶比过氧化钠碱熔检出限更低、基体效应更小、分析步骤更加简单,适用于大批量深海富稀土沉积物样品的测试。     

Tidal deposits. A casebook of recent examples and fossil counterparts: R.N. Ginsburg (editor). Springer,Berlin, 1975, 428 pp., US $ 34.80

Pollen and foraminifera were analyzed from identical samples in two marine cores taken from the upper and lower continental rise between Cape Hatteras and Chesapeake Bay. Down-core variations in percent abundance of pollen taxa permit the identification of three floral events. These floral events are comparable to and isochronous with changes in polleniferous sediments from the adjacent continental United States through the last 20,000 y, the time interval represented in these cores.A transfer function was used to obtain sea surface paleotemperature estimates from planktonic foraminifera. These estimates indicate that surface waters were relatively warm at the site of both cores from 8,000 y BP to present. Between 12,400 and 8,000 y BP the nearshore core continued to record warm temperatures whereas the offshore core, which should be closer to warm Gulf Stream waters, seems to have recorded significantly colder temperatures. These temperature discrepancies appear to result from severe carbonate dissolution in the offshore core. Temperature estimates are lowered by dissolution of the less resistant tropical species leaving resistant transitional and subpolar forms. This dissolution event coincides with the maximum upslope movement of the Western Boundary Undercurrent as indicated by changes in sedimentation rate.As shown by the nearshore core, in which dissolution was not severe, surface temperatures in this area increased abruptly about 12,000 y BP and remained relatively warm until 4,000 y BP when they decreased slightly. These changes in sea surface temperature appear to be related to the position of the Gulf Stream as indicated by percent abundance of Globigerinoides sacculifer. The Gulf Stream moved into this area about 12,000 y BP and attained its maximum northward penetration about 8,000 y BP.Marine and terrestrial paleoclimatic changes in this area are not synchronous. Sea surface temperatures increased about 12,000 y BP whereas the change from a glacial to an interglacial forest occurred several thousand years later, about 10,000 y BP.