Hydrodynamic controls on cold-water coral growth and carbonate-mound development at the SW and SE Rockall Trough Margin,NE Atlantic Ocean

Long-term (⩽1-year) records obtained by seabed observatories (BOBO) and repeated (24-h) CTD casts show the presence of a highly energetic environment in and around two cold-water carbonate-mound provinces, on the Southwest and Southeast Rockall Trough (SW and SE RT) margin. Carbonate mounds, covered with a thriving coral cover, are embedded mainly in the Eastern North Atlantic Water (ENAW) and are observed in a confined bathymetric zone between 600 and 1000 m water depth. Cold-water corals seem to be restricted in their growth by temperature and food availability. The presence of living corals on top of the carbonate mounds appears linked to the presence of internal waves and tidal currents in the water column, and consequently carbonate mound structures are shaped by the local hydrodynamic regime. Mound clusters have an elongated shape perpendicular to the regional contours and corresponding to the direction of the highest current speeds. On the SW RT margin temperature, salinity and current speed reflect a diurnal tidal pattern, causing maximum temperature variations at 900 m depth of more than 3 °C. Current speeds up to 45 cm s⁻¹ occur, and a residual current of 10 cm s⁻¹ is directed along the slope to the southwest. At the SE RT margin the temperature of the bottom water fluctuates more than 1 °C with a semi-diurnal tidal cyclicity. Amplitudes of average and peak current speeds here are comparable with those measured on the southwest margin, but the residual current in this area is directed to the northeast. Tidal currents and internal waves at both margins force the formation of intermediate and bottom nepheloid layers and bring fresh food particles with increased velocity to the mounds. The distribution of corals in both mound areas is considered directly related to the presence of enhanced turbidity. An increase in temperature can be directly related to an increase in the amount of particles in the water column. Current velocity increases when a transition occurs from cold to warm waters. High current velocities prevent local sedimentation but provide sufficient food particles to the corals, so that the corals thrive at the mound summits.     

Benthic foraminifera as bioindicator for cold-water coral reef ecosystems along the Irish margin

Cold-water coral ecosystems building cold-water carbonate mounds occur worldwide and are especially developed along the European margin, from northern Norway to the Gulf of Cadiz. A remarkable mound province is documented southwest of Ireland along the Porcupine and Rockall Banks. In this area carbonate mounds are formed in water depths between 500 and 1200 m and are often densely settled by cold-water coral ecosystems offering many ecological niches for benthic foraminifera. We investigated total (unstained) benthic foraminiferal assemblages from surface sediments (0–1 cm, >63 μm size fraction) of this region with the aim to trace their distribution patterns and to test if they can be used as bioindicators for facies characterization in different parts of carbonate mound systems. Our quantitative data were further statistically treated with non-metric multidimensional scaling (nMDS) based on Bray–Curtis similarity matrix to highlight community patterns that were not readily apparent. Our results indicate that different benthic foraminiferal assemblages characterize different facies along cold-water carbonate mounds and are related to the environmental conditions and available substrates. The following facies can be described: (1) the Off-Mound Facies is dominated by uvigerinids and other infaunal species; (2) the Dropstone Facies is characterized by infaunal Globocassidulina subglobosa and attached-epifaunal Cibicidoides sp.; (3) the Dead Coral Facies is characterised by epifaunal species (e.g., Planulina ariminensis, Hanzawaia boueana) and infaunal species (Spiroplectinella wrightii, Angulogerina angulosa, Epistominella vitrea); (4) the Living Coral Facies includes both infaunal and epifaunal species, but is dominated by the epifaunal Discanomalina coronata; and (5) the Sandwave Facies contains high abundances of epifaunal species including D. coronata. Based on this distribution, we propose D. coronata, as an indicator species to identify active mounds and/or living cold-water coral ecosystems. Our results also emphasise the importance of studying the small size fractions that yield many infaunal species. A causal link exists between distribution patterns of benthic foraminifera and cold-water coral facies, thus providing an independent tool to identify and describe the different facies in this setting.     

Glacial and post-glacial sedimentary processes in the Irish Rockall Trough from an integrated acoustic analysis of near-seabed sediments

Near-seabed (<50 m) sediments were studied throughout the Irish sector of the Rockall Trough (ca. 123,000 km²) based on a combined analysis of shallow seismic (3.5 kHz) and multibeam swath data acquired by the Irish National Seabed Survey and reprocessed here at higher resolution. The detailed identification of seven acoustic facies served to classify the Rockall Trough into six main sedimentary provinces, incorporating the well-known Feni Drift, Donegal-Barra Fan and Rockall Bank mass flow. In the northern part of the study area, extensive mass transport deposits from both flanks of the trough are the dominant depositional features. Debris flow deposits formed by ice streaming of the British-Irish ice sheet characterise most of the Donegal-Barra Fan, whereas turbidite deposition occurs towards the toe of the fan. On the western margin of the trough, the post-glacial Rockall Bank mass flow deposit displays a rough topography with no acoustic penetration. Several failure scarps are visible on the flank of the bank where the mass flow originated, and pass downslope into large sediment lobes and smaller debris flow deposits. Smaller-scale mass transport deposits were also discovered close to some canyons indenting the eastern slope. High seismic penetration characterises the Feni contourite drift deposit, and precise mapping of its geographical extent shows that it is considerably wider than previously reported. The sediment waves that drape this drift are interpreted as predominantly relict features, and their varied geometry suggests a complex oceanographic regime. In the deeper part of the trough, the data reveal novel evidence of the widespread occurrence (about 12,000 km²) of distinct seismic and backscatter signatures indicating the possible presence of fluid escape structures within fine-grained sediments of mixed contouritic, hemipelagic and turbiditic origin. Sediment overloading and increased pore pressure resulting from extensive mass wasting to the north of the area is a likely cause of dewatering-rooted fluid migration towards the seabed, but further investigations are required to confirm the nature and origin of such fluids in the Rockall Trough.     

A new look at the Rockall region, offshore Ireland

A 700 km wide-angle reflection/refraction profile carried out in the central North Atlantic west of Ireland crossed the Erris Trough, Rockall Trough and Rockall Bank, and terminated in the western Hatton-Rockall Basin. The results reveal the presence of a number of sedimentary basins separated by basement highs. The Rockall Trough, with a sedimentary pile up to 5 km thick, is underlain by thinned continental crust 8–10 km thick. Some major fault block structures are identified, especially on the eastern margin of the Rockall Trough and in the adjacent Erris Trough. The Hatton-Rockall Basin is underlain by westward-thinning continental crust 22–10 km thick. Sedimentary strata are up to 5 km thick. The strata in the Rockall Trough and Hatton-Rockall Basin probably range in age from Late Palaeozoic to Cenozoic. However, the basins have different sedimentation histories and differ in structural style. The geometry of the crust and sediments suggests that the Rockall Trough originated by pure shear crustal stretching, associated with rift deposits and Cenozoic thermal sag strata. In contrast, the development of the Erris Trough, located on unthinned continental crust, was facilitated by shallow, brittle extension with little deep crustal attenuation. A two-layered crust occurs throughout the region. The lower crustal velocity in the Hatton-Rockall Basin is higher than that in the Rockall Trough. The velocity structure shows no indication of crustal underplating by upper mantle material in the region.     

Biodiversity and ecological composition of macrobenthos on cold-water coral mounds and adjacent off-mound habitat in the bathyal Porcupine Seabight,NE Atlantic

The cold-water scleractinian corals Lophelia pertusa and Madrepora oculata form mound structures on the continental shelf and slope in the NE Atlantic. This study is the first to compare the taxonomic biodiversity and ecological composition of the macrobenthos between on- and off-mound habitats. Seven box cores from the summits of three mounds and four cores from an adjacent off-mound area in the Belgica Mound Province in the Porcupine Seabight yielded 349 species, including 10 undescribed species. On-mound habitat was three times more speciose, and was richer with higher evenness and significantly greater Shannon's diversity than off-mound. Species composition differed significantly between habitats and the four best discriminating species were Pliobothrus symmetricus (more frequent off-mound), Crisia nov. sp, Aphrocallistes bocagei and Lophelia pertusa (all more frequent on-mound). Filter/suspension feeders were significantly more abundant on-mound, while deposit feeders were significantly more abundant off-mound. Species composition did not significantly differ between mounds, but similarity within replicates decreased from Galway Mound<Thérèse Mound<off-mound. We propose that, despite having greater vertical habitat heterogeneity that supports higher biodiversity, coral mounds have a characteristic “reef fauna” linked to species’ biology that contrasts with the higher horizontal habitat heterogeneity conferred by the action of deposit feeders and a varied seabed sedimentary facies off-mound. Standardisation of equipment and restriction of analyses to higher taxonomic levels would facilitate prospective comparative analyses of cold-water coral biodiversity across larger spatio–temporal scales.     

Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water: Spatial and temporal distribution in the Rockall Trough

Wyville Thomson Ridge Overflow Water (WTOW), which is the only part of the outflow from the Norwegian Sea not to directly enter the Iceland Basin, is shown to be a significant water mass in the northern Rockall Trough. It is found primarily at intermediate depths (600–1200 m) beneath the northward flowing warm Atlantic waters, and above recirculating Mediterranean influenced waters and Labrador Sea Water (LSW). The bottom of the WTOW layer can be identified by a mid-depth inflexion point in potential temperature–salinity plots. An analysis of historical data reveals that WTOW has been present in all but eight of the last 31 years at 57.5°N in the Rockall Trough. A denser component of WTOW below 1500 m has also been present, although it appears to be less persistent (12 out of the 31 years) and limited to the west of the section. The signature of intermediate WTOW was absent in two periods, the mid-1980s and early 1990s, both of which coincided with a freshening, and probable increase in volume, of LSW in the trough. Potential temperature–salinity diagrams from historical observations indicate that WTOW persists at least as far south as 55°N (and as far west as 20°W in the Iceland Basin) although its signature is quickly lost on leaving the Rockall Trough. We suggest that a transport of WTOW down the western side of the trough exists, with WTOW at intermediate depths entering the eastern trough either via a cyclonic recirculation, or as a result of eddy activity. Further, WTOW is seen on the Rockall–Hatton Plateau and in the deep channels connecting with the Iceland Basin, suggesting additional possible WTOW transport pathways. These suggested transport routes remain to be confirmed by further observational or modelling studies.     

The Rockall Bank Mass Flow: Collapse of a moated contourite drift onlapping the eastern flank of Rockall Bank,west of Ireland

The Rockall Bank Mass Flow (RBMF) is a large, multi-phase submarine slope failure and mass flow complex. It is located in an area where the Feni Drift impinges upon the eastern flank of the Rockall Bank in the NE Atlantic. A 6100 km² region of slope failure scarps, extending over a wide water depth range and with individual scarps reaching up to 22 km long and 150 m high, lies upslope of a series of mass flow lobes that cover at least 18,000 km² of the base of slope and floor of the Rockall Trough. The downslope lobe complex has a negative topographic relief along much of its northern boundary, being inset below the level of the undisplaced contourite drift at the base of slope. The southern margin is topographically more subtle but is marked by the sharp termination of sediment waves outside the lobe. Within the lobe complex the southern margin of the largest lobe shows a positive relief along its southern margin. The initial failure is suggested to have occurred along coherent layer-parallel detachment surfaces at depths of up to 100 m and this promoted initial downslope block sliding which in turn transformed into debris flows which moved out into the basin. The remains of a deep erosional moat linked to the onlapping contourite complex bisects the region of failed slope, and post-failure thermohaline currents have continued to modify the mass flow in this area. Differential sedimentation and erosion associated with the moat may have promoted slope instability. Following the major failure phase, continuous readjustments of the slope occurred and resulted in small-volume turbidites found in shallow gravity cores collected on the lobes. The short term trigger for the failure remains uncertain but earthquake events associated with a deep-seated tectonic lineament to the north of the mass flow may have been important. A Late Pleistocene age for the slope failure is likely. The RBMF is unusual in that it records large-scale collapse of a contourite body that impinged on a sediment-undersupplied slope system. Unlike many other large slope failure complexes along the NE Atlantic margin, the RBMF occurs in a region where there was little overloading by glacial sediment.     

Water mass properties and fluxes in the Rockall Trough, 1975–1998

A time series of a standard hydrographic section in the northern Rockall Trough spanning 23 yr is examined for changes in water mass properties and transport levels. The Rockall Trough is situated west of the British Isles and separated from the Iceland Basin by the Hatton and Rockall Banks and from the Nordic Seas by the shallow (500 m) Wyville–Thompson ridge. It is one pathway by which warm North Atlantic upper water reaches the Norwegian Sea and is converted into cold dense overflow water as part of the thermohaline overturning in the northern North Atlantic and Nordic Seas. The upper water column is characterised by poleward moving Eastern North Atlantic Water (ENAW), which is warmer and saltier than the subpolar mode waters of the Iceland Basin, which also contribute to the Nordic Sea inflow. Below 1200 m the deep Labrador Sea Water (LSW) is trapped by the shallowing topography to the north, which prevents through flow but allows recirculation within the basin. The Rockall Trough experiences a strong seasonal signal in temperature and salinity with deep convective winter mixing to typically 600 m or more and the formation of a warm fresh summer surface layer. The time series reveals interannual changes in salinity of ±0.05 in the ENAW and ±0.04 in the LSW. The deep water freshening events are of a magnitude greater than that expected from changes in source characteristics of the LSW, and are shown to represent periodic pulses of newer LSW into a recirculating reservior. The mean poleward transport of ENAW is 3.7 Sv above 1200 dbar (of which 3.0 Sv is carried by the shelf edge current) but shows a high-level interannual variability, ranging from 0 to 8 Sv over the 23 yr period. The shelf edge current is shown to have a changing thermohaline structure and a baroclinic transport that varies from 0 to 8 Sv. The interannual signal in the total transport dominates the observations, and no evidence is found of a seasonal signal.     

Growth history of a cold-water coral covered carbonate mound — Galway Mound, Porcupine Seabight, NE-Atlantic

During the past decade, knowledge about the ecology and the environment of giant carbonate mounds has been growing continuously. However, still little is known about their growth dynamics. Three gravity cores from Galway Mound, Belgica Mound Province in the Porcupine Seabight off Ireland, were investigated for their sedimentological, geophysical and geochemical properties to get insight into the long-term development of this cold-water coral covered carbonate mound. These data were supplemented by radiometric age determinations on planktonic foraminifera and coral skeletons. The records from three different settings on Galway Mound reveal a coherent growth history that in general is similar to what is known from other carbonate mounds at the Irish margin. However, whereas other cores are often disturbed by numerous and not correlateable hiatuses, Galway Mound, in contrast, appears to be characterised by only one major hiatus representing a time gap of ~ 250 kyr. Several mechanisms are discussed in this study as possible causes for the observed stratigraphic record at Galway Mound. The most likely explanation is that the hiatus has its origin in a major mass wasting event on an instable, possibly glacial, unit that could have acted as a slip plane. The overall Late Quaternary growth history of Galway Mound fits well into existing cyclical mound development models, pointing to Galway Mound being an ‘actively growing’ mound (“coral bank stage”) at present.     

Scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz—First clues about their spatial and temporal distribution

This paper presents the first compilation of information on the spatial distribution of scleractinian cold-water corals in the Gulf of Cádiz based on literature research and own observations (video footage, sediment samples). Scleractinian cold-water corals are widely distributed along the Spanish and Moroccan margins in the Gulf of Cádiz, where they are mainly associated with mud volcanoes, diapiric ridges, steep fault escarpments, and coral mounds. Dendrophyllia cornigera, Dendrophyllia alternata, Eguchipsammia cornucopia, Madrepora oculata and Lophelia pertusa are the most abundant reef-forming species. Today, they are almost solely present as isolated patches of fossil coral and coral rubble. The absence of living scleractinian corals is likely related to a reduced food supply caused by low productivity and diminished tidal effects. In contrast, during the past 48 kyr scleractinian corals were abundant in the Gulf of Cádiz, although their occurrence demonstrates no relationship with main climatic or oceanographic changes. Nevertheless, there exists a conspicuous relationship when the main species are considered separately. Dendrophylliids are associated with periods of relatively stable and warm conditions. The occurrence of L. pertusa mainly clusters within the last glacial when bottom current strength in the Gulf of Cádiz was enhanced and long-term stable conditions existed in terms of temperature. Madrepora oculata shows a higher tolerance to abrupt environmental changes.     

Downward fluxes of settling particles in the deep Cretan Sea (NE Mediterranean)

During the CINCS project (Pelagic–benthic Coupling IN the oligotrophic Cretan Sea—NE Mediterranean), a single mooring with two sediment traps (at 200 and 1515m water depth) and two current meters was deployed in the southern Cretan Sea margin at a depth of 1550 m. A second mooring deployed at the 500 m station was lost, as a result of fishing activities. The duration of the study was 12 months (November 1994 to November 1995) with sampling intervals of 15 or 16 days. The traps were retrieved, serviced and the sedimented material was collected every 6 months. In total, 48 samples were collected (24 from each trap) throughout the study period and fluxes of total particulate mass, opal, organic matter, carbonates, and lithogenic component were measured. Natural radionuclides (²¹⁰Po and ²¹⁰Pb) were determined for all trap samples. Total mass flux and the fluxes of four major constituents increased with depth, the total mass flux reaching values of nearly 550 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 1515 m and 187 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at 200 m depth, following the same patterns observed in other experiments (ECOMARGE, SEEP-I, SEEP-II). The mean annual mass fluxes were 209 and 49.8 mg m⁻² d⁻¹ at the near bottom and near surface trap respectively. This suggests that lateral transport of particulate matter is of importance in the area. Total mass fluxes at the two depths were characterized by different seasonal fluctuations, although a general decreasing trend was observed from the I (winter) to the II (summer) deployment at both depths. This was mainly a result of reductions in aluminosilicate inputs during the summer dry period. At 200 m depth carbonates were more important during winter, because of a large carbonate input consisting mainly of coccoliths of Emiliania huxleyi, while during the summer decreased fluxes of carbonates and aluminosilicates resulted in a reduction of the mass flux. In contrast, at 1515 m depth the lithogenic component was the dominant component during the winter deployment, indicating a terrigenous input. During the summer period the decrease in mass flux was strongly effected by the decrease in aluminosilicates. There was a diminution in the organic carbon content with a concomitant increase in total mass flux, which, together with the almost negligible increase in the annual ²¹⁰Pb activity with depth and the increase of ²¹⁰Po activity with depth could be interpreted as indicating a contribution of resuspended material to the input at 1515 m. The complex mesoscale circulation of the Cretan Sea, consisting of a cyclone (east)–anticyclone (west) system, controls particle transfer in the area. This hydrodynamic system seems to move water masses towards the southern Cretan Sea margin, and consequently carry materials from the open sea to the upper slope and shelf.     

Insights into the structure of the Wyville Thomson Ridge overflow current from a fine-scale numerical model

One of the major pathways in the northern part of the Meridional Overturning Circulation (MOC) is that of the deep water in the Nordic Seas that runs through the Faroe-Shetland Channel (FSC) and Faroe Bank Channel (FBC), as well as crossing the Wyville Thomson Ridge (WTR), on its way into the Atlantic Ocean. The WTR overflow cascades down the southern side of the ridge via the narrow Ellett Gully to the Cirolana Deep (CD) which, at 1700 m, is the deepest hole in the extreme north of the Rockall Trough. The overflow accounts for nearly 1/10th of the total Faroe-Shetland Channel Bottom Water (FSCBW) discharged through the Faroese channels and is an important intermediate water mass in the Rockall Trough. Over a period of only seven days in April 2003 bottom water temperatures cooled dramatically, from 4.46 to 3.03 °C in the CD and from 3.93 to 2.54 °C in the Ymir Trough (YT). A numerical general circulation model (MITgcm) has been applied in order to reproduce the details of this dense water overflow event. Model results were consistent with the observed cooling and total water transport. It was found that the descending gravity current forms a pair of mesoscale eddies with cyclonic and anticyclonic vorticity at the exit to the CD. Analysis of mixing processes were obtained when a passive tracer was included in the model. It was found that downstream flow is characterized by an explosive detrainment regime in the CD. The model sensitivity runs revealed that the final depth to which the overflow descends depends on the initial upstream velocity of the overflow, as well as the buoyancy difference. It is argued that models of overflows need to have realistic representations of the density structure of the overflow, and sufficiently fine vertical resolution, for the subsequent fate of the overflow to be accurately represented.     

Short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat at Viosca Knoll,Gulf of Mexico

The Lophelia pertusa community at Viosca Knoll (VK826) is the most extensive found to date in the Gulf of Mexico. As part of a multi-disciplinary study, the physical setting of this area was described using benthic landers, CTD transects and remotely operated vehicle observations. The site was broadly characterised into three main habitats: (1) dense coral cover that resembles biogenic reef complexes, (2) areas of sediment, and (3) authigenic carbonate blocks with sparse coral and chemosynthetic communities. The coral communities were dominated by L. pertusa but also contained numerous solitary coral species. Over areas that contained L. pertusa, the environmental conditions recorded were similar to those associated with communities in the north-eastern Atlantic, with temperature (8.5–10.6 °C) and salinity (～35) falling within the known species niche for L. pertusa. However, dissolved oxygen concentrations (2.7–2.8 ml l^?1) and density (σ_Θ, 27.1–27.2 kg m^?3) were lower and mass fluxes from sediment trap data appeared much higher (4002–4192 mg m^?2 d^?1). Yet, this species still appears to thrive in this region, suggesting that L. pertusa may not be as limited by lower dissolved oxygen concentrations as previously thought. The VK826 site experienced sustained eastward water flow of 10–30 cm s^?1 over the 5-day measurement period but was also subjected to significant short-term variability in current velocity and direction. In addition, two processes were observed that caused variability in salinity and temperature; the first was consistent with internal waves that caused temperature variations of 0.8 °C over 5–11 h periods. The second was high-frequency variability (20–30 min periods) in temperature recorded only at the ALBEX site. A further pattern observed over the coral habitat was the presence of a 24 h diel vertical migration of zooplankton that may form part of a food chain that eventually reaches the corals. The majority of detailed studies concerning local environmental conditions in L. pertusa habitats have been conducted within the north-eastern Atlantic, limiting most knowledge of the niche of this species to a single part of an ocean basin. Data presented here show that the corals at VK826 are subjected to similar conditions in temperature, salinity, and flow velocity as their counterparts in the north-east Atlantic, although values for dissolved oxygen and density (sigma-theta: σ_Θ) are different. Our data also highlight novel observations of short-term environmental variability in cold-water coral habitat.     

Mid-depth Lagrangian pathways in the North Atlantic and their impact on the salinity of the eastern subpolar gyre

The role of Mediterranean Overflow Water (MOW) in creating subsurface salinity anomalies within the Rockall Trough, a gateway to high latitude areas of deep convection, has been examined closely in recent years. Eulerian investigations of high latitude property fields have suggested that these subsurface anomalies are likely the result of variability in the zonal extent of the eastern limb of the subpolar gyre: when expanded into the eastern North Atlantic, the gyre is presumed to limit the extent to which MOW is able to penetrate northward to subpolar latitudes. However, though the depth of the subsurface salinity anomalies in the Rockall Trough supports the hypothesis that the intermittent presence of MOW is involved in creating the anomalies, MOW pathways to the Rockall Trough have not yet been established. Here, Lagrangian trajectories from floats released in the eastern North Atlantic between 1996 and 1997 and synthetic trajectories launched within an eddy-resolving ocean general circulation model are used to demonstrate that two main density neutral transport pathways lead to the Rockall Trough. One pathway involves the transport of relatively fresh waters as part of the North Atlantic Current and the other involves the transport of relatively salty waters from the eastern reaches of the subtropical North Atlantic. The results from this study indicate that changes in these pathways over time can explain the subsurface salinity variability in the Rockall Trough.     

Fluxes,source and transport of organic matter in the western Sea of Okhotsk: Stable carbon isotopic ratios of n-alkanes and total organic carbon

Settling particles and surface sediments collected from the western region of the Sea of Okhotsk were analyzed for total organic carbon (TOC), long-chain n-alkanes and their stable carbon isotope ratio (δ¹³C) to investigate sources and transport of total and terrestrial organic matter in the western region of the sea. The δ¹³C measurements of TOC in time-series sediment traps indicate lateral transport of resuspended organic matter from the northwestern continental shelf to the area off Sakhalin via the dense shelf water (DSW) flow at intermediate depth. The n-alkanes in the surface sediments showed strong odd carbon number predominance with relatively lighter δ¹³C values (from −33‰ to −30‰). They fall within the typical values of C3-angiosperms, which is the main vegetation in east Russia, including the Amur River basin. On the other hand, the molecular distributions and δ¹³C values of n-alkanes in the settling particles clearly showed two different sources: terrestrial plant and petroleum in the Sea of Okhotsk. We reconstructed seasonal change in the fluxes of terrestrial n-alkanes in settling particles using the mixing model proposed by Lichtfouse and Eglinton [1995. ¹³C and ¹⁴C evidence of a soil by fossil fuel and reconstruction of the composition of the pollutant. Organic Geochemistry 23, 969–973]. Results of the terrestrial n-alkane fluxes indicate that there are two transport pathways of terrestrial plant n-alkanes to sediments off Sakhalin, the Sea of Okhotsk. One is lateral transport of resuspended particles with lithogenic material from the northwestern continental shelf by the DSW flow. Another is the vertical transport of terrestrial plant n-alkanes, which is independent of transport of lithogenic material. The latter may include dry/wet deposition of aerosol particles derived from terrestrial higher plants possibly associated with forest fires in Siberia.     

Low calcification rates and calcium carbonate production in Porites panamensis at its northernmost geographic distribution

Porites panamensis is a hermatypic coral present in the eastern Pacific Ocean. Skeletal growth parameters have been reported, but studies of the relationship between annual calcification rates and environmental controls are scarce. In this study, we investigated three aspects of the annual calcification rates of P. panamensis: growth parameters among three P. panamensis populations; the sea surface temperature as a calcification rate control spanning a latitudinal gradient; and calcium carbonate production among three sites. Growth parameters varied among the sites due to the colony growth form. Massive colonies in the north showed a higher calcification rate than encrusting colonies in the south (mean: 1.22–0.49 g CaCO₃ · cm^?2 · yr^?1), where variations in calcification rates were related to growth rate (0.91–0.38 cm · yr^?1) rather than to skeletal density differences (overall mean ± SD, 1.31 ± 0.04 g CaCO₃ · cm^?3). Our results showed a positive linear relationship between annual calcification rates and sea surface temperatures within these P. panamensis populations. Differences were related to distinct oceanographic environments (within and at the entrance of the Gulf of California) with different sea surface temperature regimes and other chemical properties. Different populations calcified under different environmental conditions. Calcium carbonate production was dependent upon the calcification rate and coral cover and so carbonate production was higher in the north (coral cover 12%) than in the south (coral cover 3.5). Thus, the studied sites showed low calcium carbonate production (0.25–0.43 kg CaCO₃ · m^?2 · yr^?1). Our results showed reduced calcification rates, regional temperature regime control over calcification rates, different growth forms, low coral cover and low calcium carbonate production rates in P. panamensis.     

Volcanic rocks from Rosemary Bank (Rockall Trough,NE Atlantic)

A collection of basalts dredged from the southern flank of Rosemary Bank in the Rockall Trough is described. All samples are highly altered, the introduction of large amounts of CaCO₃ into the rocks being particularly notable. Normative calculations suggest that the basalts are transitional or mildly alkaline in character. Several trace elements appear to have been immobile during the process of secondary alteration and are used to infer the tectonic setting of Rosemary Bank at the time of its formation. Employing the discrimination techniques of Pearce and Cann, the basalts are shown to have oceanic affinities. However, caution has to be exercised in interpreting the trace element results in terms of sea-floor spreading in the Rockall Trough since some Scottish basalts extruded on to continental crust have similar compositions. A minimum age of Eocene has been obtained for Rosemary Bank.     

Deep-water geomorphology of the glaciated Irish margin from high-resolution marine geophysical data

The continental margin offshore of western Ireland offers an opportunity to study the effects of glacial forcing on the morphology and sediment architecture of a mid-latitude margin. High resolution multibeam bathymetry and backscatter data, combined with shallow seismic and TOBI deep-towed side-scan sonar profiles, provide the basis for this study and allow a detailed geomorphological interpretation of the northwest Irish continental margin. Several features, including submarine mass failures, canyon systems and escarpments, are identified in the Rockall Trough for the first time. A new physiographic classification of the Irish margin is proposed and linked to the impact of glaciations along the margin. Correlation of the position and dimensions of moraines on the continental shelf with the level of canyon evolution suggests that the sediment and meltwater delivered by the British–Irish Ice Sheet played a fundamental role in shaping the margin including the upslope development of some of the canyon systems. The glacial influence is also suggested by the variable extent and backscatter signal of sedimentary lobes associated with the canyons. These lobes provide an indirect measurement of the amount of glaciogenic sediment delivered by the ice sheet into the Rockall Trough during the last glacial maximum. None of the sedimentary lobes demonstrates notable relief, indicating that the amount of glaciogenic sediment delivered by the British–Irish Ice Sheet into the Rockall Trough was limited. Their southward disappearance suggests a more restricted BIIS, which did not reach the shelf edge south of 54°23′ N. The various slope styles observed on the Irish margin represent snapshots of the progressive stages of slope development for a glacially-influenced passive margin and may provide a predictive model for the evolution of other such margins.     

New dredge samples from the continental margin bordering Rockall Trough

Rockall Trough may represent the oldest part of the Atlantic Ocean north of latitude 51°N. Stratigraphical evaluation of this hypothesis has been hindered by the lack of dateable samples of the Trough's sedimentary succession. A recent programme of dredging, aimed at sampling the sediment prism along the Trough's upper continental slope, yielded five hauls of in-situ carbonate rocks. Microfaunal analysis of these rocks suggests that the deposition of the marginal sediment prism spans the Late Cretaceous—Recent interval, tending to confirm that Rockall Trough was already in being in Late Cretaceous times.