Magnetic polarity sequences from downhole measurements in ODP holes 998B and 1001A,leg 165, Caribbean Sea

The magnetostratigraphy of sediments drilled at two sites (998 and 1001) in the Caribbean Sea during the Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 165 is established directly from downhole measurements. For the first time in the ODP, the magnetostratigraphy of sediments is determined from both logging magnetic data and paleomagnetic analysis of core material for an age interval of about 16 m.y. across the Cretaceous/Tertiary boundary. The total magnetic induction and the susceptibility of the surrounding sediment were recorded in situ and continuously by the GHMT (Geological High-sensitivity Magnetic Tool). The aim of processing these data is to determine the magnetic polarity. At Site 998 (Cayman Rise), no paleomagnetic results are available from the recovered cores given a hard secondary overprint. Nonetheless, a magnetostratigraphic sequence from early Miocene to late Oligocene is proposed from the analysis of the GHMT data. The comparison with biostratigraphic results shows the accuracy of the resulting magnetic polarity. At Site 1001 (Hess escarpment), cores were recovered in two holes thus allowing the comparison of the magnetostratigraphic results obtained from the GHMT data and from paleomagnetic analysis of core samples over a length of 200 m representing about 16 m.y. from early Eocene to late Cretaceous times. The sedimentation rates computed from the determined magnetochrons are very similar and correspond to the ones obtained from shipboard biostratigraphic results. One of the most striking result obtained from the magnetostratigraphic results, especially the GHMT data, at Site 1001, is the abrupt decrease in the sedimentation rate across the K/T boundary. This suppressed sedimentation lasted at least 4 Ma after the K/T event.     

Volcanic stratigraphy of DSDP/ODP Hole 395A: An interpretation using well-logging data

Deep Sea Drilling Project/Ocean Drilling Program Hole 395A was drilled approximately 500 m deep into young oceanic crust west of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge. Core recovery is very poor in this hole and therefore continuous downhole measurements are important to understand the drilled lithology. Geophysical downhole measurements were carried out during several cruises. A new set of logs was recorded during Leg 174B in summer 1997. The new logging data show a significant improvement in data quality compared to older measurements from Leg 109. The lithostratigraphy established from cores gives only limited information because of the poor core recovery in this hole. The gaps in the core lithostratigraphy are filled by reconstructing a synthetic lithological profile using the standard well-logging data. Three types of lava morphologies, massive basalts, altered lava flows, and pillow basalts, may be distinguished using the logs because the lava morphologies show differences in their physical properties due to differences in fracturing and alteration. The synthetic lithological profile gives a more detailed and precise vertical definition of single layers than the core profile. The integration of further logging and core data enables a detailed reconstruction of the accretion history at the drill site. Cyclic, upward decreasing trends in the resistivity logs were already observed during earlier cruises and were referred to magmatic cycles. Similar trends occur in the density log and, inversely, in the total gamma ray log. The trends reflect gradual changes in fracturing, porosity, permeability, and alteration and cover depth intervals of several tens of meters. Boundaries between cycles are interpreted to correspond to periods of volcanic quiescence. Two types of boundaries may be identified. Boundaries correlating with reversals in the magnetic field and/or changes in the geochemical composition of the basalts are interpreted as long pauses. Basalts separated by these boundaries were probably fed by separate magma reservoirs. Boundaries identified only by changes in alteration but not in geochemistry are interpreted to represent shorter pauses. They separate basalts that were probably fed by the same magma chamber. This revised version was published online in November 2006 with corrections to the Cover Date.     

Physical properties of a porcellanite layer (Southwest Indian Ridge) constrained by geophysical logging

A distinct porcellanite layer from the Southwest Indian Ridge intercalated in Pleistocene diatom ooze was studied using nondestructive physical property measurements and sedimentological data. This bed was sampled by two piston cores at a water depth of 2615 m. The 3–5 cm thick porcellanite layer appears in the cores at a depth of 6.03 m (Core PS2089-2) and 7.73 m (Core PS2089-1) below the seafloor. Due to its characteristic physical properties the porcellanite bed can be detected with core measurements, and its distribution and lateral extent mapped with echosounding. The physical index properties, wet bulk density and electrical resistivity, increase significantly across this bed. Magnetic susceptibility is used to compare the lithological units of both cores and to distinguish whether resistivity anomalies are caused by a higher amount of terrigenous components or by the presence of porcellanite. The porcellanite has the special characteristic to affect a positive anomaly in resistivity but not in susceptibility. Most marine sediments, in contrast, show a positive correlation of magnetic susceptibility versus electrical resistivity; therefore a combination of electrical resistivity and magnetic susceptibility logs yields a definite detection of the porcellanite bed. Images from the X-ray CT survey indicate that the porcellanite is lithified and brittle and fragmented when the piston corer penetrated the bed.     

Paleocurrent directions from paleomagnetic reorientation of magnetic fabrics in deep-sea sediments at the Antarctic Peninsula Pacific margin (ODP Sites 1095, 1101)

We have determined the azimuth of bottom-current flow in drift deposit sediments recovered at ODP Sites 1095 and 1101, Antarctic Peninsula, using paleomagnetic reorientation of anisotropy of magnetic susceptibility (AMS) ellipsoids. A total of 38 cores from the two ODP sites have been measured, providing spatial and directional information on the physical record of the ACC (Antarctic Circumpolar Current) in the Plio-Pleistocene. Declination and inclination of the paleomagnetic vector of each core segment were used to reorient the AMS principal axes to the geographic coordinates. The cores were reoriented using the measured direction of the characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) with respect to a common reference line for the core, from which we are able to determine the orientation of the paleocurrent flow for Sites 1095 (Drift 7) and 1101 (Drift 4) relative to the geographic coordinates. Both sites have paleocurrent directions trending ~ NW-SE, which in the former locality are parallel to a sediment wave field. Our study shows that a combination of magnetic fabric analysis and paleomagnetism allows deep-sea sedimentary fabric to be used as a long-term proxy of bottom-current flow history.     

南海北部沉积物磁化率对古气候非线性变化的响应

对南海北部海区ＳＯ－５０－２９ＫＬ柱样全孔磁化率与古气候变化作对比研究，结果表明：（１）沉积物磁化率较好地响应着古气候的变化，存在明显的地球轨道偏心率、岁差及岁差半周期，（２）奇异谱分析结果显示十余万年来磁化率曲线的统计维为９，与黄土获得的结果基本一致．各主成分变化的周期均与增分析所得的周期大致吻合；（３）奇异谱分析所得的各成分的变化特征显示了过去十余万年古气候存在明显的非线性变化。     

东菲律宾海柱样沉积物的磁性特征

对东菲律宾海帕里西维拉海盆西侧F090102柱样进行了系统的古地磁和岩石磁学研究,测量了天然剩磁倾角、磁化率、饱和等温剩磁、非磁滞剩磁、-T曲线等磁学参数,进行了磁性地层的划分对比,识别出松山反极性时内的贾拉米洛和奥都维正极性亚时。对磁学参数及其有关比值的研究发现,岩心磁性矿物以低矫顽力磁铁矿为主,可能含有一定的钛磁铁矿。磁性矿物主要是陆源碎屑成因,岩心底段受到海底火山作用的影响。根据磁学参数随深度的变化将岩心分为3段,各段反映了沉积环境和古气候的变化。     

Gas hydrates and active mud volcanism on the South Shetland continental margin, Antarctic Peninsula

During the Antarctic summer of 2003–2004, new geophysical data were acquired from aboard the R/V OGS Explora in the BSR-rich area discovered in 1996–1997 along the South Shetland continental margin off the Antarctic Peninsula. The objective of the research program, supported by the Italian National Antarctic Program (PNRA), was to verify the existence of a potential gas hydrate reservoir and to reconstruct the tectonic setting of the margin, which probably controls the extent and character of the diffused and discontinuous bottom simulating reflections. The new dataset, i.e. multibeam bathymetry, seismic profiles (airgun and chirp), and two gravity cores analysed by computer-aided tomography as well as for gas composition and content, clearly shows active mud volcanism sustained by hydrocarbon venting in the region: several vents, located mainly close to mud volcanoes, were imaged during the cruise and their occurrence identified in the sediment samples. Mud volcanoes, vents and recent slides border the gas hydrate reservoir discovered in 1996–1997. The cores are composed of stiff silty mud. In core GC01, collected in the proximity of a mud volcano ridge, the following gases were identified (maximum contents in brackets): methane (46 μg/kg), pentane (45), ethane (35), propane (34), hexane (29) and butane (28). In core GC02, collected on the flank of the Vualt mud volcano, the corresponding data are methane (0 μg/kg), pentane (45), ethane (22), propane (0), hexane (27) and butane (25).     

Reduced magnetization produced by increased methane flux at a gas hydrate vent

Magnetic susceptibility measurements on near-surface sediment cores from the North Cascadia accretionary sedimentary prism show that seismic blanking or wipe-out zones in the upper few hundred metres of sediments are associated with a prominent low magnetic susceptibility signature. Seismic blanking and low magnetization are both attributed to high upward methane flux within a vent zone, as evidenced by the presence of massive gas hydrate within the cores. Sedimentological analysis of these cores also reveals the presence of authigenic pyrite within the areas of magnetic susceptibility lows. This phenomenon is suspected to be produced by the reducing environment associated with the high upward methane flux and increased bacterial activity within the topmost sediments, resulting in diagenesis of highly magnetic detrital minerals such as magnetite into nearly non-magnetic pyrite. These low magnetic susceptibility zones may produce magnetic anomalies with a magnitude of 10–35 nT near the seafloor. Such anomalies might be detected using high-resolution near-bottom magnetometers to provide a means of mapping zones of methane venting.     

Trace metal and magnetic studies of sediments in greek estuaries and enclosed gulfs

Minicores of seabottom sediments from typical coastal and estuarine areas of Greece (the Gulf of Elefsis and the estuaries of the Acheloos and Louros rivers), influenced in a widely varying degree by anthropogenic inputs, were analysed for trace metal content and measured for a series of magnetic properties (i.e., total magnetic susceptibility, frequency dependent susceptibility, isothermal remanent magnetization and demagnetization).Apparent linkages between trace metal content (total or in chemically leached fractions) and magnetic properties were found in cores from all areas. Variations in the relative importance of the non-leachable fraction of metals in the Elefsis Gulf sediments closely parallel changes in the percentage frequency dependent susceptibility, which can be considered as indicator of soil derived material.By combining chemical and magnetic data, very useful information was obtained on: (a) the origin (industrial) of the rapidly deposited sediments in the Gulf of Elefsis; (b) the deposition rate, which was estimated as 0.5 cm per annum; (c) the range and nature of the major natural particle assemblages present in the Acheloos and Louros estuaries; (d) the distinction between the assemblages deriving from the erosion of surface soils and from unweathered parent material; (e) the identification of particles acting as major trace metal carriers (viz. anthropogenic particulates and soil-derived clays).In general the results confirm that integrated trace metal—magnetic studies can provide valuable data on the origin, transport and sedimentation mechanisms of trace metals associated in various ways with particles in coastal and estuarine systems. New perspectives are briefly discussed.     

Rock magnetic records of the sediments of the eastern Arabian Sea: Evidence for late Quaternary climatic change

Rock-magnetic measurements along with grain size, acid-insoluble residue (AIR), organic carbon (OC), CaCO₃ and δ¹⁸O of the planktonic foraminifers of the sediments were determined for 15 gravity cores recovered from the western continental margin of India. Magnetic susceptibility (MS) values in the surficial sediments reflect the land-derived input and, in general, are the highest in terrigenous sediment-dominated sections of the cores off Saurashtra–Ratnagiri, followed by the sediments off Indus–Gulf of Kachchh and then Mangalore–Cape Comorin.

The down-core variations in mineral magnetic parameters reveal that the glacial sediments off the Indus are characterized by low MS values/S-ratios associated with high AIR-content, low OC/CaCO₃ contents and relatively high δ¹⁸O values, while those off SW India are characterized by low MS values/high S-ratio% associated with low AIR content, and relatively high OC, CaCO₃ and δ¹⁸O values. Conversely, the Early Holocene sediments of all cores are characterized by high MS values/S-ratio% associated with high AIR content, low OC, CaCO₃ contents and gradually decreased δ¹⁸O values. These results imply that during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM), the cores off northwestern India received abundant continental supply leading to the predominance of eolian/fluvial sedimentation. In the SW region the influence of hinterland flux is less evident during this period, but convective mixing associated with the NE monsoon resulted in increased productivity. During the early Holocene intense SW monsoon conditions resulted in high precipitation on land, which in turn contributed increased AIR content/MS values in the continental margin sediments. A shallow water core off Kochi further suggests that the intense SW monsoon conditions prevailed until about 5 ka. The late Holocene organic-rich sediments of the SW margin of India were, however, subjected to early diagenesis at different intervals in the cores. Therefore, caution is needed when interpreting regional climatic change from down-core changes in sediment magnetic properties.     

Magnetostratigraphy of coastal loess of Dalian, China and its paleoclimatic significance

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A densely sampled core and climate variable aliasing

Undersampled records are susceptible to aliasing, in which a high frequency appears incorrectly as a lower one. We study the sampling requirements in a core taken from Rockall Trough using bulk density, P-wave velocity, and magnetic susceptibility as measured on an automated system. At 2-cm spacing (approximately 33 years in this core), all variables show a characteristic red-noise behavior, but with a spectral slope that is sufficiently weak so that significant aliasing appears to be present. P-wave velocity shows the largest potential corruption, probably owing to the weaker spatial averaging present in the sensor. Approximately 50% of the apparent low-frequency energy is aliased in all variables at some frequencies in both quiet and active regions of the record. In this core, a sampling interval of 0.2 cm appears to be "safe" in both active and quiet portions of the core, aliasing little or no energy, except in the P-wave record. For cores of different duration, sampling interval, and measurement type, the considerations will be identical, the importance of the problem depending directly upon the shape of the overall spectrum describing the entire frequency (wavenumber) range of physical variability.     

Freshwater supply by Korean rivers to the East Sea during the last glacial maximum: a review and new evidence from the Korea Strait region

This study presents a review of extensive literature and reports new findings extracted from previously collected cores. Globally lowered sea level during the last glacial maximum (LGM) reduced the cross-sectional area in the Korea Strait, minimizing volume transport of the paleo-Tsushima Current and increasing freshwater input to the East Sea. The higher supply of freshwater played an important role in compositional changes of surface water in the sea, indicated by low sea surface salinity (down to about 20‰) and light d ¹⁸O of planktonic Foraminifera (lighter than 1‰) recorded in core sediments. The Korean fluvial systems (Nakdong and Seomjin rivers) emptying into the southeastern sea of Korea may have contributed substantially to freshwater supply to the surface layer of the LGM East Sea, although Chinese paleo-river (Huanghe and Yangtze rivers) waters, together with the paleo-Tsushima Current, also seem to have supplied some freshwater to the sea. The higher supply of river waters to the East Sea is strongly evidenced by the high amount of terrigenous material (quartz, feldspar and rock fragments) in core sediments. In addition, high magnetic susceptibility, high grain density, and high C/N ratios were documented in cores MB98PC-11 and 95PC-1. In contrast with earlier studies, we propose that Korean rivers played a more substantial role in supplying freshwater to the East Sea during the LGM than previously thought.     

Paleomagnetism and paleoclimate change in the South China Sea since the late Pleistocene

Signal processing techniques of cross-correlation, power spectral analysis and cross-power spectral analysis are used to determine the relationships between paleomagnetic properties and the oxygen isotope record of the South China Sea during the late Pleistocene. On the basis of correlation tests between the δ18O time series of cores V3 and A15 with the paleomagnetic properties of core SCS01, five events of susceptibility and intensity of natural remanent magnetization are identified as glacial events corresponding to δ18O positive events. The magnetic properties of the sediments which are independent of the geomagnetic field are sensitive climatic indicators which have frequencies corresponding to the Milankovitch orbital parameters.     

Current methods for obtaining,logging and splitting marine sediment cores

The main types of deep-sea sediment coring devices are described and their relative merits and drawbacks are discussed. These devices include box corers, gravity corers, piston corers, giant piston corers and vibrocorers. Recent utilisations of kevlar and polyester coring warps are also discussed, since these are the only warps capable of handling the large weights associated with the larger devices. Recent developments in wholecore logging, including P wave, density and magnetic susceptibility, are described as are methods of subcoring and core splitting to obtain the maximum amount of detail on the split surfaces. The wholecore logs together with a good colour photograph of the recently split sediment surface provide a lasting unambiguous record of the core.     

Tying seismic data to geologic information from core data: an example from ODP Leg 177

The integration of seismic data with core data should provide ground-truth to a structural interpretation of seismic data. The main difficulty in such an integration effort is the correct translation of physical property measurements on cores to a form which can be used in seismostratigraphic interpretation. In the absence of down-hole well data and check-shots, required knowledge of the velocity structure at the drilling locations can be obtained directly from measurements of the physical properties of core samples. This involves upscaling of the data from physical properties of cores to the sample interval used in the seismic data. In the present study, three of the seven drill-sites of ODP (Ocean Drilling Program) Leg 177 in 1997/1998, located on the Agulhas Ridge in the south-eastern Atlantic (sites 1088–1090), were connected with eight seismic profiles. Physical properties data measured on the cores from the various holes at each site were combined to create a single continuous log and used to construct synthetic seismograms. The synthetics generally show a good agreement with real seismic data in terms of amplitude and waveform. Some reflections in these generated traces may have a time-shift due to sections with incomplete or spurious P-wave velocity measurements in the ODP datasets. The main reflectors identified in the real seismic data correspond to hiatuses or periods of reduced sedimentation rates, and correlate well with density variations. One particular hiatus, clearly observable in the real seismic data, was not unequivocally identifiable in the various types of core data, and tying core data to seismic data can confirm its existence in the core data, showing the benefit of including seismic data in an interpretation of core log data. On the other hand, core data provide a calibration tool for the geological timescale of seismic data and information about the lithology, needed in the interpretation of seismic data.     

Physical characterization of core samples recovered from Gulf of Mexico

Seventy whole rounds from conventional cores obtained during drilling to 300 mbsf at Atwater Valley and Keathley Canyon in the Gulf of Mexico in April and May 2005 were tested to determine geophysical and geomechanical parameters (liquid and plastic limit, porosity, specific surface, pH, sediment electrical conductivity, P- and S-wave velocities and undrained shear strength). Available data from a pressure core are included as well. Results show that the sediments are high specific surface plastic clays, and exhibit pronounced time-dependent stiffness recovery. Strains during coring disturb specimens, yet, the water content retains the effective stress history and permits gaining stiffness and strength information from conventional cores. Remolding is exacerbated when gas expands upon decompression; the limited pressure core data available show the advantages of preserving the pore fluid pressure during core recovery and testing. Valuable parameters for sediment characterization and engineering analysis are extracted from the data using pre-existing soil models.     

Acoustic reflectors in the surface layers of deep sea sediments

Using ultrasonic scanning it is possible to display the position of an acoustic discontinuity within a sediment core and the amplitude of the reflected signal which results from it. From these results it has been possible to examine the effect of variations in the geotechnical properties on the reflection of compressional waves at normal incidence within the core at a frequency of 100 kHz. The occurrence of acoustic reflectors in the surface layers of North Atlantic sediments has also been examined.Two ultrasonic scanning systems for the non-destructive testing of marine sediment cores have been developed. The performance of the two systems has been evaluated using the results from measurements made on a suite of marine sediment cores from the North Atlantic in conjunction with X-ray scanning and geological analysis of the same cores.     

A 23 Myr magnetostratigraphic time framework for Site 1148, ODP Leg 184 in South China Sea and its geological implications

The Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Leg 184 recovered a continuous sedimentary sequence since Miocene at Site 1148 in the northern South China Sea (SCS), which provided a unique record for better understanding the tectonic, environmental and climatic evolution of the SCS. In this study, we report a detailed paleomagnetic study on 881 discrete samples from the upper 460 m cores of Hole 1148A through stepwise alternating field demagnetization (AF) or thermal demagnetization (TD). Rock magnetic results from isothermal remanent magnetization (IRM) acquisition, temperature dependence magnetic susceptibility (κ-T) and hysteresis loop parameters of representative samples indicate that the main magnetic mineral is low coercivity pseudo-single domain magnetite. The characteristic remanent magnetization (ChRM) with moderate downward or upward inclinations was identified after removing a low-stability drilling-induced remanence with steep downward inclinations. A new 23 Myr magnetostratigraphic time framework was established by correlating the magnetic polarity sequence to the Geomagnetic Polarity Time Scale 2012 (GPTS 2012; Ogg, 2012) in combination with biostratigraphic data. The mean sediment accumulation rates for lithostratigraphic Units V and IV, Unit III and lower Unit II, upper Unit II, Unit IB and Unit IA are calculated as ∼20.8 m/Myr, ∼15–17 m/Myr, 24.18 m/Myr, 17.07 m/Myr and 49.01 m/Myr, respectively.