A new shoreline displacement model for the last 7 ka from eastern James Bay, Canada

The shoreline displacement history of the eastern James Bay lowlands in the last 7 ka has been investigated by means of AMS radiocarbon dating of sediments cored from wetlands. We present twelve radiocarbon dates on macrofossils from six sites spread along a gradient of increasing land age and elevation. Palynomorph analysis (pollen, spores, and dinoflagellate cysts) was used to define the isolation stratigraphy. During the last 7 ka the shoreline elevation has regressed at a decreasing rate. The rate of shoreline emergence was initially rapid (6. 5 m/ 100 yr) between 6850 and  6400 cal yr BP then slowed down to 1.4– 2 m/ 100 yr during the late Holocene. Examination of previous relative sea level data based upon mollusc shells reveals high levels of uncertainty that mask potential temporal variability.     

Pollen analyses off Senegal: Evolution of the coastal palaeoenvironment during the last deglaciation

Pollen and dinoflagellate cysts from marine sediments in core A180-48 (15°19′N, 18°06′W; 2450 m water depth; 530 cm length) are used to reconstruct palaeoenvironmental conditions of nearshore tropical west Africa during the last deglaciation. High concentrations and influxes of pollen and dinoflagellate cysts between 11 000 and 10 000 yr BP are interpreted as reflecting an increase in continental trade-wind circulation and related coastal upwelling at 15°N latitude. The sea-surface temperature difference between glacial and interglacial times was not as strong as previously suggested. Together with local (fresh) ground-water input, this smaller temperature difference may explain the persistence of the Rhizophora mangrove and Guinean gallery forests near the shore until their massive extension during the early Holocene humid maximum around 9500 yr BP. Pollen data from the core are compared with data from Rosilda N110-Z, from the continental shelf at the same latitude.     

A 30,000 yr record of land–ocean interaction in the eastern Gulf of Guinea

A 30,000 yr dinocyst and pollen record from the eastern equatorial Atlantic (off Cameroon) has been investigated in order to identify land–ocean linkages during the last deglacial transition. A strong correlation between the abundance of Brigantedinium spp. and the Ca/Fe ratio during the last glacial period suggests enhanced marine productivity in association with cool seawater temperatures and nutrient input linked to coastal upwelling and/or a proximal river mouth. Dry conditions are recorded on the adjacent continent with a significant representation of open vegetation indicators and the Afromontane taxon Podocarpus. After 17 cal ka BP these indicators register a sharp decline as a result of a climatic transition from the dry/cooler conditions of the last glacial period to the wetter/warmer conditions of the deglaciation. Simultaneously, dinocysts show a significant shift from dominant heterotrophs to an increasing abundance of autotrophs, reflecting warmer conditions. Significant changes are observed during the Younger Dryas, with a return to drier conditions and higher salinities. The start of the Holocene is marked by very low-salinity conditions, reflecting optimal monsoonal conditions over west equatorial Africa. The end of the African Humid Period is observed between 6 and 5 cal ka BP, followed by significant fluctuations in both terrestrial and oceanic proxies.     

Palynostratigraphy of a Jurassic–Cretaceous transitional succession in the Himalayan Tethys,southern Xizang (Tibet), China

A palynological analysis of a Late Jurassic–Early Cretaceous succession in the Himalayan Tethys, Gyangzê County, southern Xizang (Tibet) provides, for the first time, evidence of changing palynofloras through the Jurassic/Cretaceous (J/K) boundary. Species that are stratigraphically important and potential markers for delineating the boundary include both miospores and dinoflagellate cysts. The presence of the spores Crybelosporites sp. cf. stylosus, Foraminisporis wonthaggiensis, Jiaohepollis verus and Toroisporis welzowense and the cysts Cassiculosphaeridia delicata and Rhynchodiniopsis serrata imply that the J/K boundary is between samples 06-21-1 and 06-21-3. The occurrence of Aequitriradites spinulosus and Cicatricosisporites spp. a little below this level and of ?Dictyotosporites sp. cf. speciosus slightly above it is also significant. These results show that it is possible to locate the J/K boundary in the Himalayan Tethys near top of the Weimei Formation and the lower part of the Gyabula Formation in southern Xizang. This succession also contains various marine invertebrate fossils, including ammonites, bivalves and belemnites, and thus has considerable potential for erecting an integrated biostratigraphy around the J/K boundary in the eastern Tethyan realm. Palynofloristic correlation implies a more northerly location for the fossil locality at Gyangzê than that of northwest Australia during the latest Jurassic and earliest Cretaceous, which can be further constrained to around 43°S.     

Lago Mare and the Messinian Salinity Crisis: Evidence from the Alboran Sea (S. Spain)

This paper provides a new environmental, sedimentological and stratigraphic context of the Lago Mare deposits from the North Alboran region and clarifies their chronologic location with respect to the Messinian Salinity Crisis. We present new micropalaeontological data (dinoflagellate cysts, calcareous nannoplankton, planktonic foraminifers), correlated with field observations and offshore seismic interpretations. We show that the Lago Mare event known in three onshore localities (Río Mendelín near Malaga, Zorreras near Sorbas, Gafares near Níjar) follows the marine reflooding of the Mediterranean Basin which ended the Messinian Salinity Crisis. Chronologically, these Lago Mare deposits last from the latest Messinian to the early Zanclean. In fact, the first influx of Paratethyan organisms is revealed by the dinoflagellate cyst record from near Malaga within a Gilbert-type fan delta overlying the Messinian Erosional Surface. Invading molluscs and/or ostracods may have persisted in lagoonal coastal areas more or less affected by discontinuous marine influxes (Sorbas and Níjar). The Malaga area is convenient for a palaeogeographic and sedimentary reconstruction which shows the prevalent forcing of sea-level changes during the time-interval 5.600–5.332 Ma at the difference of the usually solicited prevalent tectonics. The studied Lago Mare event is the third episode resulting in such a palaeobiological assemblage in the Mediterranean region and corresponds to the final two-way water exchange at high sea level between the Mediterranean and the former Paratethys. It documents the onset of the modern marine circulation in the Mediterranean after the reflooding ending the Messinian Salinity Crisis.     

Evolution of sea‐surface conditions on the northwestern Greenland margin during the Holocene

Reconstructions of sea‐surface conditions during the Holocene were achieved on two sediment cores from the northwest Greenland margin (AMD14‐204) and Kane Basin (AMD14‐Kane2B) based on dinoflagellate cyst assemblages. On the northwest Greenland margin, sea‐surface conditions were cold with an extended sea ice cover prior to 7750 cal a bp associated with the end of the deglaciation. A major change occurred around ca. 7750 cal a bp with enhanced influence of warmer water from the West Greenland Current, and optimal sea‐surface conditions were observed around 6000 cal a bp . After 3350 cal a bp , results reflect the establishment of the modern assemblages. In the Kane Basin, sea‐surface conditions were not favourable for dinocyst productivity prior to 7880 cal a bp , as the basin was still largely covered by ice. The presence of warmer water is recorded between 7880 and 7200 cal a bp and the highest primary productivity between 5200 and 2100 cal a bp , but sea‐surface conditions remained cold with an extended sea ice cover throughout the Holocene. Overall, the results from this study revealed the strong influence of meltwater discharges and oceanic current variability on the sea‐surface conditions. Copyright © 2019 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

Tracing the influence of sewage discharge on coastal bays of Southern Vancouver Island (BC,Canada) using sedimentary records of phytoplankton

The impact of sewage and stormwater effluents on phytoplankton is investigated by comparing organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst abundance and diversity from 38 surface sediment samples, flanking southern Vancouver Island. Site locations include those directly adjacent to wastewater outfall at Clover and Macaulay Points and Saanich Peninsula, as well as from a variety of near-shore environments with differing tidal flow influences. Excellently preserved dinoflagellate cyst assemblages have been recovered and 36 cyst taxa were identified. Local assemblages are characterized by a high relative proportion (average 56%) of cysts produced by heterotrophic dinoflagellates, which is typical for regions of high primary production. Relative proportional increases of cysts from heterotrophic species with particular increases of Polykrikos kofoidii/schwartzii and Dubridinium species, known to reflect areas affected by eutrophication, occur directly adjacent to all three sewage outfalls, as well as in the more stagnant waters of Esquimalt and Victoria Harbours and at the mouth of Cadboro Bay. Further effects of an anthropogenic effluent can be seen in the relatively higher concentrations of organic carbon and the diatom production proxy, biogenic opal. Results from this study clearly indicate a much larger impact zone than predicted by a sewage effluent plume model or trends found in monitored benthic biota and sediment chemistry that evidence primary outfall affects <800 m eastward of Macaulay Point and about 200 m eastward of the Clover Point. Enhanced production of cysts from potentially toxic Alexandrium species is also observed near locations of sewage outfalls.     

Dinoflagellate cyst stratigraphy and palaeoenvironment of the marginal marine Middle and Upper Miocene of the eastern Campine area,northern Belgium (southern North Sea Basin)

A stratigraphical and palaeoenvironmental analysis with organic‐walled palynomorphs of the Bolderberg and Diest formations provides new insights in the depositional history during Miocene times at the southern border of the North Sea Basin. The Neogene transgression invaded Belgium from a north–northwestern direction and fully marine sediments were deposited in the northern part of Belgium. The age and the palaeoenvironment of the deposits at the very border of the southern North Sea Basin remained till a few decades ago incomplete. The recovered dinoflagellate cysts, acritarchs and green algae from the Bolderberg Formation in the Wijshagen Borehole indicate a marginal marine depositional environment during late Burdigalian and Langhian times in the eastern Campine area, in contrast to the deeper marine conditions prevailing to the north–northwest. The relative dating of the Bolderberg Formation confirms that maximum flooding occurred during Langhian to early Serravallian times. Deposition apparently took place during the Middle Miocene Climatic Optimum, and ended when the climatic deterioration set in at around 14 Ma. A hiatus spanning ca. 2 Ma separates the Middle Miocene Bolderberg Formation from the Upper Miocene Diest Formation in the eastern Campine area at the border of the North Sea Basin. Copyright © 2007 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.     

A new method for processing clay-rich unconsolidated sediments for paleoecological investigations

A method is described for processing flocculated clay-rich sediments which avoids acetolysis and heavy liquid separation. Twin 80 (Merck index 1983) is used for deflocculation. Microsieves separate the recovered organisms according to size. Taxonomic identification and quantitative evaluation of the organisms can be performed in counting chambers or on permanent slides. Algae, cysts and exospores of dinoflagellates, pollen grains and zooplankton remains can be recovered.     

Correlation of Barremian-Aptian (mid-Cretaceous) dinoflagellate cyst assemblages between the Tethyan and Austral realms

Quantified organic-walled dinoflagellate cyst (dinocyst) assemblages are presented for two sedimentary successions deposited in neritic environments of the Tethys Ocean during the Barremian and Aptian in an attempt to reconcile established dinocyst biostratigraphic schemes for Tethyan and Austral regions. One section is at Angles, southeast France (the Barremian stratotype section); the other is at Deep Sea Drilling Project Site 263, off northwest Australia. We also construct a carbon isotope record for Site 263 using bulk organic carbon.Both sections contain abundant, well-preserved dinocyst assemblages. These are diverse, with 89 taxa identified at Angles and 103 taxa identified at Site 263. Of these, more than 93% are cosmopolitan. When combined with other work at Angles and Site 263, we found that nine dinocysts have their first occurrence (FO) or last occurrence (LO) at both locations. These dinocyst events are, in alphabetical order: LO of Cassiculosphaeridia magna, FO of Criboperidinium? tenuiceras, LO of Kleithriasphaeridium fasciatum, LO of Muderongia staurota, FO of Odontochitina operculata, LO of Phoberocysta neocomica, FO of Prolixosphaeridium parvispinum, FO of Pseudoceratium retusum var. securigerum, and FO of Tehamadinium sousense. Although these events support a Barremian–Aptian age for both sections, their stratigraphic order is not the same in the sections. The δ¹³C_org record at Site 263 displays a characteristic series of changes that have also been recorded in other carbon isotope curves spanning the Late Barremian–Early Aptian. Such independent dating (along with ammonite zones at Angles) suggests that three of the nine dinocyst events are approximately isochronous at Angles and Site 263: the LO of K. fasciatum in the mid Barremian, the FO of P. retusum var. securigerum and the FO of C.? tenuiceras in the earliest Aptian; the other six dinocyst events are diachronous. Dinocyst assemblages at Site 263 can be loosely placed within existing Australian zonation schemes, providing much-needed calibration. Our data suggest that the Muderongia testudinaria Zone ends in sediments of mid Barremian age, the succeeding Muderongia australis Zone extends into the Early Aptian, and the younger Odontochitina operculata Zone begins in Early Aptian deposits. The boundary between the M. australis and O. operculata zones, and the Ovoidinium cinctum (as Ascodinium) Subzone, positioned at the top of the M. australis Zone when present, could not be recognized incontrovertibly. Interestingly, however, this horizon broadly correlates with the onset and extent of the Selli Event, a time of major biogeochemical change.