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Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring Cindy Pilskaln Principal Investigator Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Ph.D. in Geology

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Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring Cindy Pilskaln Principal Investigator Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Ph.D. in Geology Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring Cindy Pilskaln Principal Investigator Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences Ph.D. in Geology/Geochemistry Harvard University Cindy received a B.A. in Geology in 1978 from the University of Vermont followed by a M.A. and Ph.D. in Geology from Harvard University. After graduation, she continued to work as a Visiting Investigator at Woods Hole Oceanographic Institute and a Post-Doctoral Associate at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She also became a Research Associate/Adjunct Professor at Duke University Marine Laboratory, an Assistant Scientist at the Monterey Bay Aquarium Research Institute and an Associate Professor of Oceanography at the University of Maine. Today she is a Principal Investigator at the Bigelow Laboratory for Ocean Sciences in Maine. Dr. Pilskaln continues to be a scientist and educator. Her cutting edge research focuses on the determination of the global significance of biological production and water column chemical processes to the deposition of deep-sea sediments and the regulation of atmospheric carbon dioxide. Her educational interests include teaching at the university level, teaching and mentoring in K-12, and taking part in educational films about the ocean. She has also developed an interactive web site about ongoing Antarctic research. Cindy enjoys studying oceans all over the world as she meets new challenges. She finds her work rewarding because she always has new questions to answer and problems to solve. She would like students to know that oceanography is an exciting and fun career. ©Project Oceanography 98 Spring 2002 Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring Unit IV Deep-Sea Sediment Coring On the cutting edge… Cindy Pilskaln is on the cutting edge of science using the latest technology to study the sediments that make up the deep-sea floor. Using various types of core sampling devices, she is able to collect undisturbed layers of sediment. When these sediments are carefully analyzed, they tell a story about the formation of the ocean bottom that can be related to global events. Dr. Pilskaln hopes to continue her research and learn more about the biological and chemical processes that contribute to sediment deposition on the ocean bottom. The Story of Deep-Sea Sediments Lesson Objectives: Students will be able to do the following: • Describe two ways to classify ocean floor sediments • Compare and contrast three sediment sampling devices • Explain how sediments can be used to create a historical record Key concepts: weathering, terrigenous sediment, biogenic sediment, core samplers, marine snow, chemical precipitates Formation of Deep-Sea Sediments The deep-sea particles in millimeters (mm) or ocean floor is made microns (=1/1000 of a millimeter). up of sediment. The particles from largest to smallest This sediment is are gravel, sand, silt, and clay. composed of tiny Gravel can be as big as a boulder particles such as (>256 mm) or as small as a granule fine sand, silt, clay, (2-4 mm). Silt (0.00039-0.0625mm) or animal skeletons and clay (0.0002-0.0039mm) are that have settled on the ocean very tiny particles that are generally bottom. Over long periods of time, mixed together to form mud. Most some of these particles become deep ocean sediments are silt and compressed and form stratified mud. layers. Scientists that study these layers look at particle size, particle Most sediments composition, and origin to help them form as rocks create historical records of the deep are broken ocean floor. down into smaller Particle or grain size is determined particles such by measuring the diameters of the as sand and clay. This process is ©Project Oceanography 99 Spring 2002 Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring called weathering. Weathering can plants and tiny be either mechanical or chemical. organisms. These Mechanical weathering can occur as sediments are called ice, wind, or water wears away the biogenic sediments. rock’s surface. Chemical weathering Very small can occur as rocks are dissolved by microscopic animals a chemical such as acid rain. The known as zooplankton feed on particles created as a result of microscopic plants or algae called weathering are called terrigenous phytoplankton in the ocean surface sediments. These waters. Phytoplankton and tiny particles are organisms called protozoans in the transported to the ocean have beautiful skeletons ocean by wind and made up of biogenic silica (a type of by rivers and biological glass) and calcium streams. Once the particles enter the carbonate (same composition as ocean, they are dispersed by waves, beach shells). The zooplankton filter currents, and tides. The heaviest large amounts of water each day, and largest particles that reach the consuming microscopic algae and oceans, such as sand, settle very protozoans as well as small clay quickly to the bottom as a result of particles in the gravity. Sand is deposited near the water. coast whereas the smaller silt and Zooplankton clay particles are transported farther produce many distances offshore before they settle fecal pellets as a result of their filter to the bottom. Often, large deposits feeding activity and these pellets of sand and silt pile up at the edge of contain the skeleton remains of the the continental shelf. If these piles of tiny algae and protozoans, as well as sediment are disturbed by lots of organic matter and often clay underwater earthquakes, they will particles. Fecal pellets sink much slide down the faster than the particles contained in continental slope them and so they are able to into the deeper transport the tiny particles to the ocean and produce deep-sea in a matter of weeks to a turbidity current months. Once the pellets reach the of mixed sediment bottom, they break apart and their and water that moves along the tiny particle contents become part of ocean floor and is eventually the deep-sea sediments. These fecal deposited. This is the primary way in pellets and marine snow make up which sand is transported to the the material that deep-sea where the sediments are sinks through the made up of tiny silt and clay ocean, carrying particles. organic food, clay minerals, and Other deep-sea sediments originate skeletons of biogenic silica and as skeleton remains of microscopic calcium carbonate to the sea floor, ©Project Oceanography 100 Spring 2002 Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring forming part of the bottom or less in size and have shapes that sediments. Marine snow consists of resemble tiny coiled shells or bits of dead as well as living algae snowflakes. Over and tiny organisms, as well as clay millions of years, particles and fecal pellets that are these skeletons build held together with mucus. These up and accumulate in mucus-bound particles are generally the deep ocean to greater than 0.2 mm (or 200 um) in become a major size, and they can grow to be almost component of biogenic a meter (over 3’) in diameter. deep-sea sediments. Scientists often think of marine snow as the “dust balls” of the ocean, Additional deep-sea sediments are similar to dust the product of chemical reactions particles in your that take place in the water column house that pick up near or at the seafloor. These lots of little particles reactions can produce precipitates and can grow in that form chimney structures, crusts, size. Marine snow or nodules. Many of these chemical particles contain a precipitate sediments are found in large amount of the deep Pacific and all are organic carbon from phytoplankton. associated with submarine volcanic Ocean phytoplankton consume activity near or along submarine carbon dioxide, as do all plants, in ridges. They were first discovered the process of photosynthesis. This and sampled using small scientific process is responsible for removing submersibles. Chemical precipitate carbon dioxide from the atmosphere sediments often contain large to the ocean. The phytoplankton use amounts of heavy minerals such as the carbon dioxide to grow, thus manganese, zinc, and copper. producing organic carbon plant matter from atmospheric carbon. So, Occasionally, deep-sea sediments as the organic-rich marine snow and contain small amounts fecal pellets sink to the sea floor, of volcanic ash from they are basically transporting large eruptions carbon originally from the occurring on the atmosphere, to the ocean bottom. continents. The ash is Also caught transported long up in the distances out to sea by winds and sinking, settles extremely slowly to the marine snow seafloor (taking many years), or particles are more quickly if the ash becomes part the tiny of a fast-sinking fecal pellet or a skeletons of silica and calcium marine snow particle. Marine carbonate produced by protozoans geologists have also found dust from called radiolarians and foraminifera. outer space deposited in some The skeletons are often a millimeter deep-sea sediments. ©Project Oceanography 101 Spring 2002 Unit Four Deep-Sea Sediment Coring Sampling of Mud in the Sea mud”. A box core usually contains some overlying water, a surface “floc” layer where newly deposited particles are suspended, and frequently the core collects some benthic animals such as worms and starfish. Box corers are used to collect mud and silt but not sand. Several types of technology are used to collect marine sediments from research ships. These devices include surface samplers and sediment corers. Surface samplers collect only the uppermost layers of the ocean floor. These devices include dredges and benthic grabs. Dredges are heavy nets attached to metal frames that are dragged along the bottom behind a ship. The nets themselves can be made of chain. Dredges are useful when collecting samples from hard surfaces such as the rocky bottoms of coastal ledges. The most common types of sediment corer used by marine geologists to collect mud and silt are those that collect a tube of sediment.
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