Trace-Element Deposition in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela Shelf, Under Sulfate-Reducing Conditions
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���� Trace-Element Deposition in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela Shelf, under Sulfate- Reducing Conditions—a History of the Local Hydrography and Global Climate, 20 ka to the Present ������� ���� ��� � ��������� ������� � �� � ��� ���� � � ��� � ��� ��� � ��������� ���� ������� ����� ����� ������ ��� ��� ��� ���� ����� �������� � ��������� � �� � ��� ��� ����� �� ��� � �� ��� � ��� � Professional Paper 1670 U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey U.S. Department of the Interior U.S. Geological Survey Trace-Element Deposition in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela Shelf, under Sulfate- Reducing Conditions—a History of the Local Hydrography and Global Climate, 20 ka to the Present By David Z. Piper and Walter E. Dean Professional Paper 1670 U.S. Department of the Interior Gale A. Norton, Secretary U.S. Geological Survey Charles G. Groat, Director Any use of trade, product, or firm names in this publication is for descriptive purposes only and does not imply endorsement by the U.S. Government. United States Government Printing Office: 2002 For additional copies please contact: USGS Information Services Box 25286 Denver, CO 80225 This report and any updates to it are available online at http://geopubs.wr.usgs.gov/prof-paper/pp1670/ Additional USGS publications can be found online at http://geology.usgs.gov/products.html For more information about the USGS and its products: Telephone: 1–888–ASK–USGS (1–888–275–8747) World Wide Web: http://www.usgs.gov/ Text edited by James W. Hendley II Layout and design by Sara Boore Manuscript approved for publication, October 22, 2002 Cataloging-in Publication data is on file with the Library of Congress Contents Abstract......................................................................................................................................................................................... 01 Introduction................................................................................................................................................................................... 01 Analytical Techniques.................................................................................................................................................................... 04 The Age Model............................................................................................................................................................................... 04 Partitioning Trace Elements between Terrigenous-Source and Seawater-Source Fractions—A Trace-Element Model................... 04 Trace-Element Depositional Rates in the Surface Sediment—A Test of the Model.................................................................... 28 Trace-Element Accumulation Rates during the Past 20,000 Years—An Application of the Model................................................ 30 22 to 14.8 ka (bioturbated sediment)......................................................................................................................................... 34 14.8 to 10.4 ka (distinctly laminated sediment)...................................................................................................................... 35 10.4 to 0 ka (faintly laminated sediment)................................................................................................................................ 36 Elemental Ratios and Concentrations—An Alternative Model of Environmental Conditions....................................................... 37 Summary and Conclusions............................................................................................................................................................ 38 References..................................................................................................................................................................................... 39 Figures 1. Bathymetry of the northwest continental shelf of Venezuela showing location of core PL07-39PC............................... 02 2. Concentrations of Al2O3, Cd, Mo, and Zn with depth in core PL07-39PC....................................................................... 03 3. Age model for Cariaco Basin sediment............................................................................................................................ 04 4. Relation between the concentrations of Al2O3 and CaO in core PL07-39PC.................................................................. 13 5. Relations between the concentration of the terrigenous fraction, and Al2O3, and the concentrations of major-element oxides in core PL07-39PC.................................................................................................................... 21 6. Relations between the concentration of the terrigenous fraction and the concentrations of trace elements that exhibit approximate single trends with the terrigenous fraction in core PL07-39PC................................................ 22 7. Relation between the concentrations of the terrigenous fraction and manganese (Mn) in core PL07-39PC.................... 23 8. Relations between the concentration of the terrigenous fraction and the concentrations of Mo and Cd in core PL07-39PC............................................................................................................................................................ 24 9. Relations between the concentration of the terrigenous fraction and the concentrations of trace elements in core PL07-39PC that have strong factor loadings on the same factor as Al2O3, but have concentrations that are signifi- cantly greater than can be attributed solely to a terrigenous contribution......................................................................... 25 2- 10. Percentage of Cd, Cu, Ni, and Zn and Mo and V removed from SO4 -reducing bottom waters of modern marine basins....... 27 11. Schematic for the Cariaco Basin, showing “model” accumulation rates of the marine and terrigenous fractions of Cd and Mo................................................................................................................................... 29 12. Measured accumulation rates of the terrigenous and marine fractions of trace elements versus depth in core PL07-39PC...................................................................................................................................................................... 33 13. Relations between the concentrations of Mo and Zn and Mo and Cd in the seawater-derived fractions of sediment in core PL07-39PC........................................................................................................................................ 37 14. Relation between the concentrations of organic carbon and sediment depth in piston core PL07-39PC......................... 38 Tables 1. Concentrations in sediment of core Pl07-39PC of major-element oxides........................................................................ 05 2. Concentrations of major-element oxides and trace elements (1) in the world shale average (WSA) and the terrigenous fraction of the Cariaco Basin, (2) in marine biogenic debris, and (3) in seawater......................................... 15 3. Major components in sediment samples from the Cariaco Basin, in percent, calculated from major-oxide concentrations (table 1)................................................................................................................................. 16 4. Correlation coefficients for major-element oxides in sediment from the Cariaco Basin.................................................. 20 5. Varimax orthogonal transformation solution, principal components factor extraction method, of the log10 of trace-element analyses and major sediment components in sediment core PL07-39PC, calculated from major-element-oxide analyses, using Statviewtm II software............................................................................................ 23 6. Concentrations of trace elements in seawater and organic matter in the Cariaco Basin and their rates of deposition in the surface sediment of core PL07-39PC....................................................................................... 26 7. Calculated rates of deposition for the Cariaco Basin of marine Mo and Cd (1) as particulate organic matter settling out of the photic zone (the biogenic fraction) and (2) from bottom water 2- under conditions of SO4 reduction (the hydrogenous fraction)....................................................................................... 31 Trace-Element Deposition in the Cariaco Basin, Venezuela Shelf, under Sulfate-Reducing Conditions—A History of the Local Hydrography and Global Climate, 20 ka to the Present By David Z. Piper and Walter E. Dean Abstract to 4.0 ka, to its lowest value for the past 15 kyr, before gradu- ally increasing to the present. Between 14.8 ka and 8.6 ka, its A sediment core from the Cariaco Basin on the Venezu- accumulation rate exhibited strong maxima at 14.4, 13.0, and elan continental shelf, which recovered sediment that has been 9.9 ka. The oldest maximum corresponds to melt-water pulse dated back to 20 ka (thousand years ago), was examined for IA into the Gulf of Mexico. A relative minimum, centered at its major-element-oxide and trace-element composition. Cad- about 11.1 ka, corresponds to melt-water pulse IB; a strong mium (Cd), chromium (Cr), copper (Cu), molybdenum (Mo), maximum occurs in the immediately overlying sediment. nickel (Ni), vanadium (V), and