Elsevier

Quaternary Science Reviews

Volume 92, 15 May 2014, Pages 140-154
Quaternary Science Reviews

Invited review
Late Quaternary evolution of sediment provenances in the Central Arctic Ocean: mineral assemblage, trace element composition and Nd and Pb isotope fingerprints of detrital fraction from the Northern Mendeleev Ridge

https://doi.org/10.1016/j.quascirev.2013.12.011Get rights and content

Highlights

  • Nd and Pb isotope signatures of fine detrital sediment fraction are tracer of sources.

  • Glacial and interglacials are characterised by systematic changes in sediment sources.

  • The volcanic Okhotsh-Chukotka province has major contribution during glacials.

Abstract

Mineral assemblage, trace element content and Nd and Pb isotope signatures were analysed on the fine fraction (<20 μm) of sedimentary records from the Northern Mendeleev Ridge in the Central Arctic Ocean. Our aim was to identify the detrital particle provenance and to interpret the changes over the past ∼250 ka in the relative contribution of the different source-areas in relation to paleoenvironmental conditions. The clay mineral assemblage and the Nd and Pb isotope signatures depict systematic changes over the Late Quaternary. The bulk mineralogy exhibits increases in the relative contribution of carbonate minerals vs. silicates in interglacial/deglacial intervals. In glacial intervals, the mineral assemblage of the <20 μm fraction is characterised by an enrichment in kaolinite, counterbalanced by a decrease in illite. The Nd and Pb isotope signatures of <20 μm fraction are interpreted using a three end-member mixing model, involving crustal supplies from North America and Canada, from the Siberian margin and some from volcanic material. A compilation of geochemical signatures of geological terraines surrounding the Arctic Ocean allowed each end-member to be assigned a representative signature, averaging the signal of the eroded terraines. The Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) of the MacKenzie River represents an average signature of the sedimentary supplies delivered from the North American platform and Canadian margin. The SPM of the Lena River reflects the mean sedimentary signature of the Siberian platform. The Okhotsh-Chukotka province from the Eastern border of Siberia is identified as the most probable volcanic source. Late Quaternary evolution of the estimated relative contribution of the three end-members confirms that the sediment provenances in the Central Arctic Ocean remain close to the current conditions during past interglacials/deglacials MIS1–3, MIS5/TII and MIS7/TIII. In contrast, glacial conditions (MIS4 and MIS6) record minimum supplies from the American margin, associated with increased volcanic contribution, to the Mendeleev Ridge core location suggesting a different sea-ice circulation associated with a low sea-level and reduced shelf area.

Introduction

During the last decade many oceanographical cruises and environmental studies have been performed in the Arctic (e.g., Darby et al., 2005; McDonald et al., 2005; Stein, 2008, Polyak et al., 2009, Jakobsson et al., 2010a, Jakobsson et al., 2010b) emphasising its sensitivity to climate change but also its influence on climate regulation (e.g., Kellogg, 1995) and on global thermohaline circulation (THC, e.g., Hoffman et al., 2013, Jang et al., 2013). Provenance studies in particular have allowed changes in surface Arctic circulation over the late Pleistocene to be determined. Petrography of ice-rafted detritus (IRD) has been used to identify the main sources of Arctic sediments (Bischof and Darby, 2007). In addition, the purely detrital origin of Arctic clays (Washner et al., 1999) allows their distribution in surface sediments to be used as a provenance indicator (Vogt et al., 2001, Viscosi-Shirley et al., 2003, Krylov et al., 2008, Vogt. and Knies, 2008, Stein et al., 2010). However, Darby et al. (2011) have suggested that sea ice clay mineral assemblages do not match specific sources, “making it difficult to use as a provenance tool by itself”. Such mineralogical tracers are helpful, although sources are better constrained using additional tracers like sedimentary isotope signatures.

In the Arctic Ocean a few studies on radiogenic isotopes of Sr, Nd and Pb have been done on bulk sediments (Tütcken et al., 2002, Haley et al., 2008a), on the authigenic fraction of sediment obtained after leaching (Winter et al., 1997, Haley et al., 2008a, Haley et al., 2008b, Maccali et al., 2012, Haley and Polyak, 2013, Jang et al., 2013) and on detrital fractions (Winter et al., 1997, Asahara et al., 2012). Haley et al. (2008b) have investigated the variability of Arctic intermediate circulation over late Pleistocene glacial/interglacials using radiogenic isotope signature of leached sediments. For example, metal-coating extracted by leaching represents an authigenic signal; its isotope signature records a fingerprint of water. Their Lomonosov Ridge data showed pronounced Nd isotope variability on millennial time-scales over the past 500 ka. These variations are interpreted as switches between an interglacial modern-like circulation mode, and a glacial mode. During glacial periods, the circulation of Arctic Intermediate Waters (AIW) was controlled by enhanced input of shelf waters from brine sources (Kara Sea) together with a restricted input from the North Atlantic.

In this study we focus on the detrital sedimentary fraction as it brings information on particle provenance and indirect information on circulation (see Fagel, 2007 for a review). The implication for the transport agent will mainly concern surface circulation and sea-ice drifting. By coupling mineralogy and geochemistry of the fine sedimentary fraction (<20 μm) our aims are to (1) identify the detrital particle provenance in sediments from the Central Arctic Ocean; (2) to estimate the relative contribution of the different sources and; (3) to interpret the changes in the relative contribution of the different source-areas in terms of paleoenvironmental changes over the past ∼250 ka in the Central Arctic Ocean.

Section snippets

Sediment core description

Two sediment cores were collected at ∼1600 m on the Mendeleev Ridge (Fig. 1) during the HOTRAX 2005 cruise (Darby et al., 2005). Here we present results from the multicore HLY0503-12MC8 (12 MC, 83°17.797′ N, 171°54.994′ W, 1586 m water depth). Note all results from the upper part (down to 78 cm) of the trigger weight core HLY0503-12TC (12TC, 83° 17.465′ N, 171° 57.464′ W, 1585 m water depth) are reported as Supplementary material. The sediment consists of alternating layers of yellow-brown

Mineral assemblage

Mineral assemblages were measured on the upper 80 cm of core 12TC (10 mm–20 mm resolution) and on the upper 34 cm of 12MC (5 mm resolution, analyses by Michel Preda, GEOTOP). Measurements were performed on a Siemens D5000 apparatus with a Cu Ka radiation, 2 mm divergence and antiscatter slits under 40 kV and 30 mA operating conditions. The XRD patterns were recorded by a Sol-X detector (detector slit 0.2 mm) between 2° and 45° 2θ using a step scan 0.02° and a step time of 0.6 s.

Samples were

Mineral assemblage

The bulk mineral assemblage depicts pronounced changes in the relative contribution of carbonates (2% < calcite < 60%, 2% < dolomite < 30%) with regard to silicates (see Supplementary material for a comparison between MC12 and TC12). In core 12MC a first carbonate-rich layer (0–8 cm) is observed during MIS1–3 and a second, less marked, coincides with MIS5/TII (Fig. 2). In core 12MC the mineral assemblage of the sands (>63 μm) and coarse silts (20–63 μm) are composed of the same mineral

Discussion

The following discussion is divided into 4 sections. For identification of the sedimentary supplies to the Central Arctic Ocean we first characterise the geochemical signatures of the regional geology of outcropping terraines surrounding the Arctic Ocean. Second, we compare our sedimentary data with the signatures of the regional sources. Third, we define the regional sources and evaluate their relative contribution over glacial/interglacial within the sediment. Fourth, implications for the

Conclusion

Mineralogical, geochemical and Nd and Pb isotope data of the fine sediment fraction (<20 μm) of deep cores have enabled the identification of the main sedimentary sources delivered to the Central Arctic Ocean during the late Quaternary period. The three sediment sources, SPM from the MacKenzie river, SPM from the Lena river/Siberian craton, Okhotsh-Chukotka province, are continuously maintained during the past 250 ky. However the relative contribution of the sedimentary supplies exhibit

Acknowledgements

We thank for their technical support Michel Preda for sample preparation and X-ray diffraction analyses (Geotop, Montreal), Catherine Chauvel for ICP-MS analyses (Grenoble, France) and Jeroen De Jong for MC–ICP-MS (G-Time, ULB); Romain Millot (BRGM, France) for the provision of some thesis data. English editing has been kindly done by Dr. Anson Mackay from University College of London (UCL). The authors also acknowledge the reviewers and the editor for their comments on the manuscript.

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