Dullo, Wolf-Christian

Margreht, S.

Raddatz, Jacek

Rüggeberg, Andres

English

OceanRep

Geophysical Research Abstracts,Vol. 11, EGU2009-2871-1, 2009EGU General Assembly 2009© Author(s) 2009Paleo-environment of cold-water coral initiation in the NEAtlantic:Implications from a deep-water carbonate mound drilling coreJ. Raddatz (1), A. Rüggeberg (1), W.-Chr., Dullo (1), and S. Margreht (2)(1) IFM-Geomar, Paleoceanography, Kiel, Germany (jraddatz@ifm-geomar.de, 04316002309), (2) University of Fribourg,Department of geosciences, Ch. du Musée 6, Fribourg, SwitzerlandThe understanding of the paleo-environment during initiation and early development of deep-water carbonatemounds in the NE Atlantic is still under debate. The Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 307 sailedin 2005 to the Porcupine Seabight in order to investigate for the first time sediments from the base of a giantcarbonate mound (Challenger Mound, 155 m). These results indicate that the initiation and start-up phase of thiscarbonate mound coincides with the beginning of the Northern Hemisphere Glaciation (NHG) at around 2.6 Ma(Kano et al. 2007). Further carbonate mound development seems to be strongly dependent on rapid changes inpaleo-oceanographic and climatic conditions around the Pliocene-Pleistocene boundary, especially characterizedand caused by intermediate water masses.To characterise the paleo-environmental and paleo-ecological setting favourable for the initial coral colonizationat 2.6 Ma, we use well-developed proxies such as δ18O and δ13C of planktonic (Globigerina bulloides) andof a collection of benthic foraminifera (Cibicidoides wuellerstorfi, Discanomalina coronata, Cibicides lobatulus,Lobatulua antarctica, Planulina ariminensis), benthic foraminiferal assemblages, as well as grain size analysis.These proxies indicate variability in seawater temperature, salinity and density of intermediate water masses fromsouthern origin (Mediterranean, Bay of Biscay) supporting cold-water coral settlement and initial development inthe Porcupine Seabight.References: Kano et al. (2007) Age constraints on the origin and growth history of a deep-water coral mound in thenortheast Atlantic drilled during Integrated Ocean Drilling Program Expedition 307. Geology, 35(11):1051–1054.

Paleo-environment of cold-water coral initiation in the NE Atlantic: implications from a deep-water carbonate mound drilling core

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