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Integrated Rock Magnetic and Geochemical Quantification of Redoxomorphic Iron Mineral Diagenesis in Late Quaternary Sediments from the Equatorial Atlantic

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The South Atlantic in the Late Quaternary

Abstract

Rock magnetic and geochemical data logged by fast, non-destructive X-ray fluorescence and susceptibility half core scanning techniques have been combined to create high-resolution records of redoxomorphic iron mineral diagenesis in suboxic marine sediments. The great potential of this approach and advantage to standard single sample methods is demonstrated on two Late Quaternary sequences from the central Equatorial Atlantic (GeoB 2908–7 and 4317–2). Reducti ve dissolution of ferric minerals, most prominently magnetite (Fe3O4) and hematite (Fe2O43), induced by organic carbon degradation is shown to represent a gradual, mineral- and grain-size selective process. Proportionality of Fe, Ti and magnetite concentrations in the unaltered sections lead us to define proxy parameters for magnetite depletion (Fe/κnd) below and precipitation (κnd/Ti) above the modem and numerous fossil redox boundaries, while iron relocation was detected on basis of the Fe/Ti ratio. By calibrating all three ratios internally, we reconstruct and quantify primary deposition and secondary change of both, magnetite and total Fe profiles. Fine-scaled Corg variations (0.1 to 0.6%) and susceptibility losses (up to 200 · 10−6 SI) show high signal resemblance and appear to be equivalent signatures of cyclic productivity pulses in the study area. Some minor suboxic events are still expressed in the rock magnetic proxy signal, but are not accompanied by residual Corg enrichments.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Postfach 33 04 40, D-28334, Bremen, Germany

    J. A. Funk & T. von Dobeneck

  2. Paleomagnetic Laboratory 'Fort Hoofddijk', Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, Budapestlaan 17, 3584 CD, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    T. von Dobeneck

  3. Geochemistry Department, Faculty of Earth Sciences, Utrecht University, PO Box 80 021, 3508 TA, Utrecht, The Netherlands

    A. Reitz

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  1. J. A. Funk
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  2. T. von Dobeneck
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Editors and Affiliations

  1. DFG Research Center Ocean Margins, University of Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, 28359, Bremen, Germany

    Gerold Wefer , Stefan Mulitza  & Volker Ratmeyer ,  & 

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Funk, J.A., von Dobeneck, T., Reitz, A. (2003). Integrated Rock Magnetic and Geochemical Quantification of Redoxomorphic Iron Mineral Diagenesis in Late Quaternary Sediments from the Equatorial Atlantic. In: Wefer, G., Mulitza, S., Ratmeyer, V. (eds) The South Atlantic in the Late Quaternary. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18917-3_12

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-18917-3_12

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