Sediment and Ocean History of the N.E. Pacific During the Pleistocene: A Pilot Study

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The purposes of this research (a one-year pilot program) are to examine the sediment and isotope geochemistry and paleomagnetism of cores from the N.E. Pacific Ocean and to establish a framework for later sedimentological, micropaleontological, and geochemical studies of the paleoceanography and sediment history in conjunction with the JOIDES RESOLUTION operations in the region in 1990-1991. Our immediate goal is to establish a regional isotope and carbonate stratigraphy using existing cores and material to be collected on a Canadian cruise to the Gulf of Alaska in August, 1978. However, the geochemical information obtained in this study will also provide important information on outstanding questions concerning the history of the N.E. Pacific. Specifically, we will 1) examine the temporal and spatial behavior of the carbonate compensation depth (CCD) during the Quaternary; 2) establish whether North Pacific Bottom Water (NPBW) was formed during glacial times; 3) evaluate the history and extent of marine and backarc volcanism; and 4) examine the effects of climatic change on the provenance, supply, and dispersal pathways of continentally-derived material. If, indeed, the North Pacific has been a locus of deep water formation, then its history becomes of major importance in understanding global climatic change. The REU supplement will enable a University of Washington undergraduate to participate in this work and gain valuable experience in both observational and analytical aspects of marine geology. Under the guidance of the PI, the student will participate in core opening, description, and sampling for sedimentology, geochemistry, paleo/rock magnetism, and isotope analysis. He will assist in routine paleomagnetic measurements and learn to apply quantitative analytical techniques to geochemical and paleomagnetic data. He will also work with the PI in the interpretation and synthesis of the results with available geophysical data to understand temporal and areal patterns of sedimentation.