Detailed Modeling of Cenozoic Sedimentation in the North Pacific

Leinen博士(URI)已获得资金，与合作研究员Kyte博士(UCLA)合作，在NSF资助的早期研究的基础上再接再厉。这项先前的工作表明，非化石浮游粘土可能包含重要但往往被忽视的地质和古海洋学信息。到目前为止，作者已经对北太平洋中部LL4-GPC3柱状沉积物中跨越70 Ma的325个样品进行了中子活化分析。他们开发了一种反向建模技术，将在该岩芯中分析的39种元素与8个端元沉积物成分进行匹配。由此形成了风成、火山、热液、水和生物对太平洋盆地的贡献的历史。通过此次获奖，Kyte博士和Leinen博士将把这些分析和建模技术扩展到另一个长期记录(北太平洋西部的DSDP站点576)，并将纳入对整个北太平洋表层沉积物的平行矿物学(X射线衍射)分析。目的是加深他们对北太平洋沉积物中主要、次要+微量元素分布的化学和矿物学控制的理解，并继续发展这一技术作为古环境解释的一种新方法。

Dr. Leinen (URI) has been awarded funds to work with co-investigator Dr. Kyte (UCLA) to build upon earlier research funded by NSF. This previous work has demonstrated that non-fossiliferous pelagic clays may contain important but often overlooked geologic and paleoceanographic information. To date, the authors have conducted neutron activation analyses on 325 samples spanning 70 Ma of sediment in core LL4-GPC3 from the central N Pacific. They developed an inverse modeling technique that juggles the 39 elements analyzed in this core to match 8 end-member sediment components. From this is emerging a history of eolian, volcanic, hydrothermal, hydrogenous and biologic contribution to the Pacific ocean basin. With the present award, Drs. Kyte and Leinen will extend these analyses and modeling techniques to another long record (DSDP Site 576 in the western N Pacific) and will incorporate parallel mineralogic (XRD) analyses on surface sediments from throughout the N Pacific. The goal is to refine their understanding of the chemical and mineralogical controls on the distribution of major, minor + trace elements in N Pacific sediments, and continue to develop this technique as a new approach in paleoenvironmental interpretation.