Radiolaria fossils in the surface sediments and sedimentary environment in the Bering Sea

• Main Authors: Zhenbo, Cheng, Xuefa, Shi, Xiaohua, Ju, Zhihua, Chen
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2000
• Subjects: Bering Sea; Kamchatka Peninsula; Advances in Polar Science; Kamchatka; Polar Science; Aleutian Islands
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2202/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2202/1/A200002001.pdf

Totally 2472 grains of Radiolaria belonging to 36 Genera and 45 species are distinguished from 12 surface sediments in the Bering Sea. The distribution characteristics of Radiolaria fossils in the surface sediments are as follows: (1) From the shelf of shallow water to the upper of continental slope, there are a few Radiolaria fossils and monotonous genus and species; (2) In the lower of continental slope, Radiolaria fossils are poor in the volcanic cinders and turbidite; (3) The abundance and diversity of Radiolaria fossils are high in clay of the basin. The dominant species of Radiolaria is Spongotrochus glacialis on the continental shelf. Current, topography, water depth, and temperature etc. are key factors influencing Radiolaria distribution. The sources of sediments mainly are terrigenous, biogenic and volcanic sediments in the survey area and they are mostly from the Kamchatka peninsula in the east of Russia and the Aleutian Islands.