Mineralogical study of surface sediments in the western Arctic Ocean and their implications for material sources

• Main Authors: Linsen, Dong, Xuefa, Shi, Yanguang, Liu, Xisheng, Fang, Zhihua, Chen, Chunjuan, Wang, Jianjun, Zou, Yuanhui, Huang
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Polar Research Institute of China - PRIC 2014
• Subjects: Oceans; Advances in Polar Science; Anadyr; Anadyr'; Arctic; Arctic Ocean; Bering Strait; canada basin; Chukchi; Chukchi Sea; Kuskokwim; laptev; Laptev Sea; Mackenzie river; Polar Science; Alaska; Siberia; Yukon
• Online Access: http://library.arcticportal.org/2537/; http://library.arcticportal.org/2537/1/A20140308.pdf

Mineralogical analysis was performed on bulk sediments of 79 surface samples using X-ray diffraction. The analytical results, combined with data on ocean currents and the regional geological background, were used to investigate the mineral sources. Mineral assemblages in sediments and their distribution in the study area indicate that the material sources are complex. (1) Feldspar is abundant in the sediments of the middle Chukchi Sea near the Bering Strait, originating from sediments in the Anadyr River carried by the Anadyr Current. Sediments deposited on the western side of the Chukchi Sea are rich in feldspar. Compared with other areas, sediments in this region are rich in hornblende transported from volcanic and sedimentary rocks in Siberia by the Anadyr Stream and the Siberian Coastal Current. Sediments in the eastern Chukchi Sea are rich in quartz sourced from sediments of the Yukon and Kuskokwim rivers carried by the Alaska Coastal Current. Sediments in the northern Chukchi Sea are rich in quartz and carbonates from the Mackenzie River sediments. (2) Sediments of the southern and central Canada Basin contain little calcite and dolomite, mainly due to the small impact of the Beaufort Gyre carrying carbonates from the Canadian Arctic Islands. Compared with other areas, the mica content in the region is high, implying that the Laptev Sea is the main sediment source for the southern and central Canada Basin. In the other deep sea areas, calcite and dolomite levels are high caused by the input of large amounts of sediment carried by the Beaufort Gyre from the Canadian Arctic Islands (Banks and Victoria). The Siberian Laptev Sea also provides small amounts of sediment for this region. Furthermore, the Atlantic mid-water contributes some fi ne-grained material to the entire deep western Arctic Ocean.