Diatom abundance in surface sediments of the Southern Ocean ...

• Main Authors: Esper, Oliver, Gersonde, Rainer, Kadagies, Nicole
• Format: Dataset
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA 2010
• Subjects: Event label; Latitude of event; Longitude of event; Elevation of event; DEPTH, sediment/rock; Actinocyclus actinochilus; Actinocyclus curvatulus; Asteromphalus hookeri; Asteromphalus hyalinus; Asteromphalus parvulus; Azpeitia tabularis var. tabularis; Azpeitia tabularis var. egregius; Chaetoceros spp.; Eucampia antarctica; Fragilariopsis curta; Fragilariopsis cylindrus; Fragilariopsis doliolus; Fragilariopsis kerguelensis; Fragilariopsis obliquecostata; Fragilariopsis rhombica; Fragilariopsis ritscheri; Fragilariopsis separanda; Fragilariopsis sublinearis; Hemidiscus cuneiformis; Nitzschia bicapitata; Nitzschia kolaczeckii; Porosira glacialis; Pseudo-nitzschia turgiduloides; Rhizosolenia antennata forma antennata; Rhizosolenia antennata forma semispina; Rhizosolenia bergonii; Rhizosolenia sp.; Rhizosolenia spp.; Roperia tesselata; Thalassionema nitzschioides forma 1; Thalassionema nitzschioides var. capitulata; Thalassionema nitzschioides var. lanceolata; Thalassionema nitzschioides var. parva; Thalassionema spp.; Thalassiosira antarctica; Thalassiosira frenguelliopsis; Thalassiosira gracilis var. expecta; Thalassiosira gracilis var. gracilis; Thalassiosira gravida; Thalassiosira lentiginosa; Thalassiosira oestrupii; Thalassiosira oliverana; Thalassiosira spp.; Thalassiosira trifulta; Thalassiosira tumida; Antarc*; Antarctic; Antarctica; Sea ice; Southern Ocean
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.681699; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.681699

The quantitative analysis of diatom assemblages preserved in 52 samples from the Bellingshausen and the Amundsen Seas provides the first comprehensive view on the distribution of diatoms in surface sediments of the eastern and central Pacific sector of the Southern Ocean. On a latitudinal transect along 120°W, diatom valve accumulation rates (AR) reach maximum values (8–10 × 10**8 valves m**-2 yr**-1) in a zone extending over ca. 900 km between the Antarctic Polar Front and the maximum average winter sea ice extent and exceed those ARs obtained from an eastern transect along 90°W by one order of magnitude. Lowest diatom concentrations (1–3 × 10**6 valves g**-1) were encountered in sediments of the Sea Ice Zone, affected by winter and summer sea ice. The accumulation rate pattern of the most abundant diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis (> 50% abundance in 47 samples) mirrors the pattern of the total diatom valve AR and the biogenic silica (BSi) AR, making F. kerguelensis the major contributor to the BSi ... : Data are accessible on request: [e-mail] ...