Palynodebris analysis of a shallow core from the Barents Sea

A quantitative study of palynomorphs and palynodebris in a shallow core from the central part of Bjbrn0yrenna. western Barents Sea, is presented. The core could be subdivided into a lower part characterized by a complete dominance of reworked plant debris of Mesozoic age and an upper part with consi...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Polar Research
Main Authors: Throndsen, Torbjørn, Bjærke, Tor
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Norwegian Polar Institute 2010
Subjects:
Online Access:https://polarresearch.net/index.php/polar/article/view/2544
https://doi.org/10.3402/polar.v1i1.6969
Description
Summary:A quantitative study of palynomorphs and palynodebris in a shallow core from the central part of Bjbrn0yrenna. western Barents Sea, is presented. The core could be subdivided into a lower part characterized by a complete dominance of reworked plant debris of Mesozoic age and an upper part with considerable input of first cycle algal debris and dinoflagellate cysts. Two hypotheses are suggested to explain this radical change in palynodebris composition. Either it represents a transition from a situation with permanent ice to normal marine conditions, or the absence of first cycle plant debris in the lower part of the core is caused by a masking of this component due to extremely high input of glacially eroded material from the bordering shallow parts of the Barents Sea. The present study shows that palynodebris analysis may contribute important information to the study of composition and depositional environment of Quaternary marine sediments in the area.