Late Pleistocene-Holocene productivity record of benthic foraminifera from the Iceland Plateau (Core PS1246-2)

• Main Authors: Costello, O. P., Bauch, H. A.
• Other Authors: Hass, H. C., Kaminski, M. A.
• Format: Book Part
• Language: English
• Published: Grzybowski Foundation 1997
• Subjects: Iceland Plateau; Iceland
• Online Access: https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/31206/; https://oceanrep.geomar.de/id/eprint/31206/1/Costello%2BBauch%201997%20L%20Pleistocene-Holocene.pdf

Benthic foraminiferal assemblage patterns in Core PS 1246-2 from the Iceland Plateau are examined as they relate to annual productivity and seasonal productivity changes during the Late Pleistocene glacial (23,000-11,000 yrs B.P.), Younger Dryas cool period (11,000-10,000 yrs B.P.) and Holocene (10,000-2,900 yrs B.P.). Abundance fluctuations of Cibicidoides wuellerstorji, a suspension-feeder, are used as the proxy for annual productivity, while fluctuations of the phytodetritus-exploiting species Epistoininclln r ~ i p r a E, ponides tlinzid~illisa nd GloDocossidlrliiia strbglobosa are used as the indicators of seasonal productivity. These records show seasonal productivity began to increase around 22,500 yrs B.P. and experienced three subsequent peaks in the glacial, while annual productivity increased around 16,000 yrs B.P. and shows only one peak in the glacial. The Younger Dryas shows a decrease in both seasonal and annual productivity records. Seasonal productivity in the early Holocene is much higher than during the glacial, yet appears more extreme. The Holocene record of annualproductivity continues to show a strong general increase in intensity.