Elemental analysis using scanning XRF of a Labrador Sea sediment core to better understand how ice left the planet through the last deglaciation
Over the past 30 kyr, the earth’s climate has transitioned from glacial to interglacial. Many studies have deconstructed the mechanisms that allowed Earth to gradually enter this glacial period, but the mechanisms that allowed the planet to rapidly transition back to interglacial are still poorly un...
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| Other Authors: | , , , , , |
| Format: | Thesis |
| Language: | English unknown |
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Oregon State University
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| Online Access: | https://ir.library.oregonstate.edu/concern/honors_college_theses/wm117z01n |
| Summary: | Over the past 30 kyr, the earth’s climate has transitioned from glacial to interglacial. Many studies have deconstructed the mechanisms that allowed Earth to gradually enter this glacial period, but the mechanisms that allowed the planet to rapidly transition back to interglacial are still poorly understood. In this study, I analyze a sediment core collected from the west Labrador Sea (AR2307-8JC) using scanning X-ray fluorescence (XRF) among other physical analyses. This technique allows us to investigate changes in elemental abundances associated with palaeoceanographic phenomena known as Henrich Events. These are characteristic deposits in the Atlantic Ocean Basin that are thought to represent the episodic retreat of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets. The results of this analysis were used to create an age model for this core which will be tested in future experiments and discuss possible mechanisms of deglaciation. Keywords: paleoceanography, glacial geology, deglaciation, climate change |
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