Iron fertilisation and biogeochemical cycles in the sub-Arctic northwest Pacific during the late Pliocene intensification of northern hemisphere glaciation

• Published in: Earth and Planetary Science Letters
• Main Authors: Bailey, Ian, Liu, Qingsong, Swann, George E.A., Jiang, Zhaozia, Sun, Youbin, Zhao, Xiang, Roberts, Andrew P.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: unknown
• Published: 2011
• Subjects: Arctic; Pacific; Magnetic susceptibility
• Online Access: https://eprints.soton.ac.uk/187715/

Increases in the low-field mass-specific magnetic susceptibility (?), dropstones and the terrigenous sediment component from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 882 (~45°N) have been interpreted to indicate a major onset of ice-rafting to the sub-Arctic northwest Pacific Ocean during marine isotope stage (MIS) G6 (from ~2.75 Ma). In contrast, studies of the terrigenous content of sediments cored downwind of ODP Site 882 indicate that dust and disseminated volcanic ash deposition in the sub-Arctic Pacific increased markedly during MIS G6. To investigate the relative contribution of dust, volcanic ash and ice rafting to the Pliocene ? increase, we present new high-resolution environmental magnetic and ice-rafted debris records from ODP sites 882 and 885. Our results demonstrate that the ? increase at both sites across MIS G6 is predominantly controlled by a previously overlooked mixture of aeolian dust and volcanic ash. Our findings call into question the reliability of ? as a proxy for ice-rafting to the North Pacific. They also highlight a previously undocumented link between iron fertilization and biogeochemical cycling in the North Pacific at a key stage during intensification of late Pliocene northern hemisphere glaciation.