Late Quaternary coccoliths at the North Pole: Evidence of ice-free conditions and rapid sedimentation in the central Arctic Ocean

Research Article| March 01, 1993 Late Quaternary coccoliths at the North Pole: Evidence of ice-free conditions and rapid sedimentation in the central Arctic Ocean Gunilla Gard Gunilla Gard 1Department of Geology and Geochemistry, Stockholm University, S-106 91 Stockholm, Sweden Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1993) 21 (3): 227–230. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1993)021<0227:LQCATN>2.3.CO;2 Article history first online: 02 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Gunilla Gard; Late Quaternary coccoliths at the North Pole: Evidence of ice-free conditions and rapid sedimentation in the central Arctic Ocean. Geology 1993;; 21 (3): 227–230. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1993)021<0227:LQCATN>2.3.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract Calcareous nannofossils from approximately the past 7000 yr of the Holocene and from oxygen isotope stage 5 are present at 39 analyzed sites in the central Arctic Ocean. This indicates partly ice-free conditions during at least some summers. The depth of Holocene sediments in the Nansen basin is about 20 cm, or more where influenced by turbidites. On the Gakkel Ridge, calcite preservation is excellent and Holocene strata are consistently documented to be at least 4 to 20 cm thick. In the Amundsen Basin, preservation of nannofossils is sometimes poor. Holocene specimens are commonly only found at the surface, although at one site they extend down to 26 cm. The Holocene assemblage is consistently recorded in the upper 5 to 20 cm of sediment on the Lomonosov Ridge and down to 15 cm depth in the Makarov Basin. This implies that linear sedimentation rates for the Holocene in all investigated areas are centimetres per thousand years. Sediments from the last glacial period (oxygen isotope stages 2-4) are relatively thin, suggesting significantly reduced sedimentation, millimetres per thousand years, during this time. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.