A Study to Determine What has Controlled the Spread of Anoxia and Laminated Sediments in The Northeast Pacific: Basin Ventilation versus Carbon Oxidation

University Of Southern California, Los Angeles CA

Investigators

Abstract

Funds are provided to support the study of the cause of a shift from laminated to bioturbated sediments inferred for several locations in the California Borderland and Gulf of California. The hypothesis is that the shift from laminated to bioturbated conditions is due to changes in the oxygen utilization rate. Previous studies had focussed more at changes in oxygen concentration in the deep waters entering the basins and changes in the ventilation rate of the deep basins as the most probable explanation. A coring cruise is planned to collect multicores along transects in several basins along California/Baja margin. Study will be in collaboration with Mexican scientists.