3. POLLEN AND DINOFLAGELLATE CYSTS OF THE UPPER 50 M OF SITE 9581

Lydie Dupont2

ABSTRACT

Palynological investigation (pollen, spores, and dinoflagellate cysts) of 39 samples from the upper 50 m of Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Site 958 provides some complementary information about the history of the northeast trade winds and the African Easterly Jet. Unfortunately, with the exception of upper Pliocene sediments from Hole 958A between 31 and 41 mbsf and one other sample at 22.25 mbsf, most of the investigated sediments being of late Pliocene and Pleistocene age showed a poor pollen preservation. Samples with good pollen preservation showed a flora dominated by pine pollen. Pollen from the Sahara was infrequently found indicating that the African Easterly Jet was very weak. The dinoflagellate cyst assemblage is typical for the oceanic environment of the North Atlantic. A hiatus between 44 and 42.50 mbsf is confirmed by the last occurrence of cysts of Invertocysta.

1Firth, J.V. (Ed.), 1998. Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 159T: College Station, TX (Ocean Drilling Program).
2Geosciences University of Bremen, Postfach 330440, D-28334 Bremen, Federal Republic of Germany. dupont@uni-bremen.de