CONCLUSIONS

Several conclusions may be drawn from this study. First, the absence of a gradient in the ¹⁸O in the upper portion of Sites 1003 through 1007 is consistent with the idea that advection of water through this region is removing the geochemical gradients normally produced by diffusion and carbonate diagenesis. However, we cannot rule out the possibility that the observed geochemical patterns are a result of high rates of sedimentation in the upper portion of the profile.

Second, increases in ¹⁸O of the pore water with depth are not traceable to diffusion from an underlying source high in ¹⁸O but result principally from recrystallization of existing metastable carbonate sediments to low-Mg calcite and dolomite. The increases in ¹⁸O of the pore waters are most prominent in the sites closest to the platform and are reduced at Site 1006, reflecting higher rates of carbonate recrystallization closer to the platform.

Third, pore waters throughout the flushed zone show elevated ¹⁸O values at the sites closest to the platform, suggesting the fluids from the platform top are influencing the salinity of bottom waters.