9. Data Report: Oxygen Isotope Stratigraphy of ODP Leg 177 Sites 1088, 1089, 1090, 1093, and 10941

David A. Hodell,2 Christopher D. Charles,3 Jason H. Curtis,2 P. Graham Mortyn,3, 4 Ulysses S. Ninnemann,3, 5 and Kathryn A. Venz2

Introduction

While onboard ship during Leg 177, we used variations in sediment physical properties (mainly percent color reflectance) in conjunction with biomagnetostratigraphy to correlate among sites and predict the position of marine isotope stages (MISs) (e.g., see fig. F11 in Shipboard Scientific Party, 1999, p. 45). Our working assumption was that physical properties of Leg 177 sediments are controlled mainly by variations in carbonate content. Previous studies of Southern Ocean sediment cores have shown that carbonate concentrations are relatively high during interglacial stages and low during glacial stages at sites located within the Polar Frontal Zone (PFZ). Today, the PFZ marks a lithologic boundary in underlying sediment separating calcareous oozes to the north and silica-rich facies to the south (Hays et al., 1976). Although there is debate whether the position of the "physical" PFZ actually moved during glacial-interglacial cycles (Charles and Fairbanks, 1990; Matsumoto et al., 2001), the "biochemical" PFZ, as expressed by the CaCO3/opal boundary in sediments, certainly migrated north during glacials and south during interglacials. This gave rise to lithologic variations that are useful for stratigraphic correlation. At Leg 177 sites located north of the PFZ and at sublysoclinal depths, we expected the same pattern of carbonate variation because cores in the Atlantic basin are marked by increased carbonate dissolution during glacial periods and increased preservation during interglacials (Crowley, 1985).

Since the end of Leg 177 in January 1998, we have analyzed stable isotopic ratios of foraminifers in thousands of samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Sites 1088, 1089, 1090, 1093, and 1094 (Fig. F1). These data provide a test of our preliminary shipboard stratigraphic interpretations. Here, we describe the methodology employed for stable isotope analysis and provide the resultant data. We present all oxygen isotope signals vs. meters composite depth (mcd) and compare them to variations in carbonate content or percent red reflectance (a proxy for carbonate content). For those records that are continuous enough to be correlated to oxygen isotope reference signals, we present the 18O signals vs. time. The paleoceanographic interpretations of the oxygen and carbon isotope results are presented in papers listed in the bibliography and several manuscripts in preparation.

1Hodell, D.A., Charles, C.D., Curtis, J.H., Mortyn, P.G., Ninnemann, U.S., and Venz, K.A., 2003. Data report: Oxygen isotope stratigraphy of ODP Leg 177 Sites 1088, 1089, 1090, 1093, and 1094. In Gersonde, R., Hodell, D.A., and Blum, P. (Eds.), Proc. ODP, Sci. Results, 177 [Online]. Available from World Wide Web: <http://www-odp.tamu.edu/publications/177_SR/chap_09/chap_09.htm>. [Cited YYYY-MM-DD]

2Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, 241 Williamson Hall, PO Box 112120, Gainesville FL 32611, USA. Correspondence author: dhodell@geology.ufl.edu

3Geosciences Research Division, Scripps Institution of Oceanography, University of California, San Diego, La Jolla CA 92093, USA.

4Present address: Department of Earth and Environmental Sciences, California State University, Fresno, 2345 East San Ramon Avenue, Mail Stop MH-24, Fresno CA 93740, USA.

5Present address: Geologisk Institut, Universitetet i Bergen, Allegaten 41, N-5007 Bergen, Norway.

Initial receipt: 2 October 2001
Acceptance: 6 August 2002
Web publication: 17 January 2003
Ms 177SR-120

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