Open Collections

Composition and stratigraphy of late quaternary sediments from the northern end of Juan de Fuca Ridge

University of British Columbia

Sediments from the northern end of Juan de Fuca Ridge are Late Quaternary in age and contain widely correlatable cycles of turbidity current and hemipelagic sedimentation. Sediments from the Ridge were examined for their mineralogy, structure, components of the sand fraction, rates of sedimentation and grain size distribution to establish processes of sedimentation, stratigraphy, correlation and local hydrothermal relationships. Ten gravity and Phleger core sites along two profiles of the Ridge were examined in detail, one section was perpendicular to West Valley, the main spreading centre, and one section was within and parallel to West Valley. Sediment from Cascadia Basin was compared to the results of the Ridge study. Changes in sedimentation defined by core X-radiograph structure, components of the sand fraction and grain size distribution, indicated cycles of relatively coarse sediment overlain by finer bioturbated sediment with a repeated stratigraphic relationship in all but one Juan de Fuca Ridge core. Changes in sediment composition are attributed to brief, episodic, continent derived turbidity current deposition followed by lengthy periods of hemipelagic sedimentation for each cycle. Differences in composition exist between sediment of ridges and valleys, with a greater winnowed foraminiferal-hemipelagic and a lesser turbidity current influence in the former area. Radiocarbon dated foraminiferal-rich intervals from ridge sediments were exclusively Late Pleistocene with Middle Ridge sediment having an inferred 9000-9500 B.P. Late Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. Similar sedimentation cycles between Middle Ridge and valley localities enabled correlation of ridge and valley stratigraphy and the Late Pleistocene-Holocene boundary. A stratigraphic relationship based on the episodic deposition of continent derived turbidites exists between the northern end of Juan de Fuca Ridge and the continental Pacific Northwest. Pulses of turbidity current sedimentation coincide with initial interglacial warming trends during the Late Pleistocene. Holocene sedimentation for Juan de Fuca Ridge is of hemipelagic origin with rare local turbidity current deposition. Hydrothermal minerals were not detected.

Text

2010-03-23

For non-commercial purposes only, such as research, private study and education. Additional conditions apply, see Terms of Use https://open.library.ubc.ca/terms_of_use.

http://hdl.handle.net/2429/22420

Geological Sciences

University of British Columbia

Graduate