Geochemistry of sapropel S1 deposits in the Adriatic Sea

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Main Authors: Tesi, Tommaso, Asioli, Alessandra, Minisini, Daniel, Maselli, Vittorio, Dalla Valle, Giacomo, Gamberi, Fabiano, Langone, Leonardo, Cattaneo, Antonio, Montagna, Paolo, Trincardi, Fabio
Format: Dataset Open Access
Language:en
Published: PANGAEA 2017
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author Tesi, Tommaso
Asioli, Alessandra
Minisini, Daniel
Maselli, Vittorio
Dalla Valle, Giacomo
Gamberi, Fabiano
Langone, Leonardo
Cattaneo, Antonio
Montagna, Paolo
Trincardi, Fabio
author_facet Tesi, Tommaso
Asioli, Alessandra
Minisini, Daniel
Maselli, Vittorio
Dalla Valle, Giacomo
Gamberi, Fabiano
Langone, Leonardo
Cattaneo, Antonio
Montagna, Paolo
Trincardi, Fabio
collection Datos científicos de ciencias marinas y ambientales
contents The formation of Eastern Mediterranean sapropels has periodically occurred during intensification of northern hemisphere monsoon precipitation over North Africa. However, the large-scale response of the Eastern Mediterranean thermohaline circulation during these monsoon-fuelled freshening episodes is poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the formation of the youngest sapropel (S1) along an across-slope transect in the Adriatic Sea. Foraminifera-based oxygen index, redox-sensitive elements and biogeochemical parameters reveal - for the first time - that the Adriatic S1 was synchronous with the deposition of south-eastern Mediterranean S1 beds. Proxies of paleo thermohaline currents indicate that the bottom-hugging North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) suddenly decreased at the sapropel onset simultaneously with the maximum freshening of the Levantine Sea during the African Humid Period. We conclude that the lack of the "salty" Levantine Intermediate Water hampered the preconditioning of the northern Adriatic waters necessary for the NAdDW formation prior to the winter cooling. Consequently, a weak NAdDW limited in turn the Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water (EMDWAdriatic) formation with important consequences for the ventilation of the Ionian basin as well. Our results highlight the importance of the Adriatic for the deep water ventilation and the interdependence among the major eastern Mediterranean water masses whose destabilization exerted first-order control on S1 deposition.
format Dataset Open Access
id pangaea_https___doi_org_10_1594_PANGAEA_875699
institution PANGAEA
language en
publishDate 2017
publisher PANGAEA
record_format pangaea
spellingShingle Geochemistry of sapropel S1 deposits in the Adriatic Sea
Tesi, Tommaso
Asioli, Alessandra
Minisini, Daniel
Maselli, Vittorio
Dalla Valle, Giacomo
Gamberi, Fabiano
Langone, Leonardo
Cattaneo, Antonio
Montagna, Paolo
Trincardi, Fabio

The formation of Eastern Mediterranean sapropels has periodically occurred during intensification of northern hemisphere monsoon precipitation over North Africa. However, the large-scale response of the Eastern Mediterranean thermohaline circulation during these monsoon-fuelled freshening episodes is poorly constrained. Here, we investigate the formation of the youngest sapropel (S1) along an across-slope transect in the Adriatic Sea. Foraminifera-based oxygen index, redox-sensitive elements and biogeochemical parameters reveal - for the first time - that the Adriatic S1 was synchronous with the deposition of south-eastern Mediterranean S1 beds. Proxies of paleo thermohaline currents indicate that the bottom-hugging North Adriatic Dense Water (NAdDW) suddenly decreased at the sapropel onset simultaneously with the maximum freshening of the Levantine Sea during the African Humid Period. We conclude that the lack of the "salty" Levantine Intermediate Water hampered the preconditioning of the northern Adriatic waters necessary for the NAdDW formation prior to the winter cooling. Consequently, a weak NAdDW limited in turn the Eastern Mediterranean Deep Water (EMDWAdriatic) formation with important consequences for the ventilation of the Ionian basin as well. Our results highlight the importance of the Adriatic for the deep water ventilation and the interdependence among the major eastern Mediterranean water masses whose destabilization exerted first-order control on S1 deposition.
title Geochemistry of sapropel S1 deposits in the Adriatic Sea
topic
url https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.875699