Recent benthic foraminifera of the Scotia Sea and Argentine Basin

DOI

We investigated 88 surface sediment samples taken with a multiple corer from the southwestern South Atlantic Ocean for their live (Rose Bengal stained) and dead benthic foraminiferal content. Using Q-Mode Principal Component Analysis six live and six dead associations are differentiated. Live and dead association distributions correspond fairly well; differences are mainly caused by downslope transport and selective test destruction. In addition, four potential fossil associations are calculated from the dead data set after removal of non-fossilizable species. These potential fossil associations are expected to be useful for paleoceanographic reconstructions. Environments are described in detail for the live and potential fossil associations and for selected species.Along the upper Argentine continental slope strong bottom currents control the occurrence of live, dead and potential fossil Angulogerina angulosa associations. Here, particles of a high organic carbon flux rate remain suspended. Below this high energy environment live, dead and potential fossil Uvigerina peregrina dominated associations correlate with enhanced sediment organic carbon content and still high organic carbon flux rates. The live A. angulosa and U. peregrina associations correlate with high standing crops. Furthermore, live and dead Epistominella exigua-Nuttallides umbonifer associations were separated. Dominance of a Nuttallides umbonifer potential fossil association relates to coverage by Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) and Lower Circumpolar Deep Water (LCDW), above the Calcite Compensation Depth (CCD).Three associations of mainly agglutinated foraminifera occur in sediments bathed mainly by AABW or CDW. A Reophax difflugiformis association was found in mud-rich and diatomaceous sediments. Below the CCD, a Psammosphaera fusca association occurs in coarse sediments poor in organic carbon while a Cribrostomoides subglobosus-Ammobaculites agglutinans association covers a more variable environmental range with mud contents exceeding 30%.One single Eggerella bradyi-Martinottiella communis association poor in both species and individuals remains from the agglutinated associations below the CCD if only preservable species are considered for calculation.

Supplement to: Harloff, Joachim; Mackensen, Andreas (1997): Recent benthic foraminiferal associations and ecology of the Scotia Sea and Argentine Basin. Marine Micropaleontology, 31(1-2), 1-29

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.729697
Related Identifier https://doi.org/10.1016/S0377-8398(96)00059-X
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.729697
Provenance
Creator Harloff, Joachim; Mackensen, Andreas ORCID logo
Publisher PANGAEA
Publication Year 1997
Rights Creative Commons Attribution 3.0 Unported; https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/3.0/
OpenAccess true
Representation
Language English
Resource Type Supplementary Publication Series of Datasets; Collection
Format application/zip
Size 4 datasets
Discipline Earth System Research
Spatial Coverage (-61.580W, -60.773S, -14.228E, -37.807N); Slope off Argentina; South Atlantic Ocean; South Atlantic; Islas Orcadas; South Sandwich; Scotia Sea, southwest Atlantic; Falkland Islands
Temporal Coverage Begin 1992-08-09T01:41:00Z
Temporal Coverage End 1994-07-11T00:00:00Z