Stable isotope ratios measured on molluscan from the CRP sediment cores in the Ross Sea, Antarctica

Stable isotope analyses of marine bivalve growth increment samples have been used to estimate early Oligocene (29.4 - 31.2) Ma and early Miocene (24.0 Ma) seafloor palaeotemperature from the southwestern continental margin of the Ross Sea. Measured d18O values average +2.5 ‰ in the early Miocene and range between +1.26 to +3.24 ‰ in the early Oligocene. The results show that palaeoceanographic conditions in McMurdo Sound during the mid-Cenozoic were significantly different from those of today. The minimum estimated spring through late summer seasonal temperature range was 3°C during the early Miocene and between 1 and 5°C during the early Oligocene. This compares to the equivalent modern day range of <0.5°C within the sound. Absolute seawater temperatures at <100 m depth were of the order of 5 to 7°C during both time slices, compared to modern day values of -1.4 to - 1.9°C in the same area. The results are in broad agreement with early Oligocene Mg/Ca temperature estimates from deep Atlantic foraminifera as well as estimates from local terrestrial palynology and palaeobotany.

Supplement to: Lavelle, Mark; Fielding, Christopher R; Hall, Michael A (2001): Molluscan stable isotope temperature estimates of the southwestern Ross Sea during the early Oligocene and early Miocene, CRP-2/2A and CRP-3, Victoria Land Basin, Antarctica. Terra Antartica, 8(4), 439-444

Identifier
DOI https://doi.org/10.1594/PANGAEA.510768
PID https://hdl.handle.net/10013/epic.28228.d001
Metadata Access https://ws.pangaea.de/oai/provider?verb=GetRecord&metadataPrefix=datacite4&identifier=oai:pangaea.de:doi:10.1594/PANGAEA.510768
Provenance
Creator Lavelle, Mark; Fielding, Christopher R; Hall, Michael A
Publisher PANGAEA
Publication Year 2001
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 2 datasets
Discipline Earth System Research
Spatial Coverage (163.719W, -77.006S, 163.719E, -77.006N); off Cape Roberts, Ross Sea, Antarctica; Ross Sea
Temporal Coverage Begin 1998-10-01T00:00:00Z
Temporal Coverage End 1999-11-19T00:00:00Z