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Morphotypical and geochemical variations of planktic foraminiferal species in Siberian and Central Arctic Ocean core tops

February 13, 2024

In this work, we utilize a transect of core top, mid- to late Holocene, sediments from the Eastern Siberian Sea to the central Arctic Ocean, spanning gradients in upper-ocean water column properties, to examine regional planktic foraminiferal species abundances and geochemistry. We present species- and morphotype-specific foraminiferal assemblages at these sites and stable isotope analyses of neogloboquadrinids. We find little variation in planktic species populations, and only small variations in N. pachyderma morphotype distributions, between sites. Spatial averages of N. pachyderma morphotype and N. incompta δ18O values show no significant differences, suggesting a similar calcification depth for all morphotypes of N. pachyderma and N. incompta across our sites, which we estimate to be between ∼ 50–150 m. Values of δ18O of a group of unencrusted specimens delineate a shallower calcification habitat. Neogloboquadrina pachyderma-2 Mg/Ca values yield temperatures outside the range of observations using available calibration equations, pointing toward the need for more Arctic-specific Mg/Ca-temperature calibrations.

Publication Year 2024
Title Morphotypical and geochemical variations of planktic foraminiferal species in Siberian and Central Arctic Ocean core tops
DOI https://doi.org/10.2113/gsjfr.54.1.1
Authors Maya Prabhakar, Kaustubh Thirumalai, Thomas M. Cronin, Laura Gemery, Elizabeth Thomas, Patrick Rafter
Publication Type Article
Publication Subtype Journal Article
Series Title Journal of Foraminiferal Research
Index ID 70251739
Record Source USGS Publications Warehouse
USGS Organization Eastern Geology and Paleoclimate Science Center; Florence Bascom Geoscience Center