A new conceptual model for the deposition process of homogenite: Application to a cretaceous megaturbidite of the western Pyrenees (Basque region, SW France)
The north Pyrenean megaturbidite is a 19–63m exceptional thick bed deposited during the Late Turonian and extending over more than 90km in the Basque region Country (SW France). Its thickness varies from more than 63m to about 19m from east (Mauléon area) to west (Basque coast). It represents a total compacted volume of about 90km3 of carbonates. On the field, rare sedimentary structures are visible in the turbidite bed. They consist of laminar planar lamination and rare cross laminations in the eastern region and antidune-like structures in the western region. Five sites have been sampled with a vertical step of 50cm to 1m. Thin sections have been quantitatively analyzed for counting the terrigeneous fraction, the quartz grain size and the mineral orientation. The deposits fine westward, which suggests a source located in the east of the Mauléon Basin. This is consistent with the quartz grain orientation in the lower part of the megaturbidite. The deposits fine upward from medium sand to clayey-silt. This is consistent with the classical definition of homogenites and suggests that these kinds of deposits are turbidites. These observations also suggest that the term “megaturbidite” is appropriated for these deposits. The sedimentary analysis indicates that the deposit results from a single event. The volume of sediment involved in the process, as well as the quartz grain orientation indicating flow motion in the opposite direction of the initial flow and the antidune-like structure suggest the formation of reflected flows and the formation of standing waves over the complete water column in the Basque flysch sub-basins corresponding to a “Seiche effect”. The origin of the megaturbidite is probably an earthquake-generated collapse on the carbonate platform. This example allows providing a new conceptual model for the process of homogenite deposition. This model explains the deposition of thick, fine-grained, crudely-graded megaturbidites.
(Sedimentary Geology. vol. 222, n° 0037-0738, pp. 263-273, 01/12/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, EGID
Nitrogen isotopic evidence for deglacial changes in nutrient supply in the eastern equatorial Pacific
The Eastern Equatorial Pacific (EEP) is a high nutrient-low chlorophyll region of the ocean. Downcore nitrogen isotope records from the EEP have been previously interpreted as a direct reflection of changes in nutrient consumption. However, the observed changes in sedimentary d 15 N since the last glacial maximum have no coherent relationship with export productivity or an inferred variation in the iron-to-nitrate ratio of the surface waters. Rather, downcore N isotope records in the EEP strongly resemble changes in the extent of water column denitrification as recorded in nearby sedimentary d 15 N records along the western margin of the Americas. This similarity is attributed to the overprinting of the N isotopic composition of nitrate in the EEP through the advection of nitrate westward from the margins in the subsurface. A local nitrogen isotope record of changes in the degree of nutrient consumption is extracted from the bulk sedimentary record by subtracting two different sedimentary d 15 N records of denitrification changes from two new EEP d 15 N records (TR163-22 and ODP Site 1240). The denitrification records used are from 1) the Central American margin (ODP Site 1242) and 2) the South American margin (GeoB7139-2). The degree of consumption in the surface waters declines rapidly from elevated values during the last glacial maximum to a pair of minima around 15 and 11-13 ka, and finally it increases into the Holocene. The derived EEP nitrogen isotope record indicates that the regional peak in export productivity occurred when the supply of nutrients exceeded the apparently high demand. The influx of nutrients during the deglaciation is attributed to the resumption of intense overturning in the Southern Ocean and the release of sequestered CO 2 and nutrient-rich, O 2 poor waters from the deep ocean. This has important implications for understanding the glacial-interglacial scale variation in intermediate water suboxia and water column denitrification.
(Paleoceanography. vol. 24, n° 0883-8305, 01/12/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
A 1.2Ma record of glaciation and fluvial discharge from the West European Atlantic margin
(Quaternary Science Reviews. vol. 28, n° 0277-3791, pp. 2974-2981, 01/12/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, IFREMER, CAM, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, PALEOCEAN, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA
A 1.2Ma record of glaciation and fluvial discharge from the West European Atlantic margin
The correlation of continental sedimentary records with the marine isotope stratigraphy is a challenge of central importance in Quaternary stratigraphy, particularly in Western Europe where long records of glaciation on land areas are particularly rare. Here we demonstrate for the first time the interrelationship of events during the last 1.2 Ma in an ocean-sediment core from the Bay of Biscay (NE Atlantic), SW of the Channel. The identification of discharge variations from tributary river systems to the ‘Fleuve Manche’ palaeoriver during glacio-eustatic sea-level lowstands demonstrates the correlation of the marine sediment stratigraphy to the expansion and recession of the European ice-sheets. The amplitude and chronology of European ice-sheet oscillations since the late Early Pleistocene is discussed and our results demonstrate that the first coalescence of the Fennoscandian and British ice-sheets in the North Sea basin ca 450 ka ago caused a profound change in lowstand European drainage alignment. This change caused a rerouting of Fennoscandian and eastern British ice-sheets-derived meltwaters from northwards into the Nordic Seas to southwards into the eastern North Atlantic thereafter. Besides allowing a thorough synchronisation of the European ice-sheet palaeogeography with the well-dated records of palaeoceanographical changes, our results improve the stratigraphy of the English Channel palaeovalleys and will provide important constraints on paleoclimatic scenarios considering the impact that such rerouting and meltwater surges might have on the stability of the oceanic conveyor belt.
(Quaternary Science Reviews. vol. 28, n° 0277-3791, pp. 2974 - 2981, 01/12/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, IFREMER, CAM, LSCE, CEA, CNRS
A system dynamics model for the management of the Manila clam, Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) in the Bay of Arcachon (France)
The Manila clam Ruditapes philippinarum (Adams and Reeve, 1850) is one of the mollusc species that, driven mainly by the shellfish market industry, has extended throughout the world, far beyond the limits of its original habitat. The Manila clam was introduced into France for aquaculture purposes, between 1972 and 1975. In France, this venerid culture became increasingly widespread and, since 1988, this species has colonised most of the embayments along the French Atlantic coast. In 2004, this development resulted in a fishery of ca. 520 t in Arcachon Bay.
(Ecological Modelling. vol. 220, n° 0304-3800, pp. 2828-2837, 01/11/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Cadmium-Induced genotoxicity in zebrafish at environmentally relevant doses
Genotoxic effects of cadmium on zebra fish Danio rerio have been assessed by random amplified polymorphic DNA and real time PCR, followed by a comparison of the melting temperature patterns between each amplification reaction. Fish were exposed to two concentrations of cadmium chloride dissolved in the medium (1.9+/-0.6 microg Cdl(-1), C(1); 9.6+/-2.9 microg Cdl(-1), C(2)) for 21 days. A discriminative RAPD probe, OPB11, was first selected producing differential band patterns between control and metal-exposed genomic DNAs. RAPD-PCR showed an increase in the relative hybridization efficiency of OPB11 on the genomic DNAs coming from fish exposed to both Cd concentrations as compared to the control condition. In addition, the RAPD-PCR melting temperature patterns showed that with the OPB11 probe, the frequency of PCR products whose fusion temperature belongs to the [86-87 degrees C] interval decreased with Cd contamination, whereas an increase of frequency for the [78-80 degrees C] and [85-86 degrees C] intervals was correlated with Cd exposure.
(Ecotoxicology and Environmental Safety. vol. 73, n° 0147-6513, pp. 312-319, 01/11/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
The magnetic fraction: A tracer of deep water circulation in the North Atlantic
(Earth and Planetary Science Letters. vol. 288, n° 0012-821X, pp. 444-454, 01/11/2009)
LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, CLIMAG, LSCE, UVSQ, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, DRF (CEA), CEA, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS
Determining the absolute abundance of dinoflagellate cysts in recent marine sediments: The Lycopodium marker-grain method put to the test
Absolute abundances (concentrations) of dinoflagellate cysts are often determined through the addition of Lycopodium clavatum marker-grains as a spike to a sample before palynological processing. An inter-laboratory calibration exercise was set up in order to test the comparability of results obtained in different laboratories, each using its own preparation method. Each of the 23 laboratories received the same amount of homogenized splits of four Quaternary sediment samples. The samples originate from different localities and consisted of a variety of lithologies. Dinoflagellate cysts were extracted and counted, and relative and absolute abundances were calculated. The relative abundances proved to be fairly reproducible, notwithstanding a need for taxonomic calibration. By contrast, excessive loss of Lycopodium spores during sample preparation resulted in non-reproducibility of absolute abundances. Use of oxidation, KOH, warm acids, acetolysis, mesh sizes larger than 15 mu m and long ultrasonication (>1 min) must be avoided to determine reproducible absolute abundances. The results of this work therefore indicate that the dinoflagellate cyst worker should make a choice between using the proposed standard method which circumvents critical steps, adding Lycopodium tablets at the end of the preparation and using an alternative method.
(Review of Palaeobotany and Palynology. vol. 157, n° 0034-6667, pp. 238-252, 01/11/2009)
UGent, ULISBOA, NOC, GEOTOP, EPM, UdeM, UQAT, UQAR, UQAM, GEUS, NHM, EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, AWI, UVIC, BGS, ISMER, UQAR, ANU, IFM-GEOMAR, CAU, CSIRO
A large-scale laboratory experiment of rip current circulations over a moveable bed: drifter measurements
The present paper presents a laboratory experiment of rip current circulations over a moveable bed. The rip current characteristics over four distinct beach morphologies, exhibiting more or less developed nature-like bar-rip morphology,were investigated. For each video run, the same off shore shore-normal waves were generated by the wave maker with the same mean water level in order to study the sensitivity of the rip current characteristics as a function of the beach morphology only. In each case, a 1-hour video run was used to track a large number (~30) of drifters released within the surf zone. Image coordinates were then rectifie d to still water level Cartesian coordinates to compute drifter velocities, mean characteristics and surf zone rete ntion rates. Results show the presence of classic rip current patterns with counter-rotating cells and a relatively narrowoffshore-directed jet with, for three of the situations, a reasonably symmetric shape. Non-surprisingly, it was found that rip current intensity increases with increasing relative depth of the rip channel. The wave-driven circulations were strongly unstable. Computed standard deviation in fl ow intensity and direction provides high resolution information on the spatial variability of the rip current insta bilities with, for instance, highly-pulsating and weakly directionally variable offshore-directed flow in the rip channel. Conversely to what was previously hypothesized in the literature, there was hardly trace of vortices being shed offs hore and drifters exiting the surf zone compartment were not systematically caught by a pulsating jet. The cause for drifter exiting the semi-enclosed surf zone compartment remains, however, elusive and deserves further investigations. The computed surf zone retention rates (~90%) were of the order of those previously observed in the field, with no clear relationship with the mean rip current velocity or relative depth of the rip channel. Further video-runs will have to be analyzed to explore potential explanations.
(01/10/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, LEGI, UJF, Grenoble INP, CNRS, UAG, INSU - CNRS, UM, CNRS, IRPHE, AMU, ECM, CNRS, LSEET, INSU - CNRS, UTLN, CNRS
What forced the collapse of European ice sheets during the last two glacial periods (150 ka BP and 18 ka cal BP)? Palynological evidence
We present a new marine palynological record from the temperate North-eastern Atlantic (core MD03-2692, Celtic-Armorican margin) in the area of influence of the 'Fleuve Manche' paleoriver during glacial times. The runoff of this paleoriver was connected to the glacial history of European ice sheets (including the British Irish Ice Sheet-BIIS). Our study conducted on dinoflagellate cysts assemblages over the last 200 ka, associated with quantification of palynological remains reflecting continental influence (pre-Quaternary dinocysts and micro-algae Pediastrum spp. coenobia), yields detailed insights into the sea-surface paleoenvironments of this sector. More specifically, mechanisms responsible for the origin of unusual deposits of laminated sequences found at the end of Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 2 and within mid-MIS 6 are here constrained. We provide evidence of genetic similarities between fluvial discharges occurring before and during times of deposition of the laminated deposits. Our study clarifies the causes of the collapse of European glaciated systems. At the end of MIS 2, prior to the deposition of the laminated deposits, pleni-oceanic influence characterized by high concentrations of Quaternary dinocysts prevailed, and a dinocyst species tracing the penetration of the warm North Atlantic Drift into the Bay of Biscay is recorded. However, this scenario did not recur prior to the deposition of laminated sediments of mid-MIS 6. In addition, contrary to the laminated deposits found at the end of MIS 2 and directly associated with Termination I, MIS 6 laminae appeared 20 ka earlier than Termination II. Our work shows that, during the penultimate glacial stage, the collapse of mid-latitudes ice sheets around 170 ka B.P. may have immediately followed the MIS 6.5 warming phase. Then, the most important melting event around 150 ka B.P. may be linked to a peak in insolation at 65°N, though less important than those during MIS 6.5 and Termination II.
(Palaeogeography, Palaeoclimatology, Palaeoecology. vol. 281, n° 0031-0182, pp. 66-78, 01/10/2009)
EPOC, EPHE, PSL, UB, INSU - CNRS, CNRS, GM, IFREMER