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This study presents a stratigraphic investigation of the marine sediment core MD04-2822 from the Rockall Trough (56° 50.54' N, 11° 22.96' W; 2344 m water depth). This core is currently the only available high resolution record for the calibration of Late Quaternary sedimentary sequences of the British (Hebridean) margin. It therefore offers an unprecedented archive of changing sedimentological and climatological conditions for the last 175,000 years. The high resolution, multi-proxy records have enabled surface and deep water conditions within the Rockall Trough to be reconstructed. In addition, the fluctuating nature of ice-rafted debris (IRD) inputs to the MD04-2822 site allows a first order attempt of BIS dynamics for the entirety of the last glacial period (i.e. from the demise of the last interglacial to the decay of the Devensian/Weichselian ice sheet) as well as the majority of the penultimate (Saalian/MIS 6) glaciation. Sediment core MD04-2822 is ideally located to capture the dynamics of the British Ice Sheet (BIS) via a continuous record of IRD and fine-grained terrigenous inputs. Fundamental to this is the construction of a robust chronology. This was achieved via: the correlation of the benthic δ¹⁸O record to a global δ¹⁸O stack (SPECMAP); the correlation of the surface proxies (% N. pachyderma (sinistral) and XRF Ca) to the Greenland δ¹⁸O and Antarctic methane ice core records; and radiocarbon dating. This chronology was validated using both radiocarbon dating and tephra horizons. An evaluation of the event stratigraphy approach used in the construction of the MD04-2822 chronology is presented. The marine record provides a valuable archive of past ice sheet dynamics as much terrestrial evidence is removed or obscured by subsequent ice sheet oscillations MD04-2822 provides the first evidence for the expansion of the BIS onto the Hebridean Margin during MIS6 (thereby confirming previous long-range seismic correlations). The continuous sedimentation at MD04-2822 enabled the first insights into the early dynamics of the last BIS. Increases in IRD and fine grained terrigenous material delivered to the MD04-2822 at ca. 72 kyr represent the first significant delivery of material from the BIS across the continental shelf to the core site. The BIS would therefore have attained a marine calving margin by this time. A multi-proxy investigation of provenance was undertaken, however unequivocal provenance determinations remain problematic. The location of the core suggest the proximal BIS as the most likely source of terrigenous inputs. The expanded nature of the MD04-2822 sediments during the penultimate deglacial (Termination II) provides the first details of BIS dynamics for this period: the interplay of large inputs of freshwater from the decay of the Saalian (MIS 6) ice sheets (including the BIS) upon the surface and deep water circulation of the North Atlantic is investigated. In addition, sub-orbital climatic variability is documented at this location throughout the last interglacial (MIS 5e) and appears to be an intrinsic feature of both the N.E. Atlantic surface and deep water circulation of the last 175 kyr.

Dans les zones portuaires un dragage régulier des sédiments est indispensable afin de maintenir une profondeur satisfaisante des voies de navigation. Dans ce travail, nous avons cherché à étudier la faisabilité d'un traitement de stabilisation en mélangeant 5% et 20% les résidus de bauxite (Bauxaline®, Bauxsol et Bauxaline® neutralisé) avec les sédiments marins de dragage pollués. L'efficacité de cette méthode de traitement a été évaluée en mesurant la concentration en éléments traces lixiviés et la toxicité des lixiviats des sédiments. L’application d’amendements de 20% résidus de bauxite a permis une réduction significative la concentration des éléments traces cationiques de 40 à 80%, et la toxicité des lixiviats. Quel que soit l’amendement, une faible efficacité de la stabilisation a été observée pour les éléments anioniques (As, Mo) / Marine sediments concentrate various pollutants and subsequent sedimentation of harbors and ports require periodic dredging to maintain satisfactory depth of waterways. Direct land deposition of contaminated marine dredged sediments pose risk to the environment due to possible leaching of trace elements. In this context, we aimed to study the feasibility of trace elements stabilization by mixing 5% and 20% of bauxite residues (bauxaline®, bauxsol and neutralized bauxaline®) with composted dredged marine sediment. The treatment efficiency was evaluated by monitoring the leached trace elements concentration and toxicity of sediment leachates. 20% amendment application successfully stabilized cationic pollutants (Cu, Cd, Zn) up to 40-80%, and decreased the toxicity of sediment leachates. Whereas, anionic pollutants (As, Mo) were less immobilized require further investigation

Several scientific articles were mainly reviewed from Umeå’ s university database in order to determine the distribution, degree of contamination, and the sources of 7 selected heavy metals (Cr, Pb, Cu, Zn, Cd, Hg, Ni) in surface sediments along the coasts of the Mediterranean Sea. The Enrichment factor (EF) was used as pollution indicator to evaluate the extent of metal contamination in all the investigated areas. According to Abrahim and Parker (2008) the EF is defined as the ratio of the determined metal to Al (or Fe) in the sample divided by the ratio of background metal to background Al (or Fe) ratio. According to the results of this study, EF values for Cr, Pb, Cu, Cd and Ni presented an upward trend along the west to east shoreline of the Mediterranean sea, whereas Zn and Hg EF values showed a downward trend along this region. Cr generally exhibited no enrichment in places to the west (EF<1.5) whereas in the eastern side displayed moderate enrichment (EF=1.95). Pb EF values showed moderate enrichment (EF=5) along the western section of the sea, whilst in the eastern part revealed significant enrichment (5.45). Zn pollution levels were minimal (EF=1.6) in places to the west and moderate (EF=2.2) to the east. The enrichment for Cd was considered moderate in the western part of the basin and significant in the eastern section. These heavy metals distribution can be explained by the fact that different inputs (mainly due to anthropogenic activities) from the inshore environment may take place in each area of the sea. However, Cu and Ni presented the same degree of pollution (moderate) in the whole sea, presumably indicating similar Cu and Ni inputs from the terrestrial environment. However, conclusions for Hg were not possible to be drawn as the collected data were not sufficient.

Thesis (M.S.)--Joint Program in Oceanography and Oceanographic Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), June 1996. / "May 1996." / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 66-68). / This thesis details two years of research conducted with the guidance and support of three advisors: Dr. J. K. Whelan, Dr. J. S. Seewald and Dr. T. I. Eglinton. Each of the three chapters represents a different, self-contained research project. All of the projects are related to the organic geochemistry of marine sediments, however, this is a fairly encompassing area of study. Chapters 1 and 2 stem from the same experimental study -- the use of hydrous-pyrolysis to investigate mechanisms leading to the production of petroleum-related products during kerogen maturation. Chapter 3, on the other hand, utilizes a recently developed technique of isolating and AMS-14C dating individual compounds from complex sedimentary organic mixtures. The samples used in each investigation came from all over the world. The first two chapters utilize ancient marine sediment samples obtained from an outcrop in California (Chpts. 1 and 2) and from a well in Alabama (Chpt. 2). In contrast, recent marine sediment samples were obtained from the Arabian and Black Seas for the third chapter. Several preparative and analytical methods are common to all three studies. Nevertheless, each employ techniques totally unique from one another and from previous investigations. In Chapter 1, for example, X-ray absorption spectroscopy (XANES) is used to determine the speciation of organic sulfur present in kerogen, bitumen, and bulk sediment samples. While Chapter 3 represents the first study in which the "4C ages of individual, known hydrocarbon biomarkers are determined after isolation by Preparative Capillary Gas Chromatography (PCGC). The insights gained by these investigations are discussed in detail in the following chapters. The common thread between the three chapters is that the source of organic matter, the rate at which it is delivered to marine sediments and the depositional environment, all set the stage for kerogen formation and eventual petroleum generation. / by Bryan C. Benitez-Nelson. / M.S.

Thesis (Ph. D. in Applied Ocean Sciences)--Joint Program in Applied Ocean Physics and Engineering (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Ocean Engineering; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), February 2002. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 161-170). / Sound propagation in shallow water is highly dependent on the interaction of the sound field with the bottom. In order to fully understand this problem, it is necessary to obtain reliable estimates of bottom geoacoustic properties that can be used in acoustic propagation codes. In this thesis, perturbative inversion methods and exact inverse methods are discussed as a means for inferring geoacoustic properties of the bottom. For each of these methods, the input data to the inversion is the horizontal wavenumber spectrum of a point-source acoustic field. The main thrust of the thesis work concerns extracting horizontal wavenumber content for fully three-dimensionally varying waveguide environments. In this context, a high-resolution autoregressive (AR) spectral estimator was applied to determine wavenumber content for short aperture data. As part of this work, the AR estimator was examined for its ability to detect discrete wavenumbers in the presence of noise and also to resolve closely spaced wavenumbers for short aperture data. As part of a geoacoustic inversion workshop, the estimator was applied to extract horizontal wavenumber content for synthetic pressure field data with range-varying geoacoustic properties in the sediment. The resulting wavenumber content was used as input data to a perturbative inverse algorithm to determine the sound speed profile in the sediment. It was shown using the high-resolution wavenumber estimator that both the shape and location of the range-variability in the sediment could be determined. / (cont.) The estimator was also applied to determine wavenumbers for synthetic data where the water column sound speed contained temporal variations due to the presence of internal waves. It was shown that reliable estimates of horizontal wavenumbers could be obtained that are consistent with the boundary conditions of the waveguide. The Modal Mapping Experiment (MOMAX), an experimental method for measuring the full spatial variability of a propagating sound field and its corresponding modal content in two-dimensions, is also discussed. The AR estimator is applied to extract modal content from the real data and interpreted with respect to source/receiver motion and geometry. For a moving source, it is shown that the wavenumber content is Doppler shifted. A method is then described that allows the direct measure of modal group velocities from Doppler shifted wavenumber spectra. Finally, numerical studies are presented addressing the practical issues associated with using MOMAX type data in the exact inversion method of Gelfand-Levitan. / by Kyle M. Becker. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Biology; and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), February 2002. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 153-161). / I used direct measurements of nitrogen gas (N₂ fluxes and a ¹⁵N stable isotope tracer to determine the contribution of denitrification to salt marsh sediment N cycling. Denitrification in salt marsh tidal creekbottoms is a major sink for groundwater nitrate of terrestrial origin. I studied creekbottom denitrification by direct measurements of N₂ fluxes in closed chambers against a low-N₂ background. I undertook experiments and simulation modeling of sediment N₂ fluxes in closed chambers to optimize the key experimental parameters of this approach. Denitrification in these sediments was driven by the degradation of labile organic matter pools which are depleted during long incubations. Sediment thickness was the most important parameter controlling the required incubation time. Errors of up to 13% with gas headspaces and 80% with water headspaces resulted from headspace N2 accumulation and the resulting collapse of the sediment-water diffusion gradient. These errors could be eliminated by using headspaces of sufficient thickness. Headspace flushing to reduce ammonium accumulation did not affect denitrification rates, but caused transient disturbance of N₂ flux rates. Direct measurements of 0₂, C0₂, N₂, and inorganic N fluxes from the sediments of a salt marsh tidal creek were made in order to examine the interaction of denitrification with the carbon, oxygen, and N cycles. Organic carbon concentration and lability were the primary controls on metabolic rates. C0₂/N flux ratios averaged 6.1, indicating respiration driven by algal biomass. / (cont.) Allochthonous denitrification accounted for 39% of total sediment denitrification (2.7 mol N m⁻² yr⁻¹). 46% of remineralized ammonium was denitrified, while the contribution of autochthonous denitrification to 0₂ and C0₂ fluxes was 18% and 10%, respectively. A ¹⁵N-ammonium tracer was used to study competition between plants and nitrifying bacteria for remineralized ammonium. In undisturbed sediments of Spartina alterniflora, plant uptake out-competed nitrification-denitrification, with plant uptake accounting for 66% of remineralized ammonium during the growing season. Under N fertilization (15.5 mol m⁻² yr⁻¹), both plant N uptake and denitrification increased, but denitrification dominated, accounting for 72% of the available N. When plant uptake was hydrologically suppressed, nitrification-denitrification was stimulated by the excess N, shifting the competitive balance toward denitrification. / by Michael Robert Hamersley. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph.D.)--Joint Program in Oceanography (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric, and Planetary Sciences and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2000. / Vita. / Includes bibliographical references (leaves 266-286). / Phosphorus, an essential nutrient, is removed from the oceans only through burial with marine sediments. Organic phosphorus (Prog) constitutes an important fraction (ca. 25%) of total-P in marine sediments. However, given the inherent lability of primary Prog biochemicals, it is a puzzle that any Porg is preserved in marine sediments. The goal of this thesis was to address this apparent paradox by linking bulk and molecular-level Porg information. A newly-developed sequential extraction method, which isolates sedimentary Pol reservoirs based on solubility, was used in concert with Prog nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (31P-NMR) to quantify Prog functional group concentrations. The coupled extraction/ 31P-NMR method was applied to three sediment cores from the Santa Barbara Basin, and the first-ever high-resolution depth profiles of molecular-level Porg distribution during diagenesis were generated. These depth profiles were used to consider regulation of Prog distribution by biomass abundance, chemical structure, and physical protection mechanisms. Biomass cannot account for more than a few percent of sedimentary Prog. No evidence for direct structural control on remineralization of Porg was found. Instead, sorptive protection appears to be an important mechanism for Prog preservation, and structure may act as a secondary control due to preferential sorption of specific Porg compound classes. / by Kirsten Lynn Laarkamp. / Ph.D.

Thesis (Ph. D.)--Joint Program in Marine Geology and Geophysics (Massachusetts Institute of Technology, Dept. of Earth, Atmospheric and Planetary Sciences, and the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution), 2003. / Includes bibliographical references. / Prevailing wisdom holds that the vertical distribution of molybdenum (Mo) in the open ocean is conservative, despite Mo's important biological role and association with Mn oxides and anoxic sediments. Mo is used in both nitrogenase, the enzyme responsible for N2 fixation, and nitrate reductase, which catalyzes assimilatory and dissimilatory nitrate reduction. Laboratory culture work on two N2 fixing marine cyanobacteria, Trichodesmium and Crocosphaera, and a marine facultative denitrifier, Marinobacter hydrocarbanoclasticus, showed that Mo cell quotas in these organisms were positively correlated with Mo-containing enzyme activity. Mo concentrations in Crocosphaera dropped almost to blank levels when not fixing N2 suggesting daily synthesis and destruction of the entire nitrogenase enzyme and release of Mo. Trichodesmium cultures, however, retained a pool of cellular Mo even when not fixing N2. Colonies of Trichodesmium collected in the field have Mo:C tenfold higher than seen in culture, these Mo:C ratios were reflected in SPM samples from the same region. Fe:C ratios for Trichodesmium were between 12-160 pmol:mol in field and culured samples. The Fe:C ratio of Crocosphaera was established to be 15.8 =/+ 11.3 under N2 fixing conditions. Mo cellular concentrations in cultured organisms were too small to significantly influence dissolved Mo distributions, but may slightly affect Suspended Particulate Matter (SPM) distributions. Mean SPM Mo:C ratios were slightly elevated in regions of N2 fixation and denitrification.. A high precision (=/+ 0.5%) isotope dilution ICP-MS method for measuring Mo was developed to re-evaluate the marine distribution of Mo in the dissolved and particulate phase. / (cont.) Mn oxides were not found to significantly influence either the dissolved or SPM Mo distribution. Dissolved Mo profiles from the Sargasso and Arabian Sea were conservative. However, dissolved Mo profiles from the Eastern Tropical Pacific showed both depletion and enrichment of dissolved Mo possibly associated with interaction of Mo with coastal sediments. Dissolved Mo profiles in several California Borderland Basins showed 1-2 nM Mo depletions below sill depth. A more focused study of water column response to sediment fluxes using the high precision Mo analyses is necessary to determine whether these phenomena are related. / by Caroline Beth Tuit. / Ph.D.

Thesis. 1975. Ph.D.--Massachusetts Institute of Technology. Dept. of Earth and Planetary Sciences. / Vita. / Bibliography: p.160-163. / Ph.D.