Synchronous Changes of Nitrogen and Carbon Isotopic Ratios and Nannoplankton Assemblage in Marine Sediments off Peru at 250 ka: A Role of Phytoplankton in Primary Ocean Productivity — Oak Academic Publishing
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Synchronous Changes of Nitrogen and Carbon Isotopic Ratios and Nannoplankton Assemblage in Marine Sediments off Peru at 250 ka: A Role of Phytoplankton in Primary Ocean Productivity
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Department of Environmental Changes, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
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2 Department of Environmental Changes, Faculty of Social and Cultural Studies, Kyushu University, Fukuoka, Japan
We report the mechanism controlling changes of δ 15 N org and δ 13 C org values of marine organic matter, based on the change of calcareous nannoplankton assemblage during the last 500,000 years in core samples from ODP Hole 846B off Peru in the equatorial Pacific Ocean . The δ 15 N org values fluctuate in a range from 2.1‰ to 6.7‰, giving an abrupt increase since about 250 ka with the averages of 3.8‰ and 5.0‰ during the older and younger periods, respectively. The δ 13 C org values change in a range from ?23.5‰ to ?20.1‰ in an inverse correlation with δ 15 N org values, describing an increase of average values at 250 ka as well as those of δ 15 N org values . The total organic carbon content also shows averages of 0.6% and 0.3% during the younger and older periods, respectively. The numerical increase of deep dwelling species ( Florisphaera p rofunda ) of calcareous nannoplankton during the younger period in comparison with the older period indicates that these chemical and isotopic jumps synchronized with nannoplankton assemblage changes in marine sediments are caused by activity of deep dwellers in photic zone more stratified by an abrupt decline of trade wind strength on this sea area since about 250 ka. A study coupling δ 15 N org and δ 13 C org values and nannoplankton assemblage can be a useful method for evaluating the extent of stratification of photic zone and the roles of surface and deep dwellers of phytoplankton in producing primary organic matter.
KeywordsNannoplankton AssemblageNitrogen and Carbon IsotopesOrganic MatterBiological ProductivitySe-diment off Peru
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