Compositions, sources and formation processes of abyssal and hadal sediments in the northern Yap Trench

doi:10.13745/j.esf.sf.2021.9.20

Abstract

Abstract:

To investigate the sediment compositions, sources, and formation processes in the abyss and hadal zone of the northern Yap Trench, scan electron microscope (SEM) and X-ray energy spectroscopy (EDS) were used to analyze in 1 cm interval of the 0-8 cm sediment layer of five core samples collected at different depths. The compositional analysis included water content, manganese nodule content, concentrations of six major metal elements (Al, Ca, Fe, Mn, Ti, Mg) and nine trace metal elements (Ba, Co, Cr, Ni, Pb, Sr, V, Cu, Zn), and total organic carbon (TOC). According to the analysis results, sediments in the study area are mainly deep-sea ooze, a complex mixture of sediments from different eras. They contain microfossils produced by coccolithophores, such as Discoaster, sponge spicules, radiolarians, and diatoms, and various minerals, including pyroxene, barite, ilmenite, and feldspar. The sediment sources are complex, including mainly biological, volcanic and terrestrial (found in the abyss on the west side of the trench) sources as well as submarine hydrothermal fluids. Manganese nodules develop more easily in sediments off the cliffs on the west side of the trench than on the east side. The abyssal and hadal sediments in the northern Yap Trench have relatively high water content and large particle size, and the water content tends to decrease with depth. The sediment TOC content and microfossil abundance are higher in hadal than in abyssal sediments, indicating obvious funnel effect. As a whole, the water and TOC content of the sediments are lower on the west side of the trench than on the east side. The carbonate compensation depth in the northern Yap Trench ranges between 4435-4568 m, changing from below 4568 m since the Pleistocene. The sedimentary environment in the study area is oxic, where mixing and redeposition of ancient and modern sediments occur in the 0-8 cm sediment layer, causing the formation age to vary greatly. Factors influencing sediment formation include trench slope, hydrodynamic environment, gravitational collapse, turbidity current deposition, volcanic activity, and funnel effect.

Key words: Yap Trench, abyssal sediment, hadal sediment, total organic carbon, carbonate compensation depth

CLC Number:

ZHENG Cheng, SUN Chengjun, JIN Hong, HUANG Yuhuan, YUE Xin'an, YANG Guipeng, DING Haibing. Compositions, sources and formation processes of abyssal and hadal sediments in the northern Yap Trench[J]. Earth Science Frontiers, 2022, 29(5): 73-87.

Figures/Tables 11

Fig.1 Location of the study area and sediment sampling stations in the northern Yap Trench

Table 1 Latitude, longitude and water depths of the sampling stations

站位	经度/°E	纬度/°N	采样深度/m	沉积物柱长度/cm	在海沟中的位置	水深区域
D109	138.386 2	9.898 7	4 435	8	西侧崖壁	深渊
D111	138.515 7	9.867 7	6 779	7	西侧崖壁	超深渊
S01	138.681 0	9.661 2	5 058	8	东侧崖壁	深渊
D113	138.656 8	9.865 5	6 578	8	东侧崖壁	超深渊
S02	138.820 8	9.645 0	4 568	8	东侧崖壁	深渊

Fig.2 Vertical variations of the concentration of TOC, water percentage and manganese nodule content in the sediment samples from different stations(the data of S02 and D113 station obtained from [13], the data of D111 station obtained from [14])

Fig.3 SEM pictures of some typical minerals found in the sediments from abyss and hadal zone of the northern Yap Trench

Fig.4 EDS profiles of some typical minerals found in the sediments from abyss and hadal zone of the northern Yap Trench

Table 2 Some typical minerals found in the sediments from abyss and hadal zone of the northern Yap Trench

沉积层深度/cm	D109	S02	S01	D113	D111
0~<1	钛铁矿	重晶石	长石
1~<2		方解石			钛铁矿
2~<3	纤维蛇纹石			钛铁矿
3~<4	钛铁矿		石英
4~<5
5~<6					纤维蛇纹石
6~<7		辉石	重晶石
7~8		纤维蛇纹石

Fig.5 Some typical microfossils found in the sediments from abyss and hadal zone of the northern Yap Trench

Fig.6 Vertical variations of concentrations of major elements in the core sediment from the northern Yap Trench (the data of S02 and D113 station obtained from [13], the data of D111 station obtained from [14])

Fig.7 Vertical variations of concentrations of trace elements in the core sediment from the northern Yap Trench (the data of S02 and D113 station obtained from [13], the data of D111 station obtained from [14])

Fig.8 Correlation diagram of two main factors F1 and F2

Table 3 Comparisons of the values of Fe/Al and Ti/Al in the sediment samples (the data of S02 and D113 station obtained from [13], the data of D111 station obtained from [14])

站位			深度/cm
站位			0~<1		1~<2		2~<3		3~<4		4~<5		5~<6		6~<7		7~8
D109	Fe/Al	1.08		1.06		1.03		0.99		1.14		1.16		1.03		0.98
D109	Ti/Al	0.12		0.12		0.11		0.09		0.15		0.12		0.12		0.11
S01	Fe/Al	0.74		1.46		0.90		0.86		0.87		0.84		0.83		0.81
S01	Ti/Al	0.09		0.07		0.07		0.07		0.07		0.06		0.06		0.07
S02	Fe/Al	0.78		0.74		0.72		0.71		0.71		0.70		0.73		0.74
S02	Ti/Al	0.06		0.06		0.05		0.05		0.05		0.05		0.06		0.05
D113	Fe/Al	0.92		0.88		0.90		0.88		0.88		0.90		0.91		0.91
D113	Ti/Al	0.07		0.06		0.07		0.07		0.07		0.07		0.07		0.07
D111	Fe/Al	1.01		1.18		1.42		1.08		0.91		0.90		0.91
D111	Ti/Al	0.11		0.17		0.21		0.11		0.09		0.09		0.09

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