RAPID CHANGES IN SURFACE AND DEEP-WATER CONDITIONS AT THE FAEROE MARGIN DURING THE LAST 58,000 YEARS

A high-resolution piston core, ENAM93-21, from a water depth of 1020 m near the Faeroe-Shetland Channel is investigated for variations in ma gnetic susceptibility, surface oxygen isotopes, grain size distributio n, content of ice-rafted detritus (IRD), and distribution of planktoni c and benthic foraminifera. The core, covering the last 58,000 years, is correlated with the Greenland ice cores and compared with paleoreco rds from the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Ocean. All fifteen D ansgaard-Oeschger climatic cycles recognized from the investigated tim e period in the Greenland ice cores have been identified in the ENAM93 -21 core. Each cycle is subdivided into three intervals on the basis o f characteristic benthic and planktonic faunas. Interstadial intervals contain a relatively warm planktonic fauna and a benthic fauna simila r to the modem fauna in the Norwegian Sea. This indicates thermohaline convection as at present, with a significant contribution of deep wat er to the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). Transitional cooling inter vals are characterized by more cold water planktonic foraminfera and i ce-related benthic species. The benthic fauna signifies restricted bot tom water conditions and a reduced contribution to the NADW. The peak abundance of N. pachyderma (s.) and the coldest surface water conditio ns are found in the stadial intervals. The benthic fauna is dominated by species with an association to Atlantic Intermediate Water, suggest ing an increased Atlantic influence in the Norwegian Sea, and there wa s probably no contribution to the NADW through the Faeroe-Shetland Cha nnel. The three different modes of circulation can be correlated to pa leoceanographic events in the Norwegian Sea and the North Atlantic Oce an.