INDIVIDUAL PARTICLE ANALYSIS OF WESTERN MEDITERRANEAN SEDIMENT CORES,RHONE SUSPENDED MATTER AND SAHARA AEROSOLS - INVESTIGATION OF INPUTS TO THE SEDIMENTS

Individual particle analysis using electron probe X-ray microanalysis was performed on sediment cores from the Gulf of Lions (Western Medite rranean Sea), on atmospheric aerosols sampled in Corsica and originati ng from Northern Africa, and on Rh (o) over cap ne suspended matter. C luster analysis was done to yield major particle types and kriging spa tial analysis was applied to obtain the distributions of the particle types in the sediment surface layers. For three sediment cores, the de pth profiles of particle groups were examined. The predominant particl e types composing the sediment material in the Gulf of Lions were foun d to be Si-rich particles (quartz and biogenic silicate), aluminosilic ate minerals (illite, kaolinite, chlorite) and Ca-rich particles (arag onite, calcite, high-Mg calcite). During the diagenesis, dissolution a nd crystallization processes occurred, yielding the substitution of qu artz and Si-rich particles by calcium carbonates in deeper sediment la yers. Only a small amount of Fe-S-rich (pyrite) particles was found in the analyzed sediments. An evident impact of Rh (o) over cap ne deriv ed and offshore eroded material was noticed in the sedimentation area investigated. Yet, the input of Northern Africa aerosols to the sedime nt vicinity was not so evidently noticeable from these results.