Ab. Von Gyldenfeldt et al., Estimation of the catchment area of a sediment trap by means of current meters and foraminiferal tests, DEEP-SEA II, 47(9-11), 2000, pp. 1701-1717
Citations number
26
Categorie Soggetti
Aquatic Sciences","Earth Sciences
Journal title
DEEP-SEA RESEARCH PART II-TOPICAL STUDIES IN OCEANOGRAPHY
Between June 1989 and July 1990 a mooring equipped with four current meters
and one sediment trap was deployed in the Fram Strait (79 degrees N). From
the material collected by the sediment trap two species of planktic forami
nifera (Turborotalita quinqueloba and Neogloboquadrina pachyderma) were use
d to estimate the catchment area of the sediment trap. For each species and
size class the individual sinking velocity was used to determine the resid
ence time in the water column. The residence time is the major factor that
determines the drift of the tests. Using current-meter data trajectories we
re calculated to estimate the catchment area and the area of sedimentation.
The maximum distance the smallest tests have been transported, while sinki
ng from the surface (similar to 100 m) to the sediment trap (1125 m), is ap
proximately 275 km, with maximum trajectory lengths of up to 300 km. Depend
ing mainly on the grain size of the tests, the distances and trajectories h
ave means lying between 25 and 50 km for N. pachyderma and 50 and 100 km fo
r T. quinqueloba, respectively. Considering the whole sampling period, the
estimated catchment areas are 23,900 km(2) for all N, pachyderma tests and
33,300 km(2) for all T. quinqueloba tests, respectively. The respective are
as of sedimentation are estimated to range from 3400 km(2) to 3500 km(2). (
C) 2000 Elsevier Science Ltd. All rights reserved.