Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries

High-resolution paleo-environmental and paleo-ecological archives in laminated sequences are present in selected areas from the upper continental Peruvian margin within the oxygen minimum zone. We present initial results of a multidisciplinary study (the PALEOPECES project) that aims to reconstruct...

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Main Authors: D. Gutiérrez, A. Sifeddine, J. L. Reyss, G. Vargas, F. Velazco, R. Salvatteci, V. Ferreira, L. Ortlieb, D. Field, T. Baumgartner, M. Boussafir, H. Boucher, J. Valdés, L. Marinovic, P. Soler, P. Tapia
Format: Article
Language:English
Published: Copernicus Publications 2006-01-01
Series:Advances in Geosciences
Online Access:http://www.adv-geosci.net/6/119/2006/adgeo-6-119-2006.pdf
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author D. Gutiérrez
A. Sifeddine
J. L. Reyss
G. Vargas
F. Velazco
R. Salvatteci
V. Ferreira
L. Ortlieb
D. Field
T. Baumgartner
M. Boussafir
H. Boucher
J. Valdés
L. Marinovic
P. Soler
P. Tapia
author_facet D. Gutiérrez
A. Sifeddine
J. L. Reyss
G. Vargas
F. Velazco
R. Salvatteci
V. Ferreira
L. Ortlieb
D. Field
T. Baumgartner
M. Boussafir
H. Boucher
J. Valdés
L. Marinovic
P. Soler
P. Tapia
author_sort D. Gutiérrez
collection DOAJ
description High-resolution paleo-environmental and paleo-ecological archives in laminated sequences are present in selected areas from the upper continental Peruvian margin within the oxygen minimum zone. We present initial results of a multidisciplinary study (the PALEOPECES project) that aims to reconstruct environmental and ecosystem variability during the past 200 years from high-resolution records. We report chronology development, sediment structure, elemental, organic, and mineralogical compositions of a box core collected at 300 m depth off Pisco, central Peru. An average sedimentation rate of 2.2 mm y<sup>-1</sup> was estimated from downcore excess <sup>210</sup>Pb activities for the last 100-150 years. Extending this rate further downcore indicates that a slump located at 52 cm depth from the top of the core can be correlated with a large tsunami that struck the coast of central Peru in 1746. X-ray analyses reveal laminated structures composed of couplets of light and dark laminae. Observations under polarized microscope show that light laminae are dominated by more dense, detrital and terrigenous material, while dark laminae are less dense with greater concentrations of amorphous biogenic silica. Downcore variations in dry bulk density and X-ray radioscopy of gray level show similar patterns, including a major shift at 34 cm depth (ca. mid-nineteenth century). A finely laminated sequence, which may include annual varves, is present between 34 cm depth and the slump layer. Sediment characteristics of the sequence suggest increased seasonality of terrigenous versus biogenous sedimentation during the corresponding period. In addition to a mid-nineteenth century change and considerable multidecadal variability in TOC, there is a positive trend in the past 50 years. Mineralogical analyses from a Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) of the upper core covering the last 25 years, indicate higher concentrations of the mineral fraction (quartz, feldspar, kaolinite and illite) in layers including large El Ni&#241;o events (1982-1983, 1986-1987 and 1997-1998), with the largest peak during the 1997-1998 episode. These results confirm that anoxic sediments off Pisco are suitable archives to investigate interannual and decadal changes in oceanographic conditions and climate of the northern Humboldt upwelling system.
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spelling doaj.art-f4b036763b584d30be9e577e17ed5ea42022-12-22T00:01:42ZengCopernicus PublicationsAdvances in Geosciences1680-73401680-73592006-01-016119125Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuriesD. GutiérrezA. SifeddineJ. L. ReyssG. VargasF. VelazcoR. SalvatteciV. FerreiraL. OrtliebD. FieldT. BaumgartnerM. BoussafirH. BoucherJ. ValdésL. MarinovicP. SolerP. TapiaHigh-resolution paleo-environmental and paleo-ecological archives in laminated sequences are present in selected areas from the upper continental Peruvian margin within the oxygen minimum zone. We present initial results of a multidisciplinary study (the PALEOPECES project) that aims to reconstruct environmental and ecosystem variability during the past 200 years from high-resolution records. We report chronology development, sediment structure, elemental, organic, and mineralogical compositions of a box core collected at 300 m depth off Pisco, central Peru. An average sedimentation rate of 2.2 mm y<sup>-1</sup> was estimated from downcore excess <sup>210</sup>Pb activities for the last 100-150 years. Extending this rate further downcore indicates that a slump located at 52 cm depth from the top of the core can be correlated with a large tsunami that struck the coast of central Peru in 1746. X-ray analyses reveal laminated structures composed of couplets of light and dark laminae. Observations under polarized microscope show that light laminae are dominated by more dense, detrital and terrigenous material, while dark laminae are less dense with greater concentrations of amorphous biogenic silica. Downcore variations in dry bulk density and X-ray radioscopy of gray level show similar patterns, including a major shift at 34 cm depth (ca. mid-nineteenth century). A finely laminated sequence, which may include annual varves, is present between 34 cm depth and the slump layer. Sediment characteristics of the sequence suggest increased seasonality of terrigenous versus biogenous sedimentation during the corresponding period. In addition to a mid-nineteenth century change and considerable multidecadal variability in TOC, there is a positive trend in the past 50 years. Mineralogical analyses from a Fourier Transformed Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) of the upper core covering the last 25 years, indicate higher concentrations of the mineral fraction (quartz, feldspar, kaolinite and illite) in layers including large El Ni&#241;o events (1982-1983, 1986-1987 and 1997-1998), with the largest peak during the 1997-1998 episode. These results confirm that anoxic sediments off Pisco are suitable archives to investigate interannual and decadal changes in oceanographic conditions and climate of the northern Humboldt upwelling system.http://www.adv-geosci.net/6/119/2006/adgeo-6-119-2006.pdf
spellingShingle D. Gutiérrez
A. Sifeddine
J. L. Reyss
G. Vargas
F. Velazco
R. Salvatteci
V. Ferreira
L. Ortlieb
D. Field
T. Baumgartner
M. Boussafir
H. Boucher
J. Valdés
L. Marinovic
P. Soler
P. Tapia
Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
Advances in Geosciences
title Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
title_full Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
title_fullStr Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
title_full_unstemmed Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
title_short Anoxic sediments off Central Peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
title_sort anoxic sediments off central peru record interannual to multidecadal changes of climate and upwelling ecosystem during the last two centuries
url http://www.adv-geosci.net/6/119/2006/adgeo-6-119-2006.pdf
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