Date of Award
2024
Document Type
Dissertation
Degree Name
Doctor of Philosophy (PhD)
Department
Geography, Geology, and Anthropology
Abstract
The Agulhas Current is one of the strongest currents in the southern hemisphere and is responsible for the transport of waters along the southeastern coast of Africa. The sediment load of the Agulhas Current and its interactions with other water masses in the region are essential to primary productivity along Africas southern coast. Despite this importance, there are still many discrepancies in our understanding of how sediment burial and nutrient variability have been impacted by regional and global changes in climate. The focus of this research is to explore the connections between climate and elemental burial from the Pleistocene through the Holocene, with an emphasis on phosphorus and metal burial over the last 1.1 mya. Two ocean sediment cores from the International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expedition 361 were selected based on their proximity to the Agulhas Current. Site U1474 lies within the flow of the current, while Site U1479 lies within the Agulhas Ring Corridor, outside of its direct influence. Different downcore elemental concentrations were collected using a combination of X-Ray Fluorescence (XRF) and UV-Visible Spectroscopy. Site U1474 displayed strong dependence on southeastern African hydroclimate changes and orbitial eccentricity. Site U1479 also displayed dependence on these processes, in addition to changes in the strength of Agulhas Leakage and glacial-interglacial variability. Additionally, we explore the teleconnections between both core sites and how processes upstream can affect productivity and terrigenous burial dynamics downstream.
Recommended Citation
Havener, Paige, "Pleistocene Nutrient And Sediment Burial In The Agulhas Current: Links To Regional And Global Climate Variability" (2024). All-Inclusive List of Electronic Theses and Dissertations. 2024.
https://scholars.indianastate.edu/etds/2024