Peta J. Mudie of Natural Resources Canada describes lithostratigraphic data from 28 piston and gravity cores recovered from the Alpha Ridge in the Central Arctic Ocean. The cores contain late Cenozoic muds with clastic material and define 16 lithostratigraphic units based on texture, structure, color, and mineral content. Some cores include older Campanian-Maastrichtian diatom ooze and Paleogene volcanic ash units, with paleomagnetic data indicating Late Miocene-Early Pliocene ages.
Use Cases
- Correlating lithostratigraphic units across the Central Arctic Ocean based on sediment texture and composition.
- Studying ice-transported clastic material and sedimentation rates over the past 4-5 million years.
- Analyzing the microstructure and mineral composition of laminated diatom ooze to infer depositional environment.
- Investigating the age and distribution of volcanic ash units within Arctic sediment sequences.
Strengths
- Data is derived from 28 physical sediment cores (16 piston, 12 gravity) providing direct geological samples.
- Lithostratigraphic analysis defines 16 distinct units, enabling detailed correlation.
- Includes paleomagnetic and palynological age control, confirming a Late Miocene-Early Pliocene age for one unit.
Limitations
- Row count, column definitions, and file formats are unknown, limiting suitability assessment.
- Description metadata is limited; actual data quality requires manual inspection after download.
- Last update date is unknown; freshness unverified.
Provenance
- Source
- Peta J. Mudie, Natural Resources Canada
- Collection Method
- Analysis of sediment cores recovered from the northern and southern crests of the eastern Alpha Ridge and the Alpha Ridge graben.
- Time Range
- Campanian-Maastrichtian to Holocene (Late Cretaceous to present), with a focus on the past 4-5 million years.
- Geography
- Central Arctic Ocean, specifically the Alpha Ridge.