Abstract
Carbon and oxygen isotope ratios of foraminifera and pteropod shells show considerable fluctuations with depth in all cores investigated. Distinct changes in the isotope ratios at certain depths can be correlated among cores. Foraminifera tests deposited in the Discovery and Atlantis II Deeps during the last 10,000 years show evidence of a beginning isotopic re-equilibration with the hot brine. Older deposits show no such effect, suggesting a maximum age of the brine of about 10,000 years. The isotopic data strongly suggest the repeated occurrence of periods of evaporation in the Red Sea during the last 80,000 to 100,000 years. It seems likely that these periods coincided with those of lowered sea level which severely restricted the exchange of water between the Red Sea and the Indian Ocean. Alternatively the reduced exchange could have been caused by tectonic activity near the Strait of Bab el Mandeb.
Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution Contribution No. 2195.
This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.
Access this chapter
Tax calculation will be finalised at checkout
Purchases are for personal use only
Preview
Unable to display preview. Download preview PDF.
References
Berggren, W. A. Micropaleontologic investigations of Red Sea cores — Summation and synthesis of results. In: Hot brines and recent heavy metal deposits in the Red Sea, E. T. Degens and D. A. Ross (eds.). Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 329-335 (1969).
Broecker, W. S., M. Ewing, and B. C. Heezen: Evidence for an abrupt change in climate close to 11,000 years ago. Am. J. Sci. 258, 429 (1960).
Craig, H.: Isotopic standards for carbon and oxygen and correction factors for mass-spectrometric analysis of carbon dioxide. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta. 12, 133 (1957).
Craig, H.: Isotopic composition and origin of the Red Sea and Salton Sea geothermal brines. Science. 154, 1544 (1966).
Degens, E. T. and S. Epstein: Oxygen and carbon isotope ratios in coexisting calcites and dolomites from recent and ancient sediments. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta. 28, 23 (1964).
Degens, E. T., D. W. Spencer, and R. H. Parker: Paleobiochemistry of molluscan shell proteins. Comp. Biochem. Physiol. 20, 553 (1967).
Deuser, W. G.: Postdepositional changes in the oxygen isotope ratios of Pleistocene foraminifera tests in the Red Sea. J. Geophys. Res. 73, 3311 (1968).
Emiliani, C.: Paleotemperature analyses of Caribbean cores P6304-8 and P6304-9 and a generalized temperature curve for the past 425,000 years. J. Geol. 74, 109 (1966).
Epstein, S., R. Buchsbaum, H. A. Lowenstam, and H. C. Urey: Revised carbonate-water isotopic temperature scale. Geol. Soc. Am. Bull. 64, 1315 (1953).
Epstein, S. and T. Mayeda: Variation of O18 content of waters from natural sources. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta. 4, 213 (1953).
Gevirtz, J. L. and G. M. Friedman: Deep-sea carbonate sediments of the Red Sea and their implications on marine lithification. J. Sed. Pet. 36, 143 (1966).
Ku, T. L., D. L. Thurber, and G. Mathieu: Radiocarbon chronology of Red Sea sediments. In: Hot brines and recent heavy metal deposits in the Red Sea, E. T. Degens and D. A. Ross (eds.). Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 348-359 (1969).
Lowenstam, H. A. and S. Epstein: On the origin of sedimentary aragonite needles of the Great Bahama Bank. J. Geol. 65, 364 (1957).
McCrea, J. M.: On the isotopic chemistry of carbonates and a paleotemperature scale. J. Chem. Phys. 18, 849 (1950).
McKinney, C. R., J. M. McCrea, S. Epstein, H. A. Allen, and H. C. Urey: Improvements in mass spectrometers for the measurement of small differences in isotope abundance ratios. Rev. Sci. Instr. 21, 724 (1950).
Taylor, H. P., Jr., J. Frechen, and E. T. Degens: Oxygen and carbon isotope studies of carbonatites from the Laacher See District, West Germany, and the Alnö District, Sweden. Geochim. et Cosmochim. Acta. 31, 407 (1967).
Thode, H. G., M. Shima, C. E. Rees, and K. V. Krishnamurty: Carbon-13 isotope effects in systems containing carbon dioxide, bicarbonate, carbonate, and metal ions. Canad. J. Chem. 43, 582 (1965).
Turner, J. S.: A physical interpretation of the observations of hot brine layers in the Red Sea. In: Hot brines and recent heavy metal deposits in the Red Sea, E. T. Degens and D. A. Ross (eds.). Springer-Verlag New York Inc., 164-173 (1969).
van der Hammen, T., G. C. Maarleveld, J. C. Vogel, and W. H. Zagwijn: Stratigraphy, climatic succession and radiocarbon dating of the last Glacial in the Netherlands. Geol. en Mijnb. 46, 79 (1967).
Author information
Authors and Affiliations
Editor information
Editors and Affiliations
Rights and permissions
Copyright information
© 1969 Springer Science+Business Media New York
About this chapter
Cite this chapter
Deuser, W.G., Degens, E.T. (1969). O18/O16 and C13/C12 Ratios of Fossils from the Hot-Brine Deep Area of the Central Red Sea. In: Degens, E.T., Ross, D.A. (eds) Hot Brines and Recent Heavy Metal Deposits in the Red Sea. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-28603-6_34
Download citation
DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-662-28603-6_34
Publisher Name: Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg
Print ISBN: 978-3-662-27120-9
Online ISBN: 978-3-662-28603-6
eBook Packages: Springer Book Archive