HR: 11:10h
AN: OS52A-04    [Abstracts]
TI: High-Resolution Holocene Records of Paleoceanographic and Paleoclimatic Variability from the Southern Alaskan Continental Margin
AU: * Finney, B P
EM: finney@ims.uaf.edu
AF: Institute of Marine Science, University of Alaska Fairbanks, Fairbanks, AK 99775
AU: Jaeger, J M
EM: jaeger@geology.ufl.edu
AF: Department of Geological Sciences, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611
AU: Mix, A C
EM: amix@coas.oregonstate.edu
AF: COAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
AU: Cowan, E A
EM: CowanEA@appstate.edu
AF: Department of Geology, Appalachian State University, Boone, NC 28608
AU: Gulick, S S
EM: sean@ig.utexas.edu
AF: Institute of Geophysics, University of Texas at Austin, Austin, TX 78713
AU: Mayer, L A
EM: lmayer@cisunix.unh.edu
AF: Center for Coastal and Ocean Mapping, University of New Hampshire, Durham, NH 03824
AU: Pisias, N G
EM: npisias@coas.oregonstate.edu
AF: COAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
AU: Powell, R D
EM: ross@geol.niu.edu
AF: Dept of Geology & Environmental Geosciences, Northern Illinois University, DeKalb, IL 60115
AU: Prahl, F
EM: fprahl@coas.oregonstate.edu
AF: COAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
AU: Stoner, J S
EM: jstoner@coas.oregonstate.edu
AF: COAS, Oregon State University, Corvallis, OR 97331
AB: We are investigating sediments from the fjords and continental margin of southern Alaska to develop high-resolution climatic and oceanographic records for the Late Quaternary. Our goal is to better understand linkages between climatic, terrestrial and oceanic systems in this tectonically active and biologically productive region. A field program was conducted aboard the R/V Maurice Ewing in August/September 2004 utilizing geophysical surveys (high-resolution swath bathymetric and backscatter imaging, shallow sub-bottom profiling, and where permitted, high-resolution seismic reflection profiling), piston and multi-coring, and CTD/water sampling at about 30 sites in this region. Cores are being analyzed for sedimentological, microfossil, geochemical and stable isotopic proxies, with chronologies constrained by Pb-210, AMS radiocarbon, tephrochronolgic and paleomagnetic dating. Our preliminary results demonstrate that these rapidly accumulating sedimentary archives can resolve environmental changes on annual to decadal timescales. Records of recent changes in lithogenic sediment accumulation and biological productivity on the Gulf of Alaska shelf track historical climatic data that extends to the early 20th century in this region. The records also correlate with multi-decadal climate regimes during the Little Ice Age as suggested by tree-ring, glacial advance and salmon abundance records from nearby coastal sites. Jack Dymond's enthusiasm for collaborative, interdisciplinary research will help guide us in unraveling the fingerprints of key processes in this relatively unexplored region.
DE: 4215 Climate and interannual variability (3309)
DE: 4267 Paleoceanography
DE: 3022 Marine sediments--processes and transport
DE: 1050 Marine geochemistry (4835, 4850)
DE: 1620 Climate dynamics (3309)
SC: Ocean Sciences [OS]
MN: 2004 AGU Fall Meeting