Referring to the picture above, this is a composition of a sediment core from on

Question

Referring to the picture above, this is a composition of a sediment core from one place in the deep ocean. It was recovered in a water depth of 4,000m.

1) How can this layering be explained?

2) What are the conditions under which each of the layers would be expected to have been formed?

3) Recognizing that this location is on a moving plate, what does this tell you about the path (geologic history) of this location of the sea floor at this location?

Brown, olive colored and red Clay Turbidite Upper sequence Calcareous Ooze Brown, olive colored and red Clay This is the composition of a sediment core from one place in the deep ocean. It was recovered in a water depth of 4000 m. How can this layering be explained? What are the conditions under which each of these layers would be expected to have been formed? Recognizing that this location is on a moving plate, what does this tell you about the path (geologic history) of this location of the sea floor at this location? Siliceous (Radiolarian) Ooze Brown, olive colored and red Clay Calcareous Ooze Fractured Basalt

Explanation / Answer

These are the Oceanic sediments located at deep ocean floor in unconsolidated form at the sea floor of 4000m depth. These sediments consist of loose fragments of rocks, minerals, ash and organic materials transported by air, wind, water and ice deposited there. Some deposits are deposited by chemical precipitation from overlying water.

The layering of these Recent sediments deposit in different periods and conditions.

Bottom most layer basalt fragments derived from volcanic activity

Calcareous ooze consists of CaCO3 derived from limestone and chalk sediments.

Brown, olive and red clays derived from rock and mineral deposits of land transported by rivers and deposited in continental margins and deep sea floor.

These Oceanic sediments are an archive of past geological conditions of plate tectonic distribution, volcanic activity, climatic conditions, ocean circulation etc.

These are Terrigenous sediments of rock and mineral fragments derived from land and located in continental margins and deep sea floor. Major rivers of Atlantic ocean transporting terrigenous sediments and depositing on ocean floor as red clays and brown muds. They generally found in and around 400m depth of ocean floor. These clayey sediments are derived from atmospheric dust, volcanic ash, fine grained rock debris from land and micrometeorites.

The Ooze deposits are deep sea sediments consist of 30% skeletalremains and microscopic floating organisms and clay. Siliceous oozes derived from marine protozoa radiolaria and single cell plants diatoms. Calcareous oozes are from limestone and chalk composes of CaCo3.

The fractured basalts are derived from sea floor volcanic vents in the form of basalt rock fragments and ash.

3) Recognizing that this location is on a moving plate, what does this tell you about the path (geologic history) of this location of the sea floor at this location?

This location is in Atlantic Ocean around 550 km northeast of Boston of North America situated in Continental Margin almost just after the boundary of Continental Rise and in Abyssal Plains. It is a zone divergent plate boundary where tectonic plates movement away from each other forming a deep trough.

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