The isolation of Kau Bay during the last glaciation: direct evidence from interstitial water chlorinity
Middelburg, J.J.; de Lange, G.J. (1989). The isolation of Kau Bay during the last glaciation: direct evidence from interstitial water chlorinity. Neth. J. Sea Res. 24(4): 615-622
In: Netherlands Journal of Sea Research. Netherlands Institute for Sea Research (NIOZ): Groningen; Den Burg. ISSN 0077-7579; e-ISSN 1873-1406, more
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| Authors | | Top |
- Middelburg, J.J., more
- de Lange, G.J.
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| Abstract |
Kau Bay is a 470-m-deep basin separated from the Pacific Ocean by a shallow sill (40 m below sea level), which restricts water circulation. The lack of substantial ventilation results in anoxic sediments. The pore water in the sediments of all piston cores shows a decrease in chlorinity with depth. The decrease of chloride with depth is the first direct evidence to support the theory that the Kau Bay salinity changed markedly during the Quaternary Era. These salinity changes are related to a sea level drop (relative to the present situation) of more than 40 m causing the isolation of Kau Bay. Calculations based on a transient diffusion-advection model support the existence of freshwater conditions during the last isolational phase. |
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