Lithological and biogeochemical investigations of the North Atlantic sediment system (data from the 49th cruise of the R/V Akademik Ioffe)

Marine sediments and samples of suspended particulate matter from the North Atlantic were studied. It is shown that modern sedimentation in this area is controlled mainly by the efficiency of autochthonous marine phytoplankton and sediment supply by the system of near-bottom currents, as well as by means of the ice-rafting. The studied sediment sections were formed in the North Atlantic during the Middle Pleistocene to Holocene. The highest sedimentation rate, up to 58.3 cm/kyr, is established for AI-3359 core, collected in the area of the Gardar and Bjorn Drifts. This makes the core very interesting for detailed paleoreconstructions. AI-3378 and AI-3415 cores are characterized by low sedimentation rates. Nevertheless, they are of interest for spatial paleoreconstructions on a continuous timeline. The general pattern is established for the first time for the sediments from the central North Atlantic: biogeochemically significant processes are detected only in the thin surface layer (0–2 cm) and almost completely cease at depths of 90–180 cm. The processes are probably controlled by the position of the sampling stations and the composition of organic matter (OM) but not related to the age of the sedimentary layer. The low microbial activity in the sediments is most likely the result of a lack of OM.