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The Distribution of Living Planktic Foraminifera in Relation to Southeast Atlantic Oceanography

  • Chapter
Use of Proxies in Paleoceanography

Abstract

Plankton tows from the southeast Atlantic show that most planktic foraminifera live in the upper 50 m of the ocean. Despite the general preference of planktic foraminifera for the upper mixed layer, a few species are found living in deeper water. Globorotalia scitula, Globorotalia crassaformis, and Hastigerinapelagica prefer water depths between 100 m and 300 m. Abundances of individual species can be used to indicate surface water conditions, e. g., G crassaformis occurs mainly in low-oxygenated subsurface waters, and Globorotalia menardii has high abundances in the Equatorial Undercurrent. Globigerina bulloides traces surface-water masses enriched in nutrients. Neogloboquadrina dutertrei can be used to trace the hydrographic conditions of tropical and subtropical upwelling areas, or areas where a shallow seasonal thermocline is associated with a chlorophyll maximum between 25–50 m. On the other hand, some species, such as Globigerinita glutinata and Turborotalita quinqueloba, are present at all studied sites. Comparison of regional distribution patterns in the surface waters with surface sediment data usually results in good agreement between the two data sets. Oxygen-isotope measurements of selected species from plankton tows document that the calcification depths of the species correspond fairly well with the depths where highest frequencies are recorded. The species calcify at various water depths down to approximately 300 m. Thus, by selecting certain species according to their depth habitats, a record of the prevailing vertical temperature gradient can be obtained in fossil assemblages.

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  1. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Postfach 33 04 40, D-28334, Bremen, Germany

    S. Kemle-von Mücke

  2. GeoForschungsZentrum, Gebäude C, Telegrafenberg, D-14473, Potsdam, Germany

    H. Oberhänsli

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  1. S. Kemle-von Mücke
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Correspondence to S. Kemle-von Mücke .

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  1. Fachbereich Geowissenschaften, Universität Bremen, Klagenfurter Straße, D-28359, Bremen, Germany

    Gerhard Fischer  & Gerold Wefer  & 

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Kemle-von Mücke, S., Oberhänsli, H. (1999). The Distribution of Living Planktic Foraminifera in Relation to Southeast Atlantic Oceanography. In: Fischer, G., Wefer, G. (eds) Use of Proxies in Paleoceanography. Springer, Berlin, Heidelberg. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-58646-0_3

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  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-642-58646-0_3

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