180 likes | 201 Views
SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTS. Lithogenous Biogenous Hydrogenous Cosmogenous. General patterns. Review shape of typical ocean floor Lots of sediments near continents Few sediments at ocean ridges – Why?. Lithogenous (1). From weathering and erosion of continents
E N D
SEAFLOOR SEDIMENTS Lithogenous Biogenous Hydrogenous Cosmogenous
General patterns • Review shape of typical ocean floor • Lots of sediments near continents • Few sediments at ocean ridges – Why?
Lithogenous (1) • From weathering and erosion of continents • Some relatively close to continental mass • Beach sediments • River sediments • Glacial debris • Graded bedding from turbidity currents
Lithogenous (2) • Some found on abyssal plain • Wind-blown debris • Red clays
Biogenous sediments (1) • Remains of formerly living organisms (shells and reef material) • Silica rich: radiolarians, diatoms • Calcium carbonate rich: • forams, coccolithophores, reefs • carbonate compensation depth
Biogenous (2) • Difficult to accumulate biogenous oozes • Productivity of that area of the ocean • Destruction as “shells” fall to seafloor Additional CCD for carbonate sediments • Dilution by other sediments
Hydrogenous sediments • Evaporites • Manganese nodules • Phosphorite nodules • Metal sulfides
Manganese Nodules
Cosmosgenous sediments TEKTITES • Meteorites • Tektites • Random distribution and relatively insignificant
MAP OF SEDIMENTS IN OCEAN • Student version
Resources from the seafloor • What is accessible? • What is owned by whom? • What is economically valuable?