Laurentide ice sheet meltwater influences and millennial-scale climate oscillations on the northwestern slope of the Gulf of Mexico during Marine Isotope Stage 6 and Termination II

Sub-Milankovitch climate oscillations are well documented phenomena in the Gulf of Mexico during Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 3 and Termination I, however very little is known about equivalent events during older time intervals. Basin 4 is located on the northwest slope of the Gulf of Mexico and has provided a detailed record of late MIS 6 and Termination II. The results of this study show that the delta18O record of planktonic foraminifer G. ruber contains millennial-scale climate oscillations during MIS 6, a series of meltwater spikes, and a climate reversal during Termination II. Paired delta18O -- Mg/Ca data across these events reveal that the unusually large amplitudes in the delta 18O record cannot be explained by sea surface temperature (SST) or ice volume, but rather are a response to isotopically light glacial meltwater from the paleo-Mississippi river. This conclusion supports the studies of similar oscillations during Termination I and MIS 3.

Name thesis:degree_name

Master of Science

Level thesis:degree_level

Masters

Discipline thesis:degree_discipline

Natural Sciences

Grantor

Rice University

Year dc:date.issued

2009

Author dc:creator

• O'Hayer, Walter Werley

Advisors dc:contributor.advisor

• Droxler, Andre W.
• Dugan, Brandon

• Geochemistry

Statement dc:rights

• Copyright is held by the author, unless otherwise indicated. Permission to reuse, publish, or reproduce the work beyond the bounds of fair use or other exemptions to copyright law must be obtained from the copyright holder.

Language dc:language.iso

eng

Handle dc:identifier.uri

https://hdl.handle.net/1911/61948

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:repository.rice.edu:1911/61948