Eric Tappa | USGS Science

USGS2014

Weekly resolution particulate flux from a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico, 2008-2012

The U.S. Geological Survey anchored a sediment trap in the northern Gulf of Mexico to collect time-series data on sediment flux from 2008 to 2012. There are continuous measurements of total mass flux and organic carbon flux (ogC) at 7–14 day resolution from 2008 to 2012. The flux of calcium carbonate (CaCO 3 ), particulate nitrogen (nitro), and biogenic silica (Opal) were also measured from January-December, 2008. The mass flux ranged from 0.01 g m -2 day -1 (grams per square meter per day) to 2.50 g m -2 day -1 , with a mean mass flux of 0.20 g m -2 day -1 over the 5-year study period.

Gulf Of Mexico↗

USGS2009

Seasonal Flux and Assemblage Composition of Planktic Foraminifera from the Northern Gulf of Mexico

A year-long sediment-trap experiment was conducted in the northern Gulf of Mexico (GOM) between January and December 2008 to study the flux and assemblage composition of planktic foraminifera from the region for comparison with concurrent hydrographic and climatic measurements. Ten species, or varieties, of planktic foraminifera constitute >80 percent of the assemblage: Globigerinoides ruber (pink and white varieties), Gs. sacculifer, Globigerina calida, Globigerinella aequilateralis, Globorotalia menardii group, Gt. crassaformis, Gt. truncatulinoides, Pulleniatina spp., and Neogloboquadrina dutertrei. The mean daily flux is about 200 tests per meter square per day (m-2 day-1) with the maximum fluxes of >600 tests m-2 day-1 occurring during October-March and minimum fluxes of <30 tests m-2 day-1 during April-June. The annual flux is weighted toward October-March; approximately 73.2 percent of the total annual flux is produced during this period, while the April-June and July-September fluxes make up 14 percent and 12 percent, respectively. During 2008, Gs. ruber (white) contributed ~1.5 percent to the total annual flux and averaged 4.5 percent during April-September, the period of highest fluxes for this species. Results from previous work in the GOM show Gs. ruber (white) contributing 20-30 percent of the late Holocene sediment record.

Open-File Report↗