1. The Role of Reactive Phosphorus Generation in Cretaceous Anoxic Events
Kristina L. Faul, Chemistry Department, Mills College, Oakland, CA 94613
High oceanic productivity and ocean anoxia are often cited as causes of high organic carbon burial during
Cretaceous Oceanic Anoxic Events (OAEs) My goal is to test whether phosphorus is preferentially regenerated
from OAE sediments, and the role phosphorus generation might play in fueling these high productivity events.
Site Locations:
Demererra Rise,
western equatorial
Atlantic
Blake Nose,
western
North Atlantic
Preliminary Data from Blake Nose: Phosphorus Concentrations, MARs, and C to P Ratios
~OAE 1d
~OAE 1b
Preliminary data from Blake Nose indicates that P deposition could be elevated during OAEs (see above). These sites have Cretaceous age organic C to reactive P ratios (at right), that are lower than modern ocean organic C to reactive P ratios, possibly indicating preferential regeneration of reactive P during Cretaceous anoxic events.