Variability of sedimentation rates along two profiles crossing the Pacific equatorial sediments

What is it about?

Sedimentation rates are commonly quantified from sediment cores, but the lateral length-scales over which those rates vary is difficult to characterise from such data as they are highly discontinuous. In this study, we characterised the shapes of intervals between seismic reflections of uniform age, allowing us to assess the equatorial enhancement of pelagic input and how the length scales of variability varied over the late Neogene. The results suggested an intriguing correlation between variability length scales and the abundance of hiatuses interpreted by others from scientific drilling cores.

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Why is it important?

Studies of cores combined with regional seismic reflection lines probably have a better chance of accurately characterising sedimentary fluxes.