Macroscopic and microscopic views of deep sea sediments.

1. Deep Sea Sediments
Photomicographs courtesy of Paula Worstell, Scripps Institution of
Oceanography and
BOSCORF, National Oceanographic Center, Southampton, UK and
Ocean Drilling Program
See: http://www.boscorf.org/repository/curatorial-reference/pacific-transect for
more information on sedimentary regimes of the Pacific basin.

2. SUBEQUATORIAL
PACIFIC OCEAN
Water depth 5399m
3ºN, 165ºW
Sample Ref: PROA-
131G-2, Top
Courtesy: Paula
Worstell, SIO
Description:
Radiolarians, as seen
here, are abundant in
sediments along an
equatorial band in the
Pacific Ocean. Diatoms
are also present in this
sample. High power
(x100) view.
Radiolarian ooze with some diatoms

3. Brown Pelagic Clay
with porcelanite
laminae, from South
Pacific gyre, IODP Exp
329. This sediment is
similar to that found in
the North Pacific gyre
illustrated in Figure 4 in
the mini lesson
(Cazfoto)

4. Pelagic Brown Clay
NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN
Water depth: 4940m
PPL
25ºN, 162ºW
Sample Ref: JYN2-1G,
Courtesy: Paula Worstell, SIO
(4) Deep sea red clay with
sponge spicules
Description:
This deep-sea clay contains a
few siliceous sponge
spicules. High power (x100)
view.

5. Siliceous Mud
Diatom clay with some radiolarian fragments.
High power (x100) view. North Pacific,
47ºN, 164ºW
Sample Ref: CHIN-6G, Top
Courtesy: Paula Worstell, SIO

6. Terrigenous Mud
• Back-Scattered
Electron microscope
image of terrigenous
mud.
• Sediment from
Alboran Sea, ODP Site
976B, 556 m below
seafloor. Note
foraminiferal fossils
plus obvious angular
quartz grains .
• This type of sediment
is a mixture that could
be derived from a
continent and include
fossils from the open
ocean
Source: OPD and
Wikepedia

7. Chalk or lithified
calcareous ooze.
This could be similar to
the type of sediment
accumulating in an
open ocean
environment on a high
area such as a
seamount.
(source Wikipedia)