Scripps Institution of Oceanography

This report is a documentation of data and certain ideas presented in:

1) Bralower, T. J. and Thierstein, H. R., 1987. Organic carbon and metal accumulation in Holocene and mid-Cretaceous marine sediments : paleoceanographic significance. IN: Brooks, J. and Fleet, A. (eds.) Marine Petroleum Source Rocks , Special Publication of the Geological Society of London v. 24, p. 377-398. Blackwell, London.

2) Bralower, T. J., and Thierstein, H. R., 1984. Low productivity and slow deep-water circulation in mid-Cretaceous oceans. Geology 12:614—618.

Recent advances in dating techniques, bio-, chrono- and magneto-stratigraphic, have had important implications to our understanding of sedimentary processes. Accurate estimates of the duration of geologic time-slices have allowed the calculation of sedimentation and also accumulation rates. The accumulation rate of a sedimentary component is the rate at which it is removed from the oceanic system into the sedimentary reservoir. Comparisons of sedimentary accumulation rates of particular components with estimates of their oceanic input rates have greatly improved our knowledge of the overall budgets of these elements in the present day ocean.

We have integrated and interpreted a large body of Holocene accumulation rate data, and compared it to the accumulation rates of similar components in certain Mid-Cretaceous intervals. Some of this data has been obtained from the literature. Numerous analyses have been made as a part of this study and the techniques and results are presented herein. This report also documents and extends certain aspects of our interpretation of organic carbon and transition metal accumulation.