Carbonate preservation reconstructed from ODP Sites 154-927 and 154-929 at Ceará Rise

Evidence for this Pliocene super conveyor scenario has been collected using a number of proxies (e.g., benthic d13C, Nd isotopic composition of manganese crusts). The present study contributes to the existing evidences by using carbonate dissolution and current vigour history of early Pliocene sediments from the Ceará Rise (ODP Sites 927 and 929).

In order to reveal carbonate dissolution history, a number of commonly used and newly established proxies were applied, i.e., sand and carbonate contents, foraminifer fragmentation index, Bulloides Dissolution Index and carbonate silt grain-size distributions. Terrigenous silt grain-size distributions were used to unravel variations in relative current strength and sediment input to the two sites. Overall good carbonate preservation at the shallow Site 927 (3314 m water depth) shows that this level was bathed in North Atlantic Deep Water throughout the early Pliocene.