A High-Resolution Stratigraphy for Pleistocene Sediments from North Pacific Sites 881, 883, and 887 Based on Abundance Variations of the Radiolarian Cycladophora davisiana

Abstract

The abundance pattern of the radiolarian species Cycladophora davisiana davisiana was constructed in Pleistocene sediments at three North Pacific Leg 145 sites. At northwest Pacific Site 883 and Gulf of Alaska Site 887, this species' abundance pattern in combination with specific biostratigraphic datum levels provided a detailed stratigraphic framework which enabled the identifi- cation of missing sediment intervals as well as placement of the discontinuous isotopic sections from Site 883 into their proper stratigraphic sequence. Development of a nearly continuous C.davisiana davisiana record at Site 881 extended documentation of this species' abundance variations into the middle Pleistocene.