The Late Holocene fine-grained sedimentation in the deep central
Balearic Abyssal Plain, Western Mediterranean Sea, has been studied
after the analysis of high quality sediment cores from three multicoring
stations, named A, B and C. The coring stations are 25 km apart from
each other and form a triangle that is at the greatest distance from the
nearest landmasses. The sediments consist of foraminifer-pteropod oozes
(layers U1 and U4 from bottom to top), two pteropod oozes (U2 and U5)
and a turbidite layer (U3). The same sequence has been identified in the
three cores.
The turbidite layer U3 that lies on top of U2 (C-14 AMS dated at 1814
cal yrs BP) ranges from 5 to I I cm thick and is clearly distinguished
from the dominating hemipelagic sediments by colour variations, higher
water content and the absence of planktonic foraminifer shells. Rather
uniform values of organic carbon and nitrogen are also characteristic of
the U3 turbidite unit, likely because of homogenisation during transport
and emplacement. In addition, U3 unit shows higher contents of
terrigenous elements such as K and Fe. Otherwise, the presence of
zeolites in the turbidite layer supports the hypothesis of the Sardinian
continental margin, where pyroclastic deposits are known, as the most
likely source area for U3. Our results demonstrate the ability of
turbidity currents originating on the margins surrounding the Balearic
Abyssal Plain to reach the very centre of the basin during high sea
level still stands as the present one. (c) 2006 Elsevier B.V. All rights
reserved.