title: Deep-sea palaeoceanography of the Maldives islands (ODP hole 716A), equatorial Indian ocean during MIS 12-6.
abstract: Deep-sea benthic foraminifera, planktic foraminifer Globigerina bulloides and pteropods have been quantitatively analysed in 451 samples from Ocean Drilling Program (ODP) Hole 716A, to understand both surface and deep-sea palaeoceanographic changes in the equatorial Indian Ocean basin during the late Quaternary (approximately 444-151 Kyrs). Benthic foraminifera were analysed from >125 microm size fraction whereas Globigerina bulloides and pteropods were analysed from > 150 microm size fraction. Factor analysis of most dominant benthic foraminiferal species over the studied time span made it possible to identify three biofacies characterizing distinct deep-sea environmental settings at Hole 716A. The environmental interpretation of each species is based on the ecology of recent deep-sea benthic foraminifera. The faunal record indicates fluctuating deep-sea conditions including changes in surface productivity, organic food supply and deep-sea oxygenation linked to changing wind intensities. These changes are pronounced on glacial-interglacial time scales driven by summer monsoon winds.
authors.affiliation: Department of Geology and Geophysics, Indian Institute of Technology, Kharagpur 721 302, India.
authors.forename: S
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Sarkar
authors.forename: A K
authors.initials: AK
authors.lastname: Gupta
mesh_terms: D000818:Animals; D044822:Biodiversity; D005843:Geography; D019156:Indian Ocean; D010100:Oxygen / Q000032:analysis; D010163:Paleontology; D012623:Seawater / Q000737:chemistry
chemical_list: D010100:Oxygen