Worldwide continental denudation and climatic deterioration during the late Tertiary: Evidence from deep-sea sediments

Research Article| September 01, 1982 Worldwide continental denudation and climatic deterioration during the late Tertiary: Evidence from deep-sea sediments Thomas W. Donnelly Thomas W. Donnelly 1Department of Geological Sciences, State University of New York, Binghamton, New York 13901 Search for other works by this author on: GSW Google Scholar Geology (1982) 10 (9): 451–454. https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1982)10<451:WCDACD>2.0.CO;2 Article history first online: 01 Jun 2017 Cite View This Citation Add to Citation Manager Share Icon Share Facebook Twitter LinkedIn MailTo Tools Icon Tools Get Permissions Search Site Citation Thomas W. Donnelly; Worldwide continental denudation and climatic deterioration during the late Tertiary: Evidence from deep-sea sediments. Geology 1982;; 10 (9): 451–454. doi: https://doi.org/10.1130/0091-7613(1982)10<451:WCDACD>2.0.CO;2 Download citation file: Ris (Zotero) Refmanager EasyBib Bookends Mendeley Papers EndNote RefWorks BibTex toolbar search Search Dropdown Menu toolbar search search input Search input auto suggest filter your search All ContentBy SocietyGeology Search Advanced Search Abstract A six-fold increase in the rate of accumulation of Al2O3 in north and central Atlantic and Pacific Ocean sediments indicates vastly increased denudation of the continents during the past 15 m.y. The increase is more apparent in hemipelagic than pelagic sites, demonstrating widely distributed local controls. Similarities in the rate of increase in the Atlantic and Pacific show that tectonic elevation is not responsible for the difference in sedimentation rate. Also, similarities in the difference at sites of low and high latitude suggest that glaciation is not the most significant source. A lack of correspondence between sedimentation rates and Vail's sea-level curve similarly rule out that effect. The conclusion drawn here is that worldwide climatic deterioration during the late Tertiary is the explanation for the striking increase in detrital sedimentation in the world ocean. This content is PDF only. Please click on the PDF icon to access. First Page Preview Close Modal You do not have access to this content, please speak to your institutional administrator if you feel you should have access.