ARTICLE IN PRESS

Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200

Clay mineralogy and multi-element chemistry of surface

sediments on the Siberian-Arctic shelf: implications
for sediment provenance and grain size sorting
C. Viscosi-Shirleya,*, K. Mammoneb, N. Pisiasa, J. Dymonda
a
College of Oceanic and Atmospheric Sciences, Oregon State University, 104 Ocean Admin. Bldg., Corvallis, OR 97331-5503, USA
b
Hewlett-Packard Company, 1000 NE Circle Blvd., Corvallis, OR 97330, USA

Received 18 July 2002; accepted 3 January 2003

Abstract

Clay mineral and bulk chemical (Si, Al, K, Mg, Sr, La, Ce, Nd) analyses of terrigenous surface sediments on the
Siberian-Arctic shelf indicate that there are five regions with distinct, or endmember, sedimentary compositions. The
formation of these geochemical endmembers is controlled by sediment provenance and grain size sorting. (1) The shale
endmember (Al, K and REE rich sediment) is eroded from fine-grained marine sedimentary rocks of the Verkhoyansk
Mountains and Kolyma-Omolon superterrain, and discharged to the shelf by the Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma
Rivers. (2) The basalt endmember (Mg rich) originates from NE Siberia’s Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic belt and Bering
Strait inflow, and is prevalent in Chukchi Sea Sediments. Concentrations of the volcanically derived clay mineral
smectite are elevated in Chukchi fine-fraction sediments, corroborating the conclusion that Chukchi sediments are
volcanic in origin. (3) The mature sandstone endmember (Si rich) is found proximal to Wrangel Island and sections of
the Chukchi Sea’s Siberian coast and is derived from the sedimentary Chukotka terrain that comprises these
landmasses. (4) The immature sandstone endmember (Sr rich) is abundant in the New Siberian Island region and
reflects inputs from sedimentary rocks that comprise the islands. (5) The immature sandstone endmember is also
prevalent in the western Laptev Sea, where it is eroded from sedimentary deposits blanketing the Siberian platform that
are compositionally similar to those on the New Siberian Islands. Western Laptev can be distinguished from New
Siberian Island region sediments by their comparatively elevated smectite concentrations and the presence of the basalt
endmember, which indicate Siberian platform flood basalts are also a source of western Laptev sediments. In certain
locations grain size sorting noticeably affects shelf sediment chemistry. (1) Erosion of fines by currents and sediment ice
rafting contributes to the formation of the coarse-grained sandstone endmembers. (2) Bathymetrically controlled grain
size sorting, in which fines preferentially accumulate offshore in deeper, less energetic water, helps distribute the fine-
grained shale and basalt endmembers. An important implication of these results is that the observed sedimentary
geochemical endmembers provide new markers of sediment provenance, which can be used to track sediment transport,
ice-rafted debris dispersal or the movement of particle-reactive contaminants.
r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

Keywords: Clay minerals; Sediment chemistry; Sediment composition; Sediment sorting; Shelf sedimentation; Provenance; Arctic;
Siberia and Alaska; Chukchi Sea; East Siberian Sea; Laptev Sea (65
N–78
N,110
E–160
W)

*Corresponding author.
E-mail address: cviscosi@fs.mv.com (C. Viscosi-Shirley).

0278-4343/03/$ - see front matter r 2003 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.
doi:10.1016/S0278-4343(03)00091-8
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1176 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
1. Introduction
Knowledge of the Arctic Ocean’s modern
sedimentary processes is essential to evaluating
the potential ramifications of environmental
disruption in the Arctic. Models suggest that
the Arctic will respond sensitively to and amplify
the effects of global climate change (Walsh, 1991).
Understanding modern Arctic sedimentary
processes is a necessary prerequisite for paleo-
ceanographic reconstructions of environmental
change that may ultimately help us define the
role of the Arctic in the global climate system
(Imbrie et al., 1992; Stein and Korolev, 1994). On
a more local scale, industrialization threatens
Arctic continental shelves with a number of
particle-reactive contaminants. Studying Arctic-
shelf sediment sources and transport pathways
enables us to predict the fate of these contami-
nants, which may be transported throughout the
Arctic bound to ice rafted or current borne
sediments (Macdonald and Bewers, 1996; Pfirman
et al., 1997). Additionally, the identification of
unique sediment types on the Arctic shelf can be
used to monitor changes in production locations
and drift patterns of turbid sea ice (Pfirman et al.,
.
1990; Nurnberg et al., 1994; Reimnitz et al., 1994;
Dethleff et al., 2000).
Making up over one-third of the total Arctic-
shelf area (Silverberg, 1972; Holmes, 1975; Mac-
donald et al., 1998), the Arctic Ocean’s Siberian
continental shelf is a region influenced by both
anthropogenic and natural environmental change
(Naidu and Mowatt, 1983; Macdonald and
Bewers, 1996). While numerous investigations
have characterized modern Siberian-shelf clay
and heavy mineral distributions (Silverberg,
1972; Naugler et al., 1974; Naidu et al., 1982;
.
Nurnberg et al., 1994; Bischof and Darby, 1997;
Behrends et al., 1999; Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner
et al., 1999), much less is known of the multi-
element chemistry of surface sediments in this
region (Schoster et al., 2000). In this study, we
determine the surface sediment chemistry of an
extensive collection of sediment cores taken from
the Chukchi, East Siberian and Laptev Seas (Figs.
1a and 1b) by the US Coast Guard in the 1960’s,
as well as presenting new clay mineral data for
these areas. Our results are compared with those of
previous investigations of Siberian shelf sediment
composition. We provide the new clay mineral
data to allow direct comparison of the geochem-
ical with clay mineral results. A primary objective
of this study is to assess the usefulness of sediment
chemistry in distinguishing detrital material from
different locations on the shelf. Surface sediment
composition is controlled both by sediment
provenance and physical processes that sort
sediment by grain size, since different sized grains
are often different mineralogies. Thus, another
main goal of this study is to evaluate the roles of
sediment provenance and grain size sorting in
determining various chemical/clay mineralogical
signatures evident in shelf sediments. In a compa-
nion paper (Viscosi-Shirley et al., 2003) we use this
information to estimate sediment source strength,
determine sediment transport pathways/accumula-
tion patterns, and investigate the relationship
between sediment distribution and various sedi-
ment transport agents.
2. Conceptual approach and background
The Siberian shelf is characterized by extreme
geographic and temporal variability in factors that
control sediment dispersal, including input from
rivers, coastal erosion, current intensity and
direction, and sea ice formation and movement
(Barnett, 1991; Coachman and Shigaev, 1992;
Dmitrenko et al., 1995; Hass and Antonow,
1995; Timokhov, 1994; Lisitzin, 1996; Pavlov
et al., 1996; Weingartner et al., 1998a, b; Kassens
et al., 1999). A number of different geologic
terrains comprise the landmasses that supply
sediment to the shelf (Parfenov, 1992; Stone et al.,
1992; Bogdanov and Tilman, 1993; Fujita et al.,
1997). As a result of these different factors we
anticipate that Siberian shelf surface sediments,
which are known to have distinct clay mineral
trends, also have obvious chemical gradients and
that sediment composition is influenced both by
provenance and grain size sorting. This study seeks
to understand the roles of these factors in
determining shelf sediment composition by com-
paring spatial variability in terrigenous sediment
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C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200 1177

(a)

(b)

Fig. 1. (a) Arctic Ocean and marginal seas. (b) Siberian-shelf surface-sediment sample location () and geology map.

composition with geographic gradients in regional
geology, shelf bathymetry and physical oceano-
graphy. We characterize the composition of
Siberian-shelf terrigenous surface sediments using
clay mineral and bulk chemical (Si, Al, K, Mg, Sr,
La, Ce, Nd) analyses. These elements are present
in biogenic as well as terrigenous material (Tur-
ekian and Wedephol, 1961; Martin and Knauer,
1973; Chester, 1990). However, concentrations of
Siberian-shelf sedimentary biogenic matter are
generally low (Mammone, 1998). Consequently,
with the exception of Si, the distributions of these
elements are primarily controlled by spatial
gradients in the lithogenic fraction. To ensure that
our Si data describe the composition of the
lithogenic fraction, we subtract biogenic Si from
total Si concentrations. To correct for dilution of
terrigenous by biogenic material we express the
chemical data on a biogenic free basis. Bathy-
metric data are shown in Fig. 1b. Geologic and
physical oceanographic data are taken from
published literature, reviewed below.
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1178 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
2.1. Geologic terrains and sediment inputs
The Siberian hinterland consists of distinct
geologic terrains. From west to east, these terrains
include the: (1) Siberian platform, (2) Ver-
khoyansk Mountains, (3) Kolyma-Omolon super-
terrain, (4) Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic belt, and
(5) Chukotka terrain (Fig. 1b). Unless otherwise
noted, the following brief description of the
terrains is taken from Parfenov (1992), Stone
et al. (1992), Bogdanov and Tilman (1993),
Dylevskiy (1995), Fujita et al. (1997), and Huh
et al. (1998). Central-Russia’s Precambrian Siber-
ian platform consists of basement rock blanketed
by extensive sedimentary deposits (UNESCO,
1976) and one the largest flood basalts in the
world (Sharma et al., 1992). East of the platform
lies the Verkhoyansk Mountains, uplifted and
deformed Devonian sediments that grade eastward
from shelf clastic sequences to deep-water shale
deposits. East of the foldbelt is the Kolyma-
Omolon superterrain, accretionary terrain that is
chiefly an amalgamation of continental fragments
and island arc material bracketed by remnants of
fore and back arc basins. South and east of the
superterrain, extensive volcanic activity occurred
along what was the late Cretaceous active margin
forming the Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic belt. The
composition of the Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic
belt is zoned laterally in northeast Siberia, with
acidic to intermediate rocks predominating in the
west and intermediate to basic rocks in the east.
Lying north of the volcanic belt, the Chukotka
terrain consists primarily of sedimentary rock
(Fujita and Cook, 1990; Harbert et al., 1990).
This is an accretionary terrain that rifted from
Canada during the opening of the Arctic basin and
forms much of the shelf basement, outcropping on
sections of the Chukchi Sea’s Siberian coast and
Wrangel Island. Although the New Siberian
Islands’ relationship to the Chukotka terrain is
unresolved, these islands are likewise composed of
sedimentary rock with a lithology similar to that of
the Chukotka terrain. Alaska also supplies sedi-
ment to the Siberian shelf since it borders the
Chukchi Sea and contiguous Bering Sea, which is a
potential source of water and sediment for parts of
the study area (Fig. 1a). Geologic provinces in
Alaska are compositionally similar to those in NE
Siberia (Harbert et al., 1990; Deming et al., 1996).
Sediments from these landmasses are introduced
to the continental shelf by coastal erosion and
river discharge. Rivers draining to the Laptev Sea
and their sediment yields in 106 tons/yr include the
Khatanga (1.4), Anabar (0.4), Olenek (1.1), Lena
(17.6) and Yana (3.1) (Fig. 1b) (Gordeev et al.,
1996; Lisitzin, 1996). The Lena River has the
largest sediment yield of any river along the
Siberian and northern European coast (Gordeev
et al., 1996). The Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers
discharge 13.7  106 and 16.1  106 tons sediment/
yr, respectively, into the East Siberian Sea. Coastal
erosion also appears to be a significant source of
sediment (Timokhov, 1994). In the Laptev Sea
alone, Rachold et al. (2000) estimated sediment
input by coastal erosion is 58.4  106 tons/yr. Are
(1999) calculated that retreat of an 85 km segment
of Laptev coastline, less than one-tenth of this
sea’s total coastline, supplies 3.4  106 tons of
sediment to the shelf annually.
2.2. Physical environment
Knowledge of current and ice flow regimes is
critical to understanding sedimentation patterns
on the Siberian shelf. Although Siberian shelf
currents can fluctuate substantially, waters in the
Laptev and East Siberian Seas typically flow in
cyclonic gyres (Dmitrenko, 1995; Hass and Anto-
now, 1995; Timokhov, 1994; Pavlov et al., 1996).
On the Chukchi shelf there is net northward flow
with water entering the region through Bering
Strait (Coachman and Shigaev, 1992; Roach et al.,
1995; Weingartner et al., 1998a). Alongshore, the
Siberian coastal current generally flows east from
the Laptev, to the East Siberian and finally into
the Chukchi Sea (Pavlov et al., 1996; Munchow
et al., 1998), where it turns north-northeast to join
the cross shelf flow (Coachman and Shigaev,
1992).
Ice covers much of the shelf from roughly
September to May (Barnett, 1991; Pavlov et al.,
1996). Fast ice grows to a width of 10–15 km in the
Chukchi Sea, 250–500 km in the East Siberian Sea
and 500 km in the Laptev Sea (Barnett, 1991).
Seaward of the fast ice, drifting sea ice forms and
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
typically moves onshore in the Chukchi and East
Siberian Seas, making these seas ice bound. In
the Laptev Sea, this drifting ice moves offshore
creating a polynya in which new ice continuously
forms and is advected basinward. Conditions
in the polynya, i.e. open, shallow and sometimes
turbulent water, are primed for fine-grained
bottom sediments to be resuspended, entrained
by sea ice and exported from the shelf (Pfirman
.
et al., 1990; Dethleff et al., 1993; Nurnberg
et al., 1994; Reimnitz et al., 1994; Eicken et al.,
1997). This entrainment process, known as
suspension freezing, is argued to be an im-
portant sediment entrainment mechanism on the
shelf. Sediment entrained by this mechanism
appears to be relatively fine grained compared
with bottom sediment from its region of origin,
suggesting this process preferentially removes
fines from areas of active suspension freezing
.
(Nurnberg et al., 1994).
3. Methods
3.1. Sediment sample clay mineral and chemical
analyses
In this study, we sampled 81 sediment cores
collected on the Siberian shelf by the US Coast
Guard research vessels Northwind and Burton
Island between 1962 and 1964 (Fig. 1b). Samples
were taken from within the top B0–5 cm of the
cores. This interval represents sedimentation dur-
ing roughly the past decade to several centuries
given observed sedimentation rates (Kulikov et al.,
1970; Huh et al., 1997; Johnson-Pyrtle, 1999;
Bauch et al., 2001; Stein and Fahl, 2000). To
avoid contamination from the core liner, each
sample’s outer edge was trimmed off and dis-
carded. To avoid cross contamination between
samples, sampling equipment was rinsed with
ethanol and distilled water and dried subsequent
to sampling each core. After being dried overnight
in a 60
C oven and gently disaggregated, two splits
were taken from each sample, one for clay mineral
and a second for chemical analysis.
Sample preparation for clay mineral analysis
followed the technique of Glasmann and Simon-
1179
son (1985). Organic material was removed by
treating the samples with H2O2 (Mammone, 1998).
Two size fractions (o2 and 2–20 mm) were
separated by centrifugation, Mg-saturated, and
smeared on slides to prepare oriented grain
mounts. Clay mineral measurements were made
with a Scintag DMC-105 X-ray Diffractometer
(XRD) using CuKa radiation. Peak areas were
estimated from glycolated XRD traces using the
17 A( smectite, 10 A( illite, 7 A
( chlorite plus kaolinite
peaks. We partitioned the 7 A ( peak between
chlorite and kaolinite based on the relative
intensity of the 3.54 A ( chlorite and 3.58 A ( kaolinite
peaks (Biscaye, 1964). Semi-quantitative estimates
of clay mineral percentages were calculated follow-
ing Biscaye (1965). This calculation was made only
for the o2 mm size fraction as specified by
Biscaye’s method, which assumes that clay miner-
als constitute 100% of the sample, an assumption
that is generally reasonable for the o2 mm size
fraction.
Major element (Si, Al, K, Mg) concentrations in
the sediment samples were measured on a Perkin-
Elmer 5000 Atomic Absorption Spectrophot-
ometer (AAS), and minor element (Sr, La, Ce,
Nd) concentrations on a Fisons VG Plasma Quad
2+ Inductively Coupled Plasma-Mass Spectro-
meter (ICP-MS). Prior to analysis, the samples
were dissolved in nitric and hydrofluoric acids
(method modified from that of Robbins et al.,
1984) and neutralized with boric acid. ICP-MS
samples were diluted 40 times with 1% double
distilled nitric acid containing Be, In, Bi and, for
25 of the 81 samples, Re internal standards. We
diluted splits of the samples analyzed by the AAS
1–20 times and added cesium chloride to control
ionization effects. For both ICP-MS and AAS
analyses, elemental concentrations were deter-
mined by calibrating the instrument response to
prepared standard solutions.
To assess the accuracy of our elemental data we
analyzed four rock and sediment reference stan-
dards and compared the results with accepted
compositions for these materials. These standards
included a North Pacific sediment that has been
analyzed in house numerous times and the US
Geological Survey rocks AGV-1 (andesite), BCR-
3 (basalt) and MRG-1 (gabbro). Sediment samples
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1180 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
were analyzed in sets of B20 and the standards
accompanied each run. Each time a standard was
analyzed the accuracy of a particular element was
estimated as
½elementaccepted for standard
accuracyelement ¼
½elementaccepted for standard
!
½elementmeasured in standard
  100:
½elementaccepted for standard
Major and minor element concentrations are
accurate to within 76% and 714%, respectively.
To determine the precision of our sample
digestion and analytical techniques splits of several
samples were analyzed. For each sample we
calculated the precision with which we are able
to measure an element as
precisionelement
standard deviation ½element
¼  100:
average ½element
Major element analyses are precise to within
73%, and minor element analyses to within
79%.
Throughout the study area, the amount of
biogenic material (opal, CaCO3 and organic
carbon) in shelf surface sediments varies from 1.4
to 16.4 wt% (Mammone, 1998). To correct for
dilution of terrigenous material by biogenic matter
we present the elemental data on an organic-free
basis where
½elementorganic ¼ ½elementmeasured  ð100=ð100
free
% biogenic opal  % CaCO3
 ð2:5  % organic carbonÞÞÞ:
Organic carbon contents are multiplied by 2.5 to
estimate organic matter concentrations. Biogenic
opal, CaCO3 and organic carbon data for the
samples were provided by Mammone (1998), and
are reported elsewhere. Prior to making this
correction, we calculated lithogenic Si concentra-
tions by subtracting biogenic Si from total Si
concentrations. Like Si, Sr may be present in
biogenic material (CaCO3) in significant amounts
(Chester, 1990). However, it was not necessary to
correct total Sr concentrations for the presence of
biogenic Sr since on the Siberian shelf CaCO3
concentrations are generally low, p1 wt% (Naug-
ler, 1967; Logvinenko and Ogorodnikov, 1983;
Nolting et al., 1996; Mammone, 1998). Sedi-
mentary concentrations of organic material,
which may contain Al, K and Mg (Martin
and Knauer, 1973) and REEs (Turekian and
Wedephol, 1961), are similarly low enough
(Mammone, 1998) that the distributions of these
elements are controlled by spatial variability in the
lithogenic fraction.
3.2. Geochemical data analysis
The geochemical data were evaluated using
a combination of scatter plots (Bostrom . et al.,
1973; Heath and Dymond, 1977) and Q-mode
factor analysis (Klovan and Imbrie, 1971; Klovan
and Miesch, 1976). The factor analysis did
not include the clay mineral data, as these data
are semi-quantitative estimates and represent
compositional trends in the o2 mm size fraction
only. Q-mode factor analysis describes a
multivariate data set in terms of a few endmember
samples, or factors, that account for most of
the variability in the data set. Given an n by m
data matrix Xnm ; where n is the number of
samples and m is the number of variables, the
technique first transforms Xnm into a row
normalized matrix Unm ; in which the row sum
of squares is equal to one. Factor analysis then
uses matrix algebra to solve for matrices that
satisfy the equation
Unm ¼ Bnf Ff m þ Enm ;
where Bnf is the factor loading matrix, Ff m is the
factor score matrix, Enm is the error matrix and f
is the number of factors. The factor score matrix
defines factor compositions, describing the impor-
tance of each original variable in every factor. The
factor loading matrix indicates the contribution
each factor makes to every sample, and can be
used to map factor distributions. These matrices
must meet the conditions that the factor composi-
tions described by the F matrix are orthogonal and
the sample representations described by the B
matrix preserve the original relationships between
samples.
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4. Results see Appendix A for clay mineral percentages at

4.1. Clay mineralogy
We find that the clay minerals exhibit distinct
trends in Siberian shelf surface sediments (Fig. 2;
individual sample locations). Illite is generally the
most abundant clay mineral in shelf sediments
(Laptev Sea-eastward increase from 35% to 63%;
East Siberian Sea—mean 62%, SD 2%; Chukchi
Sea—mean 51%, SD 4%). Chlorite is also fairly

75
° (a) Illite %

Laptev 67
70 Sea New
°
Siberian Ils.
61
E. Siberian Sea Chukchi Sea
Wrangel I.
65
°
56
Lena R.

Be

°
51
11

60
rin
0°

-1
gS
Yana R.

tr.
Indigirka R. 45
12
0° 0°
Kolyma R. -17
40
130
° °
180
35
140° 170°
150° 160°

75
° (b) Chlorite %

Laptev 28
70 Sea New
°
Siberian Ils. 25
E. Siberian Sea Chukchi Sea
Wrangel I. 23
65
°
Lena R. 21
Be

°
11

60
rin
0°

-1
gS

Yana R.
19
tr.

Indigirka R.
12
0° 0°
Kolyma R. -17 16
130
° °
180 14
140° 170°
150° 160°

75
° (c) Smectite %
Khatanga R.
Laptev 39
70 Sea New
°
Siberian Ils.
33
E. Siberian Sea Chukchi Sea
Wrangel I. 28
65
°
Lena R. 23
Be

°
11

60
rin
0°

-1
gS

Yana R.
17
tr.

Indigirka R.
12
0° 0°
Kolyma R. -17 11

80°
130
° 1 6
140° 170°
150° 160°

Fig. 2. Siberian-shelf surface-sediment clay mineralogy for the o2 mm size fraction: (a) illite %, (b) chlorite % and (c) smectite %.
Kaolinite is not shown since its concentrations exhibit the least spatial variability.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
1182 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
common (Laptev Sea-eastward increase from 14%
to 25%; both East Siberian and Chukchi Seas—
mean 23%, SD 2%). Smectite exhibits the steepest
concentration gradients, with maximum concen-
trations in the western Laptev Sea and elevated
values in the Chukchi Sea (Laptev Sea-eastward
decrease from 39% to 7%; East Siberian Sea—
mean 9%, SD 2%; Chukchi Sea—mean 20%, SD
4%). Kaolinite concentrations are low throughout
shelf surface sediments (mean 7%, SD 2%). We
compare our clay mineral results with those of
previous publications investigating shelf clay
mineral distributions in Section 5.
4.2. Multi-element chemistry
Elemental concentrations (Si, Al, K, Mg, Sr, La,
Ce, Nd) also exhibit significant spatial variability
in Siberian shelf surface sediments (see Appendix
B for elemental concentrations at individual
sample locations). To simplify interpretation of
our multivariate chemical data set, we look for
regional variability in sediment composition using
scatter plots of single and multiple element ratios
as suggested elsewhere (Bostrom . et al., 1973;
Heath and Dymond, 1977). In this type of plot,
if the data points form a linear array, the
endpoints of the array define unique compositions,
while points along the array can be explained as
various mixtures of the two endmember composi-
tions. Plotting the major element data as Si/Al vs.
Mg/K (Fig. 3a) we find that Siberian shelf surface
sediments have at least four endmember composi-
tions. These are found in the (1) eastern Laptev
and East Siberian Seas, (2) Chukchi Sea, (3)
Wrangel Island region, and (4) western Laptev
Sea and New Siberian Island region. Consistent
with the major element data, in plots of the minor
element data these regions again exhibit end-
member compositions (Figs. 4a and 4b). Since
sedimentary REE (La, Ce, Nd) concentrations are
positively correlated (La vs. Ce, R2 ¼ 0:88; La vs.
Nd, R2 ¼ 0:89; Ce vs. Nd, R2 ¼ 0:92), we present
only the Ce data here. Note that only three of
the four endmembers evident in the major
element data are needed to describe Ce’s distri-
bution (all but the western Laptev/New Siberian
Island region endmember). A different three
are required to characterize Sr’s distribution (all
but the Chukchi Sea endmember). This analysis
emphasizes the importance of using multi-element
data to distinguish shelf sediment compositional
trends.
Factor analysis provides an additional means of
simplifying the geochemical data (Klovan and
Imbrie, 1971; Klovan and Miesch, 1976). With this
analysis, we find that we can describe 99.8% of the
variability in the multi-element data set with four
factors. The first three factors account for roughly
31%, 36% and 32% of the data, respectively.
While the fourth factor is much less important,
explaining approximately 1% of the data, it is
geologically reasonable to include this factor, as
seen in Section 5. Fig. 5 shows scores, or
compositions, for the four factors; Fig. 6 illustrates
their loadings, or distributions.
There are very few published shelf-sediment
geochemical data with which to compare our
results. Nolting et al. (1996) characterized the
multi-element chemistry (Si, Al, Mg) of Laptev Sea
bulk surface-sediment samples, and mean total
elemental concentrations reported by these
authors (not presented on an organic-free basis)
are within 13% of comparable means calculated
with our own data. Schoster et al. (2000) report
mean K/Al ratios for the eastern Laptev (0.33) and
western Laptev (0.31) that are similar to our
estimated mean for the entire Laptev (0.32).
5. Discussion
5.1. Clay mineralogy: evidence for sediment source
and transport
In polar regions, where physical weathering
dominates, sedimentary clay mineral assemblages
reflect source rock compositions and can be used
to identify inputs from specific geologic terrains
and transport pathways of sediments. Numerous
investigations show that this is true for modern
sediments in the Arctic Ocean. Here we present
new clay mineral data and compare our results
with those of Silverberg (1972), Naidu et al. (1982,
.
1995), Nurnberg et al. (1994), Rossak et al. (1999),
Wahsner et al. (1999), and Dethleff et al. (2000).
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0.9 Chukchi Sea

0.8

0.7

0.6
E. Laptev Sea
Mg/K

0.5 & E. Siberian Sea

0.4 Wrangel I. Region

0.3

0.2
W. Laptev Sea
0.1 & New Siberian I. Region

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10

(a) Si/Al

1 Basalt (ref. 2)
0.9

0.8

0.7
Sandstone (ref. 1)
0.6 Sandstone (ref. 3)
Mg/K

0.5
Shale (from top
down, refs. 1, 5, 2)
0.4

0.3

0.2
Sandstone (ref. 4)
0.1

0
0 3 6 9 12 15

(b) Si/Al

Fig. 3. Siberian-shelf surface-sediment major element data plotted as Si/Al vs. Mg/K (Chukchi Sea, filled circles; East Siberian Sea,
open circles; Laptev Sea, crosses; Wrangel Isl. region, triangles; New Siberian Isl. region, squares). (a) Four extreme, or endmember,
compositions are evident in shelf sediments. Samples within the data set are selected as proxies for these endmembers (apices of
enclosed field). Mixing of the endmember proxies produces compositions encompassed by the enclosed field. (b) To help determine the
origin of these sedimentary endmember compositions we compare them with the chemistry of potential sediment source rocks (stars)
and find they may represent lithogenic material eroded from basalt, shale and two different types of sandstone (ref. 1, Turekian and
Wedephol, 1961; ref. 2, -Taylor and McLennan, 1985; ref 3, American Geological Institute (AGI), 1989; ref 4, Cullers, 1995; ref 5,
Gromet et al., 1984).

Methodological differences exist between several The clay minerals illite and chlorite are generally
of these studies and undoubtedly create some abundant at high latitudes, supplied by physical
scatter in the data. We find that our data agree weathering of metasedimentary and plutonic rocks
with previous results within the B20% accuracy (Chamley, 1989). These rock types are prevalent in
typical for clay mineral results based on different Siberia and Alaska (Parfenov, 1992; Stone et al.,
analytical techniques (Pfirman et al., 1997). The 1992; Bogdanov and Tilman, 1993; Fujita et al.,
trends evident in our data, as presented in the 1997). Consistent with these conditions, o2 mm
results and discussed below, are quite similar to bottom sediments of rivers discharging into the
those previously described. East Siberian and Chukchi Seas are >59% illite
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

1184 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200

100

Shale
E. Laptev Sea &
90 E. Siberian Sea

80 Shale ref. 2

70
Ce ppm

Sandstone ref. 4
60

50
Basalt ref. 1
Basalt
Chukchi Sea
40 Sandstone-mature
Wrangel I. Region

30
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
(a) Si/Al

300 Sandstone-immature
W. Laptev Sea &
New Siberian I. Region
250

200 Shale ref. 2

Sr ppm

150 Shale
E. Laptev Sea & Sandstone-mature
E. Siberian Sea Sandstone ref. 4
Wrangel I. Region
100

50

0
0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9
(b) Si/Al

Fig. 4. Siberian-shelf surface-sediment Si/Al ratios vs. (a) Ce concentrations and (b) Sr concentrations (Chukchi Sea, filled circles; East
Siberian Sea, open circles; Laptev Sea, crosses; Wrangel Isl. region, triangles; New Siberian Isl. region, squares). The chemistries of
potential source rocks (stars, refs. as in Fig. 3) are included for comparison with the sedimentary data. Ce distributions indicate the
presence of three sedimentary endmember compositions, which may represent lithogenic material derived from shale, basalt and
mature sandstone sources. Sr distributions indicate the presence of three sedimentary endmember compositions, which may represent
lithogenic material derived from shale and two types of sandstone sources. Samples selected from within the data set to represent the
endmember compositions (apices of the enclosed field) are identical to those in Fig. 3. Mixing the endmember proxies produces
compositions encompassed by the enclosed field.

and >21% chlorite (Naidu et al., 1982). Our data, and chlorite on average account for more
as well as that of previous studies (Silverberg, than 50% and 20% of the o2 mm size fraction,
1972; Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999), respectively (Fig. 2). The distribution of
indicate that illite is abundant and chlorite is these minerals is fairly uniform, with a low evident
fairly common in shelf surface sediments. Illite in western Laptev sediments where there are
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
Fig. 5. Factor scores, or compositions, for the four factors identified by Q-Mode factor analysis of Siberian-shelf surface-sediment
geochemical data.
significant inputs of terrigenous material from
basaltic rocks (this study; Rossak et al., 1999;
Wahsner et al., 1999).
Kaolinite develops under hot humid conditions
and is abundant in the tropics (Chamley, 1989),
though it is found in polar sedimentary deposits
that formed under a warmer/wetter climate in the
geologic past. A classic example of the this
situation are the ancient kaolinite-bearing paleo-
sols and shales of northern Alaska and Canada,
which supply kaolinite rich sediments to the
Beaufort shelf and Canada Basin (Fig. 1a) (Naidu
et al., 1971; Darby, 1975). Siberian soils, in
contrast, contain very little kaolinite (Darby,
1975), and clays discharged by the Indigirka and
Kolyma Rivers into the East Siberian Sea are
o10% kaolinite (Naidu et al., 1982). Siberian
shelf surface sediments have low kaolinite con-
centrations, with slightly elevated values in the
western Laptev Sea compared with other parts of
the shelf (maximum values 11%, this study) (this
1185
study; Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999).
The source of this kaolinite is erosion of kaolinite-
bearing detrital rocks of the Siberian platform
(Rossak et al., 1999).
Smectite is a good indicator of sediment derived
from volcanic sources (Chamley, 1989). Its strong
concentration gradients in Siberian shelf sediments
are well documented (this study; Silverberg, 1972;
Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999; Schoster
et al., 2000). Smectite concentrations are greatest
(X33%) in the western Laptev Sea, where they
exceed values in the eastern Laptev and East
Siberian Seas by up to a factor of five (Fig. 2). The
source of this smectite is the extensive flood basalts
blanketing much of the Siberian platform (Fig. 1b)
(Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999; Schoster
et al., 2000). These flood basalts outcrop exten-
sively in the Khatanga River basin, and the
Khatanga River appears to be a main conduit
for delivering smectite to the shelf. Khatanga
River suspended particulate material has been
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

1186 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200

75 Factor 1 - Shale Factor 2 - Sandstone

˚

70
Laptev Laptev
˚ Sea New Sea New
Siberian Ils. Siberian Ils.
E. Siberian Sea E. Siberian Sea
Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea
65 Wrangel I. Wrangel I.
˚
Lena R. Lena R.

Be

Be
˚
11

60
rin

rin
0˚

-1
Yana R. Yana R.

gS

gS
tr

tr
Indigirka R. Indigirka R.
12 0˚
0˚ Kolyma R. Kolyma R.
-17

130 ˚
˚ 180
140˚ 170˚
150˚ 160˚

0.37 0.43 0.48 0.53 0.59 0.66 0.70 0.46 0.51 0.55 0.60 0.65 0.70 0.75

Factor 4 - Mature &

Factor 3 - Basalt Immature Sandstone

Laptev Laptev
Sea New Sea New
Siberian Ils. Siberian Ils.
E. Siberian Sea E. Siberian Sea
Chukchi Sea Chukchi Sea
Wrangel I. Wrangel I.

Lena R. Lena R.
Be

Be
rin

rin
Yana R. Yana R.
gS

gS
Chukotka
tr

tr
Indigirka R. Indigirka R.
Peninsula
Kolyma R. Kolyma R.

0.43 0.48 0.53 0.57 0.62 0.66 0.71 -0.12 -0.08 -0.03 0.01 0.05 0.09 0.13

Fig. 6. Factor loadings, or abundances, for the four factors identified by Q-Mode factor analysis of Siberian-shelf surface-sediment
geochemical data. High positive loadings indicate elements with high positive scores (see Fig. 5) are abundant. Negative loadings
indicate a depletion of elements with high positive scores and abundance of elements with negative scores. Black lines show the location
for the Lena and Yana Rivers submarine channels. The Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers’ lack clearly defined channels.

observed to contain 83% smectite (o6 mm size erosion of Chukotka Peninsula highlands, com-
fraction) (Dethleff et al., 2000). Smectite concen- prised largely of the Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic
trations over 60% have been documented near the belt (Fig. 1b) (Parfenov, 1992; Bogdanov and
mouth of the Khatanga River (Wahsner et al., Tilman, 1993), may supply smectite directly to the
1999), and are seen to decrease with increasing Chukchi Sea via runoff. Naidu et al. (1982) cite a
distance from the rivermouth (this study; Silver- coastward decrease in smectite concentrations as
berg, 1972; Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., evidence against a local supply. However, smectite
1999; Schoster et al., 2000). is typically found primarily in the o2 mm size
Chukchi sediments also contain significant fraction (R. Glasmann, pers. comm.) In energetic
amounts of smectite, up to 28% (Fig. 2). Based environments smectite concentrations may in-
on regional trends in geology, ocean currents, and crease offshore from smectite sources due to
sedimentary smectite distributions, Naidu et al. differential sorting, or the preferential accumula-
(1982, 1995) and Naidu and Mowatt (1983) tion of fines in quieter offshore waters (Chamley,
concluded that Chukchi smectite is derived from 1989). Siberian shelf grain size data (Mammone,
Siberian and Alaskan volcanic rocks, discharged 1998) indicate fine-fraction percentages increase
to the Bering Sea and transported northward offshore in the Chukchi Sea, suggesting differen-
through the Bering Strait into the Chukchi Sea tial sorting may control smectite’s distribution
(Fig. 1a). We suggest that in addition physical here.
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
Knowledge of shelf clay mineral distributions
can be used to determine sediment sources and
transport pathways on regional and basinwide
.
scales (Darby, 1975; Naidu et al., 1982; Nurnberg
et al., 1994; Stein et al., 1994; Pfirman et al., 1997;
Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999; Dethleff
et al., 2000) and to characterize Arctic paleoenvir-
.
onments (Muller and Stein, 2000). For example, in
the Laptev Sea the relatively high smectite content
of Khatanga River suspended particulate material
has been used to track dispersal of Khatanga River
sediments offshore and eastward (Rossak et al.,
1999). On the basis of smectite’s prevalence in
Laptev and Kara Sea sediments, these regions
have been identified as important sources of
.
central Arctic ice-rafted debris (Nurnberg et al.,
1994; Pfirman et al., 1997; Dethleff et al., 2000). In
contrast, smectite’s absence in central Arctic sur-
face sediments suggests supply by sea ice makes a
minor contribution to modern sediments in the
Arctic basin (Stein et al., 1994; Wahsner et al.,
1999). As will be seen below, even greater
differentiation of Siberian shelf sediment types is
possible on the basis of a combination of clay
mineral and geochemical data.
5.2. Geochemical endmember compositions:
implications for sediment provenance and grain size
sorting
The geochemical data indicate there are four
endmember compositions in Siberian shelf surface
sediments. To test whether mixtures of these four
endmember compositions can adequately describe
the variability evident in sediment chemistry,
samples from within the data set were selected as
representative of the endmembers (Figs. 3a, 4a and
4b). We based our choices on a review of a number
of elemental scatter plots, in which we found these
samples to consistently have the most extreme or
close to the most extreme compositions. Mixing
the samples selected as proxies for the endmembers
produces the compositions encompassed by the
enclosed fields (Figs. 3a and 4). All our samples lie
within or close to these fields, indicating the
four endmember model accounts fairly well for
the observed range of Siberian shelf sediment
chemistry.
1187
To help determine the origin of these end-
member compositions, we compare them with the
chemistry of potential sediment source rocks.
Since there are few direct measurements of
Siberian rock chemistry, we use published data
for the average compositions of rock types
prevalent in Siberia: basalt, relatively coarse-
grained sedimentary rock, and shale. Fig. 3b
includes several composites of each rock type to
illustrate that even given the chemical variability
exhibited by a single rock type their major element
chemistry is easily distinguishable. Basalt has the
highest Mg/K ratio; coarse-grained sedimentary
rock, or sandstone, has the greatest Si/Al ratio;
and shale characteristically has both low Si/Al and
Mg/K ratios. Comparing the major and minor
element chemistry of the sedimentary endmembers
with that of these rock types (Figs. 3 and 4), we
find that Chukchi sediments have elevated Mg/K
ratios and low Ce concentrations consistent with
inputs from a basalt bearing source. Low Si/Al
and Mg/K ratios and high Ce concentrations
suggest a shale source for eastern Laptev sedi-
ments. Both the endmember evident by Wrangel
Island and that by the New Siberian Islands have
elevated Si/Al ratios, consistent with sandstone
sources. There are differences between these two
endmembers. Sediments near Wrangel Island are
relatively Si rich and Al, K, Ce and Sr poor
compared with those near the New Siberian
Islands. This result implies that in contrast to
New Siberian Island region sediments, those near
Wrangel Island region have a more mature
sandstone source, characterized by a greater
abundance of stable minerals (such as quartz)
and fewer weatherable mobile materials (such as
aluminosilicates and oxides).
The similarity of the four endmembers evident
in Siberian shelf surface sediments to shale, basalt,
mature sandstone and immature sandstone implies
that the endmembers are likely derived from these
four rock types and provenance may be the
primary control on spatial trends in shelf sediment
chemistry. As sediments rich in the various end-
members are transported throughout the shelf and
mixed they could form samples whose chemistry
can be modeled as combinations of the four
endmember compositions. However, transport

1188 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
processes sort sediment by grain size and may
influence sediment composition, since different
grain sizes can represent different mineralogies.
Thus, an alternate explanation for the endmember
compositions is that they represent materials
derived from various sediment sources whose
compositions have been modified by grain size
sorting subsequent to discharge on the shelf. Shelf-
sediment grain size data from Mammone (1998)
(Fig. 7), who worked with splits of many of our
samples, support this idea. Samples representing
the two endmembers apparently derived from
sandstone sources are coarse grained, with mean
Fo5, and those representing the shale and basalt
endmembers are fine grained, with mean F>6.5.
So, while erosion of sandstone source rocks may
have produced the coarse-textured Si-rich sand-
stone endmembers, for example, these endmem-
bers could also reflect removal of fine particles by
grain size sorting.
In order to clarify the roles of provenance and
grain size sorting in controlling endmember for-
mation, we consider the factor analysis results.
Factor analysis is a powerful tool in this case. By
defining endmember samples (factors) that ac-
count for most of the variability in the geochem-
ical data, factor analysis enables us to test our
interpretation of the scatter plots, specifically that
four endmember compositions are needed to
2 3
2
3
Mean Φ (without >14 phi)
4
7
8 Shale
9
Fig. 7. Siberian-shelf surface-sediment Si/Al ratios plotted vs. grain size data expressed as mean F: Labeled samples are those selected
from within the data set to represent the four endmembers evident in the sedimentary geochemical data. The shale and basalt
endmembers are fine grained, with mean F>6.5. The two end-members apparently derived from sandstone sources are relatively
coarse grained, with mean F>5. Grain size data from Mammone (1998).
ARTICLE IN PRESS
explain variations in shelf sediment chemistry.
Unlike some other mathematical tools that look at
relationships between samples, factor analysis also
allows us to create detailed maps of factor
distributions in shelf sediments and thereby facili-
tates determining controls on endmember forma-
tion. The factor analysis indicates that four factors
are needed to account for most of the variability in
the elemental data. The factors are by definition
orthogonal, or perpendicular. To determine if
these four factors correspond to the four end-
members identified in the scatter plots, we
compare factor compositions (scores, Fig. 5) and
distributions (loadings, Fig. 6) with the character-
istics of the scatter plot endmembers (Figs. 3 and
4). Factor 1 appears to correspond to the shale
endmember, as both are most prominent in the
eastern Laptev Sea and characterized by the
highest Al, K and REE scores/concentrations in
shelf sediments. Factor 3 is equivalent to the basalt
endmember, both of which predominate in the
Chukchi Sea and have the highest observed Mg
score/concentration. The two sandstone endmem-
bers (immature and mature) are represented
primarily by factor 2, which has relatively high Si
and low Al, K, Mg and REE scores and is
abundant in the western Laptev, New Siberian
Island and Wrangel Island regions. Factor 4
differentiates the chemistry of sediments in these
Si/Al
4 5 6 7 8 9
Sandstone-immature Sandstone-mature
Basalt
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
regions into two separate endmembers. In the
scatter plots, the two sandstone endmembers are
distinguished mainly by the fact that the immature
sandstone endmember contains 94% more Sr than
the mature sandstone endmember, while the latter
has 12% more Si than the former. Factor 4 has
high positive Sr and negative Si scores. Positive
factor loadings indicate elements with positive
scores are abundant and those with negative scores
are depleted, while negative loadings indicate the
opposite is true. Thus, factor 4’s relatively high
positive loading in the western Laptev and New
Siberian Island regions indicates sediments here
are comparatively enriched in Sr and depleted in
Si, consistent with the immature sandstone end-
member’s composition and distribution. Sediments
near Wrangel Island are negatively loaded with
factor 4 and are therefore comparatively Sr poor
and Si rich, consistent with the mature sandstone
endmember’s characteristics. Overall the factor
analysis confirms the presence of the four geo-
chemical endmember compositions identified in
scatter plots. Factors 1 and 3 correspond, respec-
tively, to the shale and basalt endmembers. A
combination of positive factor 2 and positive
factor 4 loadings represent the immature sand-
stone endmember, while positive factor 2 and
negative factor 4 loadings describe the mature
sandstone endmember.
Comparing factor compositions and distribu-
tions with geographic gradients in regional geol-
ogy, we find there is a clear correspondence
between factor characteristics and geologic trends.
Factor 1, whose composition implies a shale
provenance, is most prevalent offshore from the
Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers sug-
gesting it is discharged by these rivers (Fig. 6).
Factor 1 loadings increase with proximity to the
mouth of the Yana River and to the Lena River
delta’s eastern branches, which supply >84% of
the Lena’s total water outflow (Le! tolle et al.,
1993). Adjacent to the Indigirka and Kolyma
River mouths, factor 1 loadings increase offshore,
a feature that will be discussed in detail below.
Consistent with a riverine source for the shale
endmember, these rivers’ drainage basins encom-
pass extensive shale deposits found in the Ver-
khoyansk Mountains and Kolyma-Omolon
1189
superterrain (Fig. 1b) (Parfenov, 1992; Stone
et al., 1992; Bogdanov and Tilman, 1993; Fujita
et al., 1997). Additionally, available data char-
acterizing the chemistry of the Lena River’s
suspended sediment load indicates that it is similar
to that of shale (Rachold, 1999). Lena River
suspended particulate material typically has a Mg/
Al ratio of 0.16–0.19 (Nolting et al., 1996; Gordeev
and Shevchenko, 1995; Rachold, 1995), and its
average K/Al ratio is estimated as B0.30 (Rac-
hold, 1995) to 0.35 (Gordeev and Shevchenko,
1995). The shale endmember likewise has Mg/Al
and K/Al ratios of 0.1770.01 and 0.3070.03,
respectively.
Factor 3, whose composition suggests a basalt
source, dominates in the Chukchi Sea (Fig. 6).
This result corroborates the clay mineral data,
which indicated there are elevated concentrations
of the volcanically derived clay mineral smectite in
Chukchi sediments (Fig. 2). As described in the
previous section, potential sources of volcanic
material in this region include erosion of NE
Siberia’s Okhotsk-Chukotsk volcanic belt and, as
suggested by Naidu et al. (1982, 1995), influxes
from the Bering Strait of lithogenic material
derived from volcanigenic terrains bordering the
Bering Sea (Fig. 1a).
The mature sandstone endmember is found near
Wrangel Island and along sections of the Chukchi
Sea’s Siberian coast (Fig. 6, modeled as a mixture
of positive factor 2 and negative factor 4 loadings).
Rocks in these regions are composed of Chukotka
terrain, which consists primarily of relatively
coarse-grained sedimentary rock (Fig. 1b) (Fujita
and Cook, 1990; Harbert et al., 1990; Parfenov,
1992; Bogdanov and Tilman, 1993), and thus are a
likely source of the mature sandstone endmember.
The immature sandstone endmember is found in
the western Laptev Sea and New Siberian Island
region (Fig. 6, represented by positive factor 2 and
positive factor 4 loadings). Extensive sedimentary
formations of similar lithology overly much of the
Siberian platform and the New Siberian Islands
(Fig. 1b) (Parfenov, 1992) and erosion of these
formations probably produces the immature sand-
stone endmember.
Although the chemistries of western Laptev and
New Siberian Island bulk sediments are generally
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
1190 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
similar, there are subtle differences in their
compositions. As discussed earlier, unlike New
Siberian Island region sediments, western Laptev
sediments in the o2 mm size fraction are compara-
tively rich in smectite (Fig. 2). The presence of
volcanic detritus in the western Laptev Sea
indicates that, in addition to inputs from the
sedimentary formations blanketing the Siberian
platform, Siberian platform flood basalts are a
sediment source for this region (Fig. 1b). Con-
sistent with this observation, western Laptev bulk
sediments have somewhat elevated factor 3, or
basalt endmember, loadings (Fig. 6).
In addition to provenance, various sediment
transport processes (currents and ice rafting) affect
endmember distribution, as discussed in detail in a
companion paper (Viscosi-Shirley et al., 2003).
Here we focus on the role of such physical
processes in controlling endmember formation
and spatial trends in sediment chemistry through
grain size sorting. Samples rich in the sandstone
endmembers are also coarse grained (Fig. 7). So
while these endmembers most likely originate from
the relatively coarse-grained sedimentary rocks
found on nearby landmasses, they may reflect
post-depositional reworking and removal of fines
as well. The sandstone endmembers are most
prevalent in the western Laptev Sea, New Siberian
Island region and south of Wrangel Island (Fig. 6).
Wintertime ice cover in these areas is broken by
polynyas. A large persistent polynya is found in
the Laptev Sea. South of Wrangel Island, a small
intermittent polynya is produced by strong north-
erly winds (Barnett, 1991). These polynyas allow
greater opportunity for waves and currents to
resuspend and remove fine particles. The Laptev
polynya also provides ideal conditions for the
formation of turbid sea ice and its export from the
shelf. The western Laptev is known to be an
important source of ice-rafted debris for the
.
central Arctic (Nurnberg et al., 1994) and in the
eastern Laptev ice-rafted debris export is highest
adjacent to the New Siberian Islands (Dethleff,
1995). Since sea ice appears to preferentially
.
entrain fine sediment (Nurnberg et al., 1994),
sediment ice rafting may further contribute to the
coarse character of bottom sediments in these
regions.
The shale and basalt endmembers also reflect a
combination of provenance and grain size sorting.
Similarity of the shale endmember’s composition
to the geochemistry of Siberian rocks and river-
borne particles indicates it originates from Siber-
ian shale deposits and discharges to the shelf via
the Lena, Yana, Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers.
Sediments rich in the shale endmember contain up
to 99% fines (Mammone, 1998). In the Laptev
Sea, both shale endmember abundances and the
percentage of fines increase proximal the Lena and
Yana River deltas (Fig. 6) (Mammone, 1998), as
expected given the endmember’s provenance. In
contrast, East Siberian Sea shale endmember and
clay concentrations are somewhat elevated adja-
cent to the Indigirka and Kolyma River mouths
but increase offshore. Shelf bathymetric data show
that submarine channels lie off of the Lena and
Yana Rivers (Fig. 1b), whereas there is a broad
shallow shoal immediately offshore from the
Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers with deeper water
seaward of the shoal. These observations suggest
that fine-grained shale-endmember rich sediment
discharged from the Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers
preferentially accumulates offshore in deeper,
more quiescent water. In the Chukchi Sea, both
shale and basalt endmember distributions reflect
bathymetrically controlled grain size sorting. Like
the shale endmember, the basalt endmember is
quite fine grained (up to 96% clay and silt)
(Mammone, 1998). Abundances of both these
endmembers in the Chukchi Sea generally increase
offshore as water depths increase and peak in
the western Chukchi’s Hope Sea Valley (Figs. 6
and 1b).
5.3. Independent evidence of Siberian-shelf modern
sedimentary processes
Mainly on the basis of geochemical data with
supplemental information from clay mineral ana-
lyses, we have defined five compositional regimes
in shelf sediments whose presence reflects a
combination of provenance and grain size sorting.
These include: (1) shale-endmember rich eastern
Laptev and East Siberian sediments; (2) smectite
and basalt-endmember bearing Chukchi sedi-
ments; (3) mature sandstone endmember rich
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
sediments found near Wrangel Island; (4) western
Laptev; and (5) New Siberian Island region
sediments, both dominated by the immature
sandstone endmember, yet distinguished by the
former’s comparatively high smectite content and
basalt endmember loadings (Figs. 2 and 6). We
compared our clay mineral results with those of
previous publications above. In addition, there are
extant studies of shelf sedimentation based pri-
marily on heavy mineral and petrographic data
(Silverberg, 1972; Naugler et al., 1974; Stein and
Korolev, 1994; Bischof and Darby, 1997; Behrends
et al., 1999; Schoster et al., 2000). Our geochemical
and clay mineral results are consistent with the
findings of these investigations. In the Laptev Sea,
our observation that the chemistry/provenance of
western sediments (basalt endmember/Siberian
platform basalt) differs from that of eastern
sediments (shale endmember/Lena and Yana
Rivers) is consistent with trends in (1) heavy
mineral data (Silverberg, 1972; Naugler et al.,
1974; Stein and Korolev, 1994; Behrends et al.,
1999; Schoster et al., 2000), (2) sediment petro-
graphy and Fe oxide composition (Bischof and
Darby; 1997) and (3) a suite of geochemical data
that, with the exception of K; differs from the one
considered here (Schoster et al., 2000). Sediments
south of the New Siberian Islands are rich in the
immature sandstone endmember due to inputs
from sedimentary rocks and possible removal of
fines by erosional processes. Heavy mineral data
similarly indicate sediments in this region have a
unique signature that may reflect winnowing of
sediments (Stein and Korolev, 1994). East Siberian
sediments originate from the Indigirka and Koly-
ma Rivers and are geochemically similar to eastern
Laptev sediments, with distinct local inputs from
the Wrangel Island region. This pattern is also
evident in the heavy mineral data (Silverberg,
1972; Naugler et al., 1974). The Kolyma River’s
drainage basin intersects with the Okhotsk-Chu-
kotsk volcanic highlands and sediments offshore
from this river have somewhat elevated basalt
endmember concentrations. In the absence of
Chukchi samples, in which we observe peak basalt
endmember abundances, Silverberg (1972), Naug-
ler et al. (1974), and Bischof and Darby (1997)
identify sediments off the Kolyma River as an
1191
endmember sediment type. Bischof and Darby
(1997) are also able to distinguish sediments off the
Indigirka River as compositionally distinct. Some
of our samples from this region lie just outside the
mixing field described by the geochemical end-
members (Figs. 3 and 4), suggesting their composi-
tion may reflect subtle but unique features of
source rocks within the Indigirka River drainage
basin.
6. Conclusions and implications
Investigating the compositional trends in Arctic-
shelf surface sediments and the processes control-
ling these trends is critical to addressing a number
of important research questions. Comparisons
between the make up of shelf sediments and ice-
rafted debris reveal the production locations and
drift patterns of turbid Arctic sea ice (Pfirman
.
et al., 1990; Nurnberg et al., 1994; Reimnitz et al.,
1994; Eicken et al., 1997; Dethleff et al., 2000).
Compositional signatures unique to particular
parts of the shelf are useful in predicting the fate
and transport pathways of particle-reactive con-
taminants (Macdonald and Bewers, 1996). Knowl-
edge of modern sedimentology also provides a
necessary baseline for interpreting the record of
paleoenvironmental change recorded in Arctic
sediment stratigraphy (Bischof and Darby, 1997;
.
Muller and Stein, 2000).
While numerous works have described modern
clay and heavy mineral distributions in Siberian
Arctic-shelf sediments (Silverberg, 1972; Naugler
.
et al., 1974; Naidu et al., 1982; Nurnberg et al.,
1994; Bischof and Darby, 1997; Behrends et al.,
1999; Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999),
much less is known of their multi-element chem-
istry (Schoster et al., 2000). In this study, we
characterize the chemistry of Siberian shelf surface
sediments, as well as providing new clay mineral
data for the region. We identify five regions with
distinct, endmember sedimentary compositions
(Figs. 2 and 6). The formation of these end-
members is controlled by a combination of
sediment provenance and grain size sorting. (1)
The shale endmember (characterized by high
concentrations of Al, K and REEs) is abundant
 ARTICLE IN PRESS
1192 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200
in the eastern Laptev Sea off the Lena and Yana
Rivers and in the East Siberian Sea off the
Indigirka and Kolyma Rivers. This endmember
is derived from the fine-grained sedimentary rocks
of the Verkhoyansk mountains and Kolyma-
Omolon superterrain that lie within these rivers’
drainage basins. (2) Prevalent in Chukchi sedi-
ments, the basalt endmember (high Mg) is supplied
by erosion of NE Siberia’s Okhotsk-Chukotsk
volcanic belt. Bering Strait inflow is also a source
of volcanic material originating from volcanigenic
terrains bordering the Bering Sea and advected
northward into the Chukchi Sea (Fig. 1a) (Naidu
et al., 1982, 1995). Concentrations of the volcani-
cally derived clay mineral smectite are elevated in
Chukchi fine-fraction sediments, corroborating
our conclusion that these sediments have a
volcanic origin. (3) The mature sandstone end-
member (high Si) is found proximal to Wrangel
Island and sections of the Chukchi Sea’s Siberian
coast, and originates from the sedimentary Chu-
kotka terrain that comprises these landmasses. (4)
The immature sandstone endmember (high Sr) is
concentrated in the New Siberian Island region,
reflecting inputs from the sedimentary rocks that
constitute these islands. (5) This endmember is also
abundant in the western Laptev Sea, where it is
derived from sedimentary deposits blanketing the
Siberian platform that are compositionally similar
to those found on the New Siberian Islands.
However, western Laptev sediments can be dis-
tinguished from those in the New Siberian Island
region by their comparatively elevated smectite
concentrations and the presence of the basalt
endmember, which indicate the Siberian platform
flood basalts are also a source of western Laptev
lithogenic material. In certain locations physical
processes that sort sediment by grain size notice-
ably influence sediment chemistry as well. Erosion
of fines by currents and sediment ice rafting
contributes to the formation of the coarse-grained
sandstone endmembers. Bathymetrically con-
trolled grain size sorting, in which fines preferen-
tially accumulate offshore in deeper, less energetic
water, helps distribute the fine-grained shale and
basalt endmembers.
An important implication of these results is that
the combination of geochemical and clay mineral
data allow differentiation of more sediment types
than do the clay mineral data alone. While the clay
mineral signatures of western Laptev and East
Siberian sediments are unique, with the highest
smectite and illite concentrations on the Arctic
shelf (Rossak et al., 1999; Wahsner et al., 1999),
similar clay mineral assemblages are found in
sediments from the eastern Laptev, Chukchi, New
Siberian Island and Wrangel Island regions.
However, sediments from these areas can be
distinguished on the basis of their chemical
composition. Thus, the observed sedimentary
geochemical endmembers provide new markers
of sediment provenance, which can be used to
track sediment transport, ice-rafted debris disper-
sal, or the movement of particle-reactive contami-
nants. In a companion paper (Viscosi-Shirley et al.,
2003), we use this information to estimate sedi-
ment source strength on the Siberian Arctic shelf,
determine the dominant sediment pathways/accu-
mulation patterns, and examine the role of various
sediment transport agents in controlling these
dispersal patterns. In closing, we hope this study
of Siberian-shelf surface-sediment compositional
trends and the factors regulating these trends will
facilitate new and ongoing investigations of the
Arctic Ocean, illuminating this unique frontier and
its place in the world ocean.
Acknowledgements
Bobbi Conard, Chi Meredith and Andy Ungerer
gave valuable input regarding sample analysis and
data processing. Reed Glasmann provided advice
on XRD analysis and the use of his laboratory.
Gary Klinkhammer answered numerous questions
about sediment chemistry. Ian Walsh supplied
editorial and interpretive suggestions. Chris Guay
provided a file that was modified to create Fig. 1a.
This work was funded by the Office of Naval
Research (grant N00014-9410982 and Augmenta-
tion Award for Science and Engineering Research
Training N00014-9311170 (N. Pisias)). Additional
support came from a College of Oceanic and
Atmospheric Sciences Dean’s Scholarship and an
Oregon State University Supplemental Oregon
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200 1193

Table 1
Clay mineral percentages

Sample ID Latitude Longitude Illite (%)a Chlorite (%) Smectite (%) Kaolinite (%)

BI64-17 72.40 157.50 65 19 12 4

NW362-62 69.00 176.00 49 24 26 2
NW362-70 68.50 170.98 44 23 28 5
NW63-14 67.47 170.37 48 26 23 4
NW63-18 68.60 171.60 50 25 19 5
NW63-19 68.13 172.40 53 24 17 7
NW63-21 67.58 173.41 52 19 23 6
NW63-25 68.72 174.83 54 28 13 6
NW63-26 68.93 174.25 48 25 20 7
NW63-27 69.15 173.78 47 27 19 7
NW63-28 69.42 173.25 54 21 21 4
NW63-29 69.89 174.44 49 23 22 6
NW63-32 69.80 176.65 57 24 14 6
NW63-34 69.32 177.58 44 24 24 7
NW63-37 69.75 179.80 50 22 21 7
NW63-39 70.18 179.57 52 20 23 6
NW63-40 70.43 179.25 55 22 19 4
NW63-41 70.63 179.00 56 22 15 7
NW63-42 69.63 171.00 55 20 19 6
NW63-44 69.20 172.00 51 22 20 7
NW63-46 70.45 175.00 62 21 13 3
NW63-50 71.42 174.95 63 23 11 4
NW63-51 71.57 170.00 67 23 6 4
NW63-52 71.38 169.99 61 24 12 3
NW63-54 70.72 170.00 63 23 10 4
NW63-57 70.09 165.00 59 28 9 4
NW63-60 70.83 165.07 61 24 11 4
NW63-64 71.17 159.95 58 27 10 5
NW63-67 71.92 160.03 64 24 7 5
NW63-77 72.40 155.23 64 23 7 6
NW63-80 73.07 155.37 64 21 10 5
NW63-82 73.47 155.40 62 25 6 7
NW63-87 73.33 149.67 62 22 9 7
NW63-88 73.03 149.63 63 24 8 6
NW63-94 74.33 143.73 56 27 8 8
NW63-95 74.44 142.72 61 23 9 8
NW63-97 74.50 140.43 57 25 10 8
NW63-99 74.50 138.00 59 23 10 9
NW63-101 74.00 138.03 61 23 9 7
NW63-103 73.50 138.00 63 23 7 7
NW63-107 72.50 137.67 62 24 8 6
NW63-115 73.00 134.17 54 20 15 10
NW63-118 73.75 133.88 53 20 18 10
NW63-119 72.80 133.00 56 21 14 9
NW63-122 71.50 130.92 59 22 10 9
NW63-125 72.25 131.00 57 22 10 11
NW63-128 73.03 131.17 53 20 17 10
NW63-130 73.57 131.42 52 21 19 8
NW63-134 74.77 134.48 54 20 16 10
NW63-136 75.25 134.50 53 20 18 9
NW63-139 76.02 134.55 53 20 19 8
NW63-141 76.42 133.50 50 21 18 11
NW63-143 76.43 129.88 46 15 28 11
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1194 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200

Table 1 (continued)

Sample ID Latitude Longitude Illite (%)a Chlorite (%) Smectite (%) Kaolinite (%)

NW63-146 75.57 129.82 49 17 24 9

NW63-148 75.08 129.78 48 18 24 9
NW63-149 74.79 129.77 48 21 25 6
NW63-151 74.53 128.38 49 17 27 7
NW63-153 74.53 125.93 47 17 26 10
NW63-157 75.18 124.33 45 15 32 9
NW63-160 75.72 124.37 44 14 32 10
NW63-161 76.03 125.97 41 15 34 10
NW63-166 75.50 120.00 35 16 39 10
NW63-188 74.93 127.30 44 17 30 9
NW63-193 73.93 128.28 52 19 20 9
NW63-197 71.65 157.00 64 21 9 5
a
Percentages calculated based on Biscaye (1965).

Table 2
Siberian-shelf surface-sediment multi-element chemistry

Sample name Latitude Longitude Al K Mg Si Sr88 La139 Ce140 Nd146

(wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)

Part A: measured elemental concentrations in bulk sediment samples

BI64-10 74.62 160.00 8.4 2.7 1.2 28 148 30 87 30
BI64-11 74.35 160.00 8.6 2.7 1.2 28 150 28 66 26
BI64-17 72.40 157.50 7.2 2.0 0.7 33 189 30 69 29
BI64-31 70.63 167.50 7.2 2.0 0.8 31 183 27 59 28
BI64-34 70.05 165.00 7.9 2.1 0.9 30 172 29 66 27
BI64-38 71.27 170.00 7.6 2.4 1.2 28 162 25 59 26
BI64-48avg 70.92 175.00 6.7 2.0 1.0 31 157 26 59 25
BI64-52 71.12 177.50 5.4 1.6 0.8 34 133 23 53 21
BI64-53 70.77 177.50 4.4 1.4 0.5 36 137 20 47 19
BI64-55 70.00 177.50 6.7 2.3 0.9 32 172 29 64 29
BI64-59 70.78 163.50 6.8 2.1 0.7 33 181 29 69 29
NW362-62avg 69.00 176.00 6.5 1.9 1.3 29 146 23 44 20
NW362-70 68.50 170.98 6.2 1.6 1.2 32 192 23 45 21
NW362-72 68.48 169.02 6.1 1.5 1.3 31 192 22 45 23
NW362-77 68.02 169.03 5.9 1.6 1.1 31 193 22 44 19
NW362-78 68.03 170.00 5.6 1.5 1.1 31 203 21 41 18
NW362-79 68.03 171.00 6.0 1.6 1.2 29 187 22 44 20
NW362-80 68.03 172.07 6.0 1.7 1.2 29 175 21 42 18
NW63-14 67.47 170.37 5.9 1.6 1.1 31 182 21 42 19
NW63-18 68.60 171.60 6.3 1.5 1.2 30 169 23 45 21
NW63-19 68.13 172.40 6.2 1.7 1.4 30 177 22 45 21
NW63-21avg 67.58 173.41 5.7 2.2 0.6 34 166 24 46 20
NW63-25 68.72 174.83 6.5 1.9 1.4 28 158 23 43 20
NW63-26 68.93 174.25 6.4 1.9 1.5 28 162 22 44 20
NW63-27 69.15 173.78 6.4 1.8 1.5 28 158 22 44 20
NW63-28 69.42 173.25 6.4 1.8 1.4 30 174 23 46 21
NW63-29 69.89 174.44 6.4 1.8 1.4 29 165 22 42 20
NW63-32 69.80 176.65 6.5 1.9 1.3 29 160 22 44 21
NW63-34 69.32 177.58 4.3 1.6 0.6 37 133 19 40 16
NW63-37 69.75 179.98 6.0 2.1 0.8 31 163 26 50 22
NW63-39 70.18 179.57 5.1 1.6 0.7 35 148 22 44 20
NW63-40 70.43 179.25 5.1 1.5 0.8 35 148 21 48 21
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200 1195

Table 2 (continued)

Sample name Latitude Longitude Al K Mg Si Sr88 La139 Ce140 Nd146

(wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)

NW63-41 70.63 179.00 4.9 1.4 0.7 36 134 23 45 20

NW63-42 69.63 171.00 6.3 1.7 1.4 31 177 22 45 21
NW63-44 69.20 172.00 6.5 1.7 1.4 30 175 24 46 23
NW63-46 70.45 175.00 6.8 2.0 1.0 31 177 27 59 26
NW63-50 71.42 174.95 6.9 2.0 1.2 30 151 25 54 24
NW63-52 71.38 169.99 7.9 2.4 1.2 28 147 25 58 24
NW63-54 70.72 170.00 7.7 2.2 1.1 30 161 28 67 28
NW63-57 70.09 165.00 8.2 2.2 0.9 29 165 28 65 27
NW63-60 70.83 165.07 7.1 2.0 0.7 34 193 26 59 24
NW63-64 71.17 159.95 8.2 2.2 0.9 31 175 30 70 29
NW63-67 71.92 160.03 7.5 2.0 0.8 31 272 36 79 33
NW63-74 72.75 155.03 7.9 2.2 0.8 32 194 35 82 34
NW63-77 72.40 155.23 7.9 2.3 0.9 31 172 28 61 26
NW63-80 73.07 155.37 8.8 2.6 1.2 28 188 35 83 36
NW63-82 73.47 155.40 8.9 2.7 1.3 28 169 35 85 33
NW63-87 73.33 149.67 7.0 2.1 0.06 34 230 35 79 32
NW63-88 73.03 149.63 6.4 2.0 0.5 34 227 35 82 32
NW63-94 74.33 143.73 5.8 2.0 0.4 35 190 27 57 23
NW63-95 74.44 142.72 5.9 2.1 0.5 35 199 25 52 22
NW63-97 74.50 140.43 7.8 2.3 1.0 26 209 37 90 35
NW63-98 74.32 138.97 7.2 2.3 0.8 32 223 35 70 30
NW63-99 74.50 138.00 6.9 2.2 0.7 33 227 34 72 29
NW63-101 74.00 138.03 8.1 2.3 1.1 29 172 32 70 29
NW63-103 73.50 138.00 8.2 2.4 1.1 29 159 33 71 31
NW63-107 72.50 137.67 8.5 2.5 1.2 29 145 32 72 30
NW63-112 72.25 134.42 7.0 2.4 0.8 32 203 30 68 27
NW63-115 73.00 134.17 6.8 2.3 0.7 33 238 31 67 28
NW63-118 73.75 133.88 7.3 2.3 1.1 30 217 36 77 34
NW63-119 72.80 133.00 8.9 2.7 1.5 26 139 39 86 36
NW63-122 71.50 130.92 8.7 2.6 1.4 28 145 38 81 34
NW63-125 72.25 131.00 8.2 2.5 1.4 28 180 36 75 29
NW63-130 73.57 131.42 8.0 2.6 1.3 28 183 37 78 32
NW63-134 74.77 134.48 6.9 2.3 0.8 33 248 32 68 28
NW63-136 75.25 134.50 7.1 2.4 0.9 32 231 36 78 32
NW63-139 76.02 134.55 8.0 2.6 1.4 28 171 34 73 29
NW63-141 76.42 133.50 8.3 2.7 1.5 27 162 34 74 30
NW63-143 76.43 129.88 7.5 2.5 1.3 30 219 39 72 30
NW63-146 75.57 129.82 8.0 2.7 1.5 27 161 34 77 32
NW63-148 75.08 129.78 8.0 2.6 1.5 28 180 35 77 32
NW63-149 74.79 129.77 7.9 2.5 1.6 28 172 36 78 32
NW63-151 74.53 128.38 7.7 2.5 1.5 28 193 35 75 31
NW63-153 74.53 125.93 6.3 2.4 0.6 34 273 29 61 24
NW63-157 75.18 124.33 6.9 2.5 1.0 31 222 32 69 29
NW63-160 75.72 124.37 7.5 2.4 1.3 29 219 33 74 29
NW63-161 76.03 125.97 6.7 2.4 1.2 31 219 32 70 28
NW63-166 75.50 120.00 6.5 2.3 1.0 33 253 27 57 23
NW63-188 74.93 127.30 7.3 2.5 1.4 29 222 35 74 30
NW63-193 73.93 128.28 8.3 2.5 1.6 26 177 38 80 32
NW63-197 71.65 157.00 8.0 2.2 0.9 30 172 33 75 32

Part B: biogenic free elemental concentrationsa

BI64-10 74.62 160.00 8.8 2.8 1.3 28 155 32 92 31
BI64-11 74.35 160.00 9.0 2.8 1.3 29 157 29 69 27
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1196 C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200

Table 2 (continued)

Sample name Latitude Longitude Al K Mg Si Sr88 La139 Ce140 Nd146

(wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)

BI64-17 72.40 157.50 7.4 2.1 0.7 33 195 31 71 30

BI64-31 70.63 167.50 7.6 2.2 0.8 32 194 29 63 29
BI64-34 70.05 165.00 8.3 2.2 0.9 30 180 30 69 29
BI64-38 71.27 170.00 8.5 2.7 1.4 28 182 29 67 29
BI64-48avg 70.92 175.00 7.5 2.3 1.2 31 178 30 66 29
BI64-52 71.12 177.50 6.2 1.7 0.8 35 144 25 57 23
BI64-53 70.77 177.50 4.7 1.5 0.6 37 146 21 49 20
BI64-55 70.00 177.50 7.4 2.5 1.0 32 191 33 72 32
BI64-59 70.78 163.50 7.0 2.1 0.7 34 187 29 71 30
NW362-62avg 69.00 176.00 8.1 2.3 1.7 29 182 28 55 25
NW362-70 68.50 170.98 7.1 1.8 1.4 33 219 26 51 24
NW362-72 68.48 169.02 6.7 1.7 1.4 32 213 25 50 25
NW362-77 68.02 169.03 6.8 1.8 1.3 32 222 25 50 22
NW362-78 68.03 170.00 6.3 1.7 1.2 32 227 23 46 20
NW362-79 68.03 171.00 7.0 1.9 1.4 30 218 26 51 23
NW362-80 68.03 172.07 7.1 2.0 1.5 29 208 25 50 22
NW63-14 67.47 170.37 6.7 1.8 1.3 31 208 24 48 22
NW63-18 68.60 171.60 7.3 1.8 1.4 30 197 26 52 24
NW63-19 68.13 172.40 7.3 2.0 1.6 31 208 26 52 24
NW63-21avg 67.58 173.41 6.0 2.3 0.7 34 175 25 48 21
NW63-25 68.72 174.83 7.7 2.3 1.7 28 189 28 52 24
NW63-26 68.93 174.25 7.6 2.2 1.8 28 194 26 53 24
NW63-27 69.15 173.78 7.6 2.1 1.7 28 187 26 52 23
NW63-28 69.42 173.25 7.4 2.1 1.6 31 201 27 53 24
NW63-29 69.89 174.44 7.5 2.1 1.7 30 194 26 50 23
NW63-32 69.80 176.65 7.8 2.2 1.6 29 191 27 53 25
NW63-34 69.32 177.58 4.6 1.8 0.6 38 145 21 43 18
NW63-37 69.75 179.98 6.6 2.3 0.9 31 180 28 55 24
NW63-39 70.18 179.57 5.4 1.7 0.8 35 160 24 47 22
NW63-40 70.43 179.25 5.6 1.6 0.9 35 162 22 53 22
NW63-41 70.63 179.00 5.1 1.5 0.7 36 141 24 47 21
NW63-42 69.63 171.00 7.1 1.9 1.5 31 198 25 51 24
NW63-44 69.20 172.00 7.5 2.0 1.6 30 202 27 53 26
NW63-46 70.45 175.00 7.6 2.3 1.2 31 197 31 66 28
NW63-50 71.42 174.95 7.9 2.4 1.4 30 174 29 63 28
NW63-52 71.38 169.99 8.1 2.4 1.3 28 151 26 59 25
NW63-54 70.72 170.00 8.3 2.4 1.1 30 173 30 72 30
NW63-57 70.09 165.00 8.6 2.3 1.0 30 173 29 68 28
NW63-60 70.83 165.07 7.3 2.1 0.7 34 198 27 60 24
NW63-64 71.17 159.95 8.5 2.3 0.9 31 181 32 73 30
NW63-67 71.92 160.03 7.8 2.1 0.8 32 283 37 82 35
NW63-74 72.75 155.03 8.2 2.3 0.9 32 201 36 85 35
NW63-77 72.40 155.23 8.2 2.4 1.0 32 178 29 63 27
NW63-80 73.07 155.37 9.1 2.7 1.2 29 195 36 86 27
NW63-82 73.47 155.40 9.3 2.8 1.3 28 175 36 88 34
NW63-87 73.33 149.67 7.1 2.1 0.7 34 235 36 80 33
NW63-88 73.03 149.63 6.6 2.1 0.6 35 232 36 84 33
NW63-94 74.33 143.73 6.0 2.1 0.5 36 197 28 59 23
NW63-95 74.44 142.72 6.1 2.2 0.5 36 204 25 53 23
NW63-97 74.50 140.43 8.1 2.4 1.0 27 217 39 93 37
NW63-98 74.32 138.97 7.4 2.4 0.8 33 230 36 72 31
NW63-99 74.50 138.00 7.1 2.3 0.8 34 233 35 74 30
NW63-101 74.00 138.03 8.4 2.4 1.1 30 179 34 73 30
 ARTICLE IN PRESS

C. Viscosi-Shirley et al. / Continental Shelf Research 23 (2003) 1175–1200 1197

Table 2 (continued)

Sample name Latitude Longitude Al K Mg Si Sr88 La139 Ce140 Nd146

(wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (wt%) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm) (ppm)

NW63-103 73.50 138.00 8.6 2.5 1.2 30 167 34 74 32

NW63-107 72.50 137.67 9.0 2.6 1.2 30 153 34 76 32
NW63-112 72.25 134.42 7.3 2.5 0.8 33 212 31 71 28
NW63-115 73.00 134.17 7.0 2.3 0.7 33 244 32 69 29
NW63-118 73.75 133.88 7.6 2.4 1.1 32 227 37 81 36
NW63-119 72.80 133.00 9.5 2.9 1.7 27 148 42 92 38
NW63-122 71.50 130.92 9.3 2.8 1.5 29 154 40 86 37
NW63-125 72.25 131.00 8.6 2.6 1.5 29 191 38 80 31
NW63-130 73.57 131.42 8.3 2.7 1.3 29 192 38 82 34
NW63-134 74.77 134.48 7.1 2.4 0.8 33 254 33 70 29
NW63-136 75.25 134.50 7.3 2.5 0.9 33 238 37 80 33
NW63-139 76.02 134.55 8.3 2.7 1.4 28 179 36 76 31
NW63-141 76.42 133.50 8.7 2.8 1.5 28 169 36 77 32
NW63-143 76.43 129.88 7.7 2.6 1.3 30 226 41 75 31
NW63-146 75.57 129.82 8.4 2.8 1.5 28 169 36 81 34
NW63-148 75.08 129.78 8.4 2.7 1.6 29 190 37 81 34
NW63-149 74.79 129.77 8.3 2.7 1.6 29 181 38 82 34
NW63-151 74.53 128.38 8.1 2.6 1.6 29 204 37 79 32
NW63-153 74.53 125.93 6.5 2.5 0.7 34 281 30 63 25
NW63-157 75.18 124.33 7.2 2.6 1.1 32 232 33 72 31
NW63-160 75.72 124.37 7.8 2.5 1.3 29 228 34 77 30
NW63-161 76.03 125.97 6.9 2.4 1.3 32 226 33 72 29
NW63-166 75.50 120.00 6.7 2.3 1.0 33 262 28 59 24
NW63-188 74.93 127.30 7.6 2.6 1.4 30 232 36 77 31
NW63-193 73.93 128.28 8.9 2.7 1.7 27 189 40 85 35
NW63-197 71.65 157.00 8.3 2.3 0.9 30 178 34 78 33
a
Biogenic free elemental concentration=measured elemental concentration in bulk sediment sample  100/(100–% opal–%
CaCO32.5  % organic carbon). Prior to making this correction we calculate Si lithogenic=Si measuredSi biogenic. Biogenic data
from Mammone (1998).

Laurels Graduate Scholarship awarded to C. Dutro Jr., J.T., Dietrich, R.V., Foose, R.M. American
Viscosi-Shirley. Geological Institute, Alexandria, VA.
Are, F.E., 1999. The role of coastal retreat for sedimentation in
the Laptev Sea. In: Kassens, H., Bauch, H.A., Dmitrenko,
I., Eicken, H., Hubberten, H.-W., Melles, M., Thiede, J.,
Appendix A Timokhov, L. (Eds.), Land–Ocean Systems in the
Siberian Arctic: Dynamics and History. Springer, Berlin,
See Table 1. pp. 287–295.
Barnett, D., 1991. Sea ice distribution in the soviet Arctic. In:
Brigham, L. (Ed.), The Soviet Maritime Arctic. Naval Inst.
Press, Annapolis, MD, pp. 47–62.
Appendix B .
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