Deep-Sea Sedimentation

Marine Diatoms Source: Wipeter

Although the deep ocean floor may be far from the continents that generate much of the terrigenous sediment that you find along the coasts, that does not mean there is no sedimentation in these areas. At the bottom of the deep ocean floor, you will find all kinds of sediment including the same terrigenous sediment generated by the continents.

Terrigenous sediment only makes up a small part of the sedimentation found on the bottom of the ocean. Most of what you will find here comes from two sources: biogenous sediment left over from the calcium or silicon based skeletons of organisms that live in these areas and hydrogenous sediment that results when certain chemicals react with the sea water.

Essential Questions

• What processes affect sedimentation of the deep ocean?
• How does terrigenous sediment accumulate in the deep ocean?
• Why does deep ocean sediment contain sediments of biological origin?
• What micro fossils make up pelagic oozes?
• What is the calcium compensation depth?
• Why do siliceous sediments dominate sediments below the calcium compensation depth (CCD)?