Behrends et al.: Distribution Patterns of'Heavy Minerals in Siberian Rivers
120·
00'
10
0-10%.
10 - 20%
x Naugler (1967)
+ Peregovich (this wOrk)
• Behrends (this work)
Hoops (this work)
·30'
Barenl. Sea
Figure 4: Distribution of amphibole (TPD = Transpolar Drift System; BG = Beaufort Gyre).
Results
Sea ice sediments
269
For this study, only a few sea ice sediment samples with heavy mineral data were available.
The amphibole distribution on the Laptev Sea shelf shows highest values off the river mouth
and in the central Laptev Sea. The content of amphibole in the sample north of Svalbard is 12 %
(Figure 3a). Near the outflow of the Lena river, the content of clinopyroxene is 10 %, while
toward the north, the values are increasing. The multi-year ice of the Transpolar Drift shows a
high content of 40 % clinopyroxene (Figure 3b). The amount of orthopyroxene is low (0.5 and
8 %); the highest values are found in front of the Lena outflow (Figure 3c). The values of
opaque mineral values are 0.5 and 8 % on the Laptev Sea shelf, but 19 % in the sample north of
Svalbard (Figure 3d). Detrital carbonates are not found in the investigated sea-ice sediments.