Geochemistry and Sedimentology of the Mediterranean Sea, Softcover reprint of the original 1st ed. 1986 Sedimentology and Petroleum Geology Series, Vol. 1

The monograph presented to foreign readers has been prepared by the famous Soviet investigators of processes of geochemistry and sedimentation in the Mediterranean Sea. For more than 20 years E.M. Emelyanov has examined the recent sedimentation of the Mediterranean Sea and K.M. Shimkus has studied the Quaternary and the earlier sedi­ mentation of the area. The authors, scientific workers from the P.P. Shirshov Institute of Oceanology, USSR Academy of Sciences (Atlantic and Southern Depart­ ments), took part not only in numerous cruises on oceanographic vessels of the USSR, but in the study of cores of the deep-sea drilling on R/V "Glomar Challenger". A great number of scientific papers and some books devoted to the processes of sedimentation and geochemistry of the Mediterranean Sea were written by them. Although the scientific interests of the authors are not only limited to these questions, I should like to emphasise these aspects of their scientific activity when introducing this book. The Mediterranean Sea is a suitable natural laboratory for solving a number of principal problems of marine sedimentation and lithogenesis.

I. The Geochemistry of the Recent Sediments.- I.I Conditions Of Recent Sedimentation.- I.1.1 A summary of the physio-geographical characteristics of the basins of recent sedimentation.- I.1.2 Origin and supply of sediments.- I.2 Recent Sedimentation.- I.2.1 Quantitative distribution and composition of suspended matter in sea water.- I.2.2 Distribution and composition of sediments.- I.2.3 Accumulation and composition of terrigenous material.- I.3 The Individual Components, Elements and Geo Chemistry of Sedimentation.- I.3.1 Carbonate formation.- I.3.2 Organic matter.- I.3.3 Amorphous Silica.- I.3.4 Phosphorus.- I.3.5 Terrigenous SiO2 and hydrolysate elements.- I.3.6 Elements of the iron group.- I.3.7 Alkaline elements.- I.3.8 Heavy metals.- I.3.9 Other trace elements.- II. The Geochemistry of Quaternary Sedimentogenesis and Diagenesis.- II.1 Lithological Composition of the Deepwater Quaternary Sediments.- II.1.1 Upper Quaternary sediments.- II.1.2 Middle and Lower Quaternary sediments.- II.2 Terrigenous and Volcanogenic Sedimentation.- II.2.1 Sedimentation rates.- II.2.2 Terrigenous sedimentation.- II.2.3 Accumulation of volcanogenic material.- II.3 Geochemistry of Quaternary Sedimentation.- II.3.1 Carbonate content.- II.3.2 Organic matter accumulation and concentration.- II.3.3 Amorphous silica accumulation and concentration.- II.3.4 Accumulation and concentration of iron, manganese, titanium and phosphorus in sediments.- II.3.5 Trace elements.- III. Geochemistry of the Late Cenozoic Sedimentation and Diagenesis of the Sediments.- III.1 Lithological And Geochemical Characteristic of Neogene Sediments and Peculiarities of Sedimentation.- III.1.1 Pliocene.- III.1.2 Messinian.- III.1.3 Tortonian.- III.1.4 Burdigalian, Langian and Serravalian.- III.2 Separate Components and Elements and the Geochemistry of Sedimentation.- III.2.1 Carbonates.- III.2.2 Organic matter.- III.2.3 Phosphorus.- III.2.4 Hydrolysate elements.- III.2.5 Elements of the iron group (Fe, Mn Cr and Ni).- III.2.6 Alkaline elements (K, Na, Li, Rb).- III.2.7 Group of heavy metals (Cu and Zn).- IV. Main Features of the Geochemistry and Sedimentology of the Mediterranean Sea.- IV.1 Main Factors Controlling Sedimentation and the Transformation of Sedimentary Material.- IV.1.1 Transformation of sedimentary material during sedimentation and early diagenesis of the sediments.- IV.1.2 Lithification and diagenesis of Neogene-Quaternary sediments.- IV.1.3 Tectonics and Volcanism.- IV.1.4 River loads.- IV.1.5 Hydrodynamic conditions and hydrogen sulphide contamination.- IV.1.6 Climate.- IV.2 Lithological-Geochemical Zones of Sedimentation.- IV.3 Some Features of the History and Geochemical Evolution of the Mediterranean Sea in the Neocene and the Pleistocene.- IV.4 Abnormalities of the Geochemistry of the Sedimentary Processes in the Mediterranean Sea in Comparison with other Basins.- References.

'In this book is everything you could ever want to know about Mediterranean Sea sediments... At last, we have a good account of Soviet work and thoughts pertaining to the Mediterranean, the first in a long time... An incredible array of data is presented, and it is these data that are the strength of this work...a remarkable work in terms of the information presented and of a review on the marine geology and geochemistry of Mediterranean Sea sediments.'Sedimentology, 1987'... Geochemistry and Sedimentology of the Mediterranean Sea will be a useful book to anyone working in the Mediterranean Basin.'Newsletter, 21:4 (1988)