Data report: X-ray fluorescence scanning of sediment cores, IODP Expedition 390/393 Site U1559, South Atlantic Transect

During International Ocean Discovery Program (IODP) Expeditions 390C, 395E, 390, and 393,
deepwater sediments were recovered from the western flank of the southern Mid-Atlantic Ridge
along a crustal flow line at ~31°S. This multidisciplinary experiment allowed the recovery of data
fundamental to reconstructing past climate changes as well as variations in ocean circulation, pro-
ductivity, and chemistry (i.e., fluctuations in the carbonate compensation depth) in the South
Atlantic Ocean.
Here, we report semiquantitative elemental results from X-ray fluorescence (XRF) scanning of the
sediment package cored at IODP Site U1559 in the South Atlantic Ocean. Located at
15°02.0941′W, Site U1559 is the easternmost site of the South Atlantic Transect and the closest to
the Mid-Atlantic Ridge, located on ~6.6. Ma ocean crust. The XRF data are also compared with
magnetic susceptibility and natural gamma radiation measured on the R/V JOIDES Resolution to
assess correlations with the different lithologic units/subunits. At Site U1559, sediments are pre-
dominantly nannofossil ooze with varying amounts of foraminifera, which is reflected by the dom-
inant Ca counts. Trends in elemental counts reflect the slight variations in siliciclastic materials
within the Pleistocene. Major shifts in elemental counts were observed at the sharp contact
between Pliocene–Pleistocene Subunits IC and ID, as well as the Miocene–Pliocene transition.