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The mineral, bulk chemical composition (main rock-forming oxides), and systematics of rare-earth elements, Sc, Cr, Zr, and Th in surface bottom sediments taken in several cruises of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the Nordic Seas (Mona, Knipovich, Kolbeinsey, and Aegir ridges; deep basins in the Norwegian and Greenland seas; continental slope of Spitsbergen; western continental margin of the Barents Sea, and others) are considered to determine sources of the fine-grained material of bottom sediments. The primary influence of terrigenous input is obvious for coastal sediments. Seaward sediments, however, are affected by the "relatively warmer" Atlantic waters, leading to their dilution with calcium carbonate produced mainly by planktonic foraminifers. It is concluded that the fine-grained aluminosiliciclastics for most of the studied samples were derived from both felsic and mafic igneous rocks (volcanic rocks of Iceland) in different proportions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The mineral and bulk chemical (basic rock-forming oxides) composition of more than 20 samples of surface bottom sediments taken on a number of cruises of R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh in the Nordic Seas (the Mona, Knipovich, Kolbeinsey, and Aegir ridges, the basins of the Norwegian and Greenland seas, the continental slope of Svalbard, the western continental margin of the Barents Sea, etc.) is considered. One of the goals of these cruises was a comprehensive study of the sedimentary system of the Nordic Seas. Our data on the distribution of quartz and calcite in the sediments confirm the idea that the composition of surface bottom sediments at coastal stations is affected by the material coming from the land, while the seaward sediments are affected by the relatively warmer Atlantic waters, leading to their dilution with calcium carbonate, which are mainly produced by planktonic foraminifera. The absence of a correlation between /SiO2 and Al2O3/SiO2 indicates the effect of mineralogical sorting is not pronounced in the sediments. The distribution of the data points of surface bottom sediments on the Ti/Al–1000*(Cr/Al) diagram is considered. It is concluded that the source of fine aluminosiliciclastics for most of the studied samples is both acidic and basic igneous rocks (volcanic rocks of Iceland) in different proportions. The value of Strakhov's modulus in the entire sample ranges from 5 to 10. This gives grounds to believe that no products of hydrothermal activity were introduced into the surface bottom sediments of the areas studied by us. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Abstract—The paper presents the results of systemic oceanological studies of the European part of the Arctic during cruise 75 of the R/V Akademik Mstislav Keldysh. The expedition covered the waters of the Norwegian, Greenland, and Barents Seas. The main goal was a conjugate study of dispersed sedimentary matter (atmospheric aerosols, water suspended particulate matter), and bottom sediments with an emphasis on sedimentogenesis and early diagenesis processes in combination with paleoceanological reconstructions. Earlier studies [1] on the role of endogenic material in modern sedimentary processes in the ocean based on the example of a subpolar section (Mohns Ridge) of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge are continued. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]