Geochemical characterization of resuspended sediment on the southeast slope of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel

Inductively coupled plasma-mass spectrometry (ICP-MS) analyses were carried out on surface sediments and resuspended material. A statistical analysis was performed on the multi-elemental concentrations to identify the source area of the resuspended material collected in the sediment traps from the SE slope of the Faeroe-Shetland Channel (FSC). Results indicate that the material intercepted by the traps has a composition similar to that of surface sediments from depths greater than 550 m. This suggests that particles advected on the slope do not originate from the upper slope or the shelf edge but from a deeper area and that local resuspended material is deposited deeper than 550 m. Multi-elemental and grain size analysis of trap samples from distinct intense resuspension events illustrate differences among samples. These differences were interpreted as a result of the varying intensity of the resuspension mechanism although separate source areas or different resuspension mechanisms cannot be excluded. The identification of the source area of resuspended material is tempered by the homogeneity of the surface sediments in the region, due to the uniform glacial debris deposits, the high-energy currents and the lack of clearly identifiable continental input sources.