First results of comparative analysis of Pleistocene sediments chemical composition from the Pacific and Atlantic оceans

Geochemical peculiarities of Pleistocene sediments from the Pacific and Atlantic oceans have been compared. We used almost 20000 determinations of elements for the Atlantic Ocean sediments and more than 47000 determinations for the Pacific Ocean sediments to calculate their mean chemical composition. Pacific hemipelagic clays and volcanic sediments are rather close by their composition. It differs them from the Atlantic Ocean. It was revealed that in average Atlantic sediments are more calcareous than Pleistocene sediments of the Pacific Ocean (32.09 mas. % СаСО3 vs 18.18 mas. % СаСО3, respectively). They are enriched by MgO and P2O5 and have a higher LOI. The Pleistocene of the Pacific Ocean is enriched by oxides of other major elements (SiO2, TiO2, Al2O3, Fe2O3, MnO, Na2O, K2O). Mass accumulation rates of all chemical components for main lithological types (with exclusion of hemipelagic clays) dominate in the Atlantic. We proposed that these results are due to higher ratio of watershed area to accumulation basin area in the Atlantic Ocean.