Contour currents of the North Atlantic during the last glacial cycle

The mean size of mineral particles of the 10–63 μm fraction (the so-called “sortable silt” mean size (\documentclass[12pt]{minimal} \usepackage{amsmath} \usepackage{wasysym} \usepackage{amsfonts} \usepackage{amssymb} \usepackage{amsbsy} \usepackage{mathrsfs} \usepackage{upgreek} \setlength{\oddsidemargin}{-69pt} \begin{document}$$\overline {SS} $$\end{document})) was used as proxy for the variations in paleocurrent intensity. The modes of grain-size distribution were also examined. Sediments with bimodal grain size distribution (the second mode varies from 10 to 28 μm) correlate with the increased mean size of sortable silt (up to 18–23 μm) at the Hatton and Snorry Drifts. These parameters indicate an increase in bottom-current intensity during MIS 1, 3, and 5e. There is no correlation between grain-size distribution and climatic cyclicity of variations in contour-current intensity at the Gloria Drift. The similarity between AMK-4493 sediments and IRD-containing hemiturbidites of the Labrador Sea render doubtful the contourite nature of the Gloria Drift.