Paleoceanography of the Gulf of Aqaba during the last 150 000 years.

Deep-sea core sequences from the Gulf of Aqaba and the northernmost Red Sea represent sediments deposited at a rate of 5- 10 cm ky^-1 over the last 150 ky. During maximum glacial peaks temperature of the upper water fell by less than 4^oC and salinity rose to more than 50 per mille. Generally, during glacial periods, the assemblages of planktic and benthic Foraminifera, Pteropoda and Coccolithophorida, as well as stable oxygen and carbon isotopic composition of benthic and planktic foraminifera point to a more stratified and especially more productive water column and lowered oxygen content of deep waters than during interglacials. The present-day 'sea desert' environment was established approximately 4000 years ago. -from Authors