pteropod ooze

views updated May 29 2018

pteropod ooze Deep-sea ooze in which at least 30 per cent of the sediment consists of the shells of small planktonic (see plankton) gastropods (known as pteropods or ‘wing-footed’ snails). The shells are aragonitic and, as aragonite solubility increases rapidly with depth, pteropod ooze is restricted to water depths less than 2500 m.

pteropod ooze

views updated May 08 2018

pteropod ooze Deep-sea ooze in which at least 30% of the sediment consists of the shells of planktonic small gastropods (known as pteropods or ‘wing-footed’ snails). The shells are aragonitic and, as aragonite solubility increases rapidly with depth, pteropod ooze is restricted to water depths less than 2500 m.