Rare earth element content of the clay fraction from sediment core CRP-1 (Table 2)

Smectites are mostly dioctahedral, but Fe-Mg richer than in other cores from Ross Sea. In addition, small amounts of nontronites and trioctahedral smectites (probably saponites) were found.

Smectite microparticles are mainly flaky, but significant percentages of hairy smectites were also recognized. Micromorphologies indicate that smectites were derived from the continent but, in addition, they formed in situ through recrystallisation processes. The shale-normalised rare earth elements patterns are very homogeneous, and their features are typical of land-derived sediments.