Pelagic sediment

These particles consist primarily of either the microscopic, calcareous or siliceous shells of phytoplankton or zooplankton; clay-size siliciclastic sediment; or some mixture of these.

The second factor is water depth, which affects the preservation of both siliceous and calcareous biogenic particles as they settle to the ocean bottom.

The final factor is ocean fertility, which controls the amount of biogenic particles produced in surface waters.

Ooze is pelagic sediment that consists of at least 30% of microscopic remains of either calcareous or siliceous planktonic debris organisms.

Its distribution is also limited to areas with high biological productivity, such as the polar oceans, and upwelling zones near the equator.

As they were transported, the finer clays may have stayed in suspension for a hundred years or more within the water column before they settled to the ocean bottom.

The settling of this clay-size sediment occurred primarily by the formation of clay aggregates by flocculation and by their incorporation into fecal pellets by pelagic organisms.