Glacial Times Research Articles

New insights into vegetation, climate and fire history of southern Brazil revealed by a 40,000 year environmental record from the State Park Serra do Tabuleiro

The present study reveals palaeoenvironmental changes in the coastal southern Brazilian highlands during the last 39720 b.p., by the means of pollen, charcoal and multivariate data analyses. The isolated mountain range of Serra do Tabuleiro corresponds to the southern distribution limit of many tropical plant species and is therefore sensitive to climate change. Palaeoenvironmental reconstructions from the Ciama 2 core at 860 m a.s.l. indicate that Campos (subtropical grassland) covered extensive areas on the highlands throughout the recorded glacial period, thus suggesting cold and dry climatic conditions. The initial development of the Atlantic rainforest occurred after the glacial period, whereas plant diversity began to increase at the beginning of the Holocene due to climate change towards warmer and wetter conditions. At about 10400 cal. b.p., the Atlantic rainforest started to move over the slopes and Campos retracted. Multivariate data analysis showed a change of vegetation dynamics after 11200 cal. b.p. with the initial development of the Atlantic rainforest continuing until the mid-Holocene. Major vegetation changes, including the further expansion of the Atlantic rainforest and the initial development of the Araucaria forest in the higher regions of the Serra do Tabuleiro, occurred during the late Holocene after about 3600 cal. b.p. These changes reflect higher precipitation levels without an annual dry season. Multivariate data analysis reveals a clearly directional change of vegetation dynamics corresponding to the progressive expansion of the Atlantic rainforest from 3850 to 1600 cal. b.p. A second directional change of vegetation dynamics occurred from 320 to 160 cal. b.p. (a.d. 1630 to 1790) with a further development of the Atlantic rainforest and the partial replacement of Campos by Araucaria forest and Atlantic rainforest. Thereafter, an ecosystem disturbance, which resulted in forest opening, took place. Palaeofires probably did not occur during glacial times, whereas fire events, which were probably caused by Amerindians, were common in the Serra do Tabuleiro region from ca. 10400 until 3600 cal. b.p.

Intensified winds in the low-mid latitudes during glacial times: The abrasion of coarse silt in sand seas and the loess accretion at desert margins downwind

Intensified winds in the low-mid latitudes during glacial times: The abrasion of coarse silt in sand seas and the loess accretion at desert margins downwind

Reconstructing precipitation changes in northeastern Africa during the Quaternary by clay mineralogical and geochemical investigations of Nile deep-sea fan sediments

Clay mineralogy combined with high-resolution element geochemistry of core MD90-9064, located in the distal part of the Nile deep-sea fan (Levantine Basin), have been investigated to reconstruct rainfall changes in northeastern Africa during the Quaternary and to determine possible climatic controls. Clay minerals of core MD90-964 are derived mainly from three sedimentary sources (the Sahara, Nile River and Egyptian wadis) and are characterized by contrasted mineralogical composition. Variations in illite content and logarithm ratios of Si/Al and K/Al permit the tracking of eolian input from Sahara to the Mediterranean Sea. It is suggested that precipitation changes in the Sahara are mainly dominated by glacial–interglacial cycles. Such variations are owing to a shift of climatic conditions in the North Atlantic from a NAO-positive-like condition in glacial times to a NAO-negative-like condition in interglacial times. Fe content in the Levantine sediments is mostly derived from Fe-bearing heavy minerals brought by the Nile River. Therefore, variations of Fe/Al ratios can be used to establish precipitation changes in the Nile River basin. Long-term variation in precipitation in the Nile River basin is governed by precessional and eccentricity signals, implying that the African monsoon is the most significant controlling factor for precipitation changes in this region. Precipitation changes in the northeastern coasts of Africa are reconstructed using kaolinite contents provided by the Egyptian wadis. It is reported that precipitation in coastal northeastern Africa is mainly of the Mediterranean-climate type. Long-term variations in rainfall in this region are also affected by the NAO-like climatic variability and thus dominated by the glacial–interglacial cycles.

The Reforestation of Africa?

1poses a challenging question for African ecologists and environmentalists: do we, in the subcontinent, face not a contraction, but a vast and inevitable expansion of subtropical tree cover, driven by levels of CO 2 that have not been seen in the past several million years? Higgins and Scheiter’s paper warrants our attention because it projects, for the first time, the continent-wide implications of the decade-old hypothesis, originally formulated by South African ecologists, of CO 2 -driven woody expansion in fire-prone savannas. 2 The paper supports concerns that the expansion of woodlands and forest may be an imminent threat to ecosystem structure, function and biodiversity across extensive landscapes in the sub-continent. 3 If its projections are correct, then we stand on the brink of massive ecosystem change in the ‘savanna–complex’ vegetation (i.e. tropical grasslands, savanna and forests) of Africa. But how credible are these projections? Unlike more intensively researched temperate ecosystems, the vegetation structure and land cover of huge tracts of sub-Saharan Africa may be highly sensitive to increasing levels of atmospheric CO 2 . Vast areas of the subcontinent are currently dominated by C 4 grasses – a photosynthetic mode that owes much of its competitive advantage to the low CO 2 levels of pre-industrial and, even more so, glacial times. 4 Grasses do not require the large amounts of carbon that woody plants do to support their photosynthetic tissue. This low carbon demand for growth allows grasses to outcompete woody plants under low CO 2 conditions by building up a flammable layer of grass fuel – the savanna fire trap – that immolates slower growing woody plants and maintains the system in its grassy state. Under high levels of CO 2 , trees are thought to regain the advantage, escaping the fire trap and converting the system into forest. 2 This mutable balance of trees versus grasses, mediated by atmospheric CO 2 levels and fire, results in ‘bi-stable’ systems 5 in which

Late glacial fluctuations of Quelccaya Ice Cap, southeastern Peru

The last glacial-interglacial transition (ca. 18–11 ka) was interrupted by abrupt climate events that differed in each hemisphere. During the Antarctic Cold Reversal (ca. 14.5–12.9 ka), the Southern Hemisphere high and mid latitudes cooled, while the Northern Hemisphere warmed. The pattern of change then reversed during the Younger Dryas (ca. 12.9–11.7 ka), which was characterized by cold conditions in much of the Northern Hemisphere. Well-dated paleoclimate records serve to reveal the possible mechanisms for these events. Here we present a reconstruction of the late glacial fluctuations of Quelccaya Ice Cap, located in the southern tropics, based on 38 new radiocarbon ages. Quelccaya was retreating from its Last Glacial Maximum (ca. 21 ka) extent by ca. 17.2 ka, and was located upvalley from its late glacial moraines by 13.6–12.8 ka. Quelccaya experienced a significant readvance that culminated at 12.5–12.4 ka, and then receded several kilometers to near, or within, its late Holocene extent by ca. 11.6 ka. This record provides the most detailed evidence yet of glacier fluctuations in the southern tropics during late glacial time.

Glacial‐interglacial variations in sediment organic carbon accumulation and benthic foraminiferal assemblages on the Bermuda Rise (ODP Site 1063) during MIS 13 to 10

We have determined organic carbon concentrations and isotopic compositions and benthic foraminiferal assemblages in sediments deposited between ∼500 and 340 ka at ODP Site 1063 on the northeastern flank of the Bermuda Rise. This time interval includes Marine Isotope Stage (MIS) 11, a particularly warm and long interglacial that was similar to today, and MIS 12, one of the most severe glacials of the last 600 kyr. During MIS 11.3, the peak of interglacial warming, organic carbon accumulation rates are low and benthic foraminiferal assemblages are dominated by Nuttallides umbonifera, a species indicative of oligotrophic environments. Higher accumulation rates during MIS 12 and 10 correspond with elevated sedimentation rates (33–36 cm/kyr). This pattern implies a combination of enhanced delivery and improved preservation of sediment organic matter during these glacial times. Organic δ13C values are less negative during MIS 12 and MIS 10 than during MIS 11, which is consistent with greater glacial‐stage marine productivity. High relative abundances ofOridorsalis umbonatus during glacial intervals probably records a low but sustained flux of highly degraded organic material. Large, recurrent fluctuations in the abundance of Epistominella exiguaat the beginnings of the MIS 12 and MIS 10 glaciations suggest a marked increase in local phytoplankton blooms at these times and consequent delivery of phytodetritus to the seafloor. The most likely causes of these variations are changes in the position and strength of the Gulf Stream and its associated cold‐ring eddies, combined with increased advection of terrigenous sediments from northerly locations during glacial lowstands.

Simulated winter circulation types in the North Atlantic and European region for preindustrial and glacial conditions

Winter circulation types under preindustrial and glacial conditions are investigated and used to quantify their impact on precipitation. The analysis is based on daily mean sea level pressure fields of a highly resolved atmospheric general circulation model and focuses on the North Atlantic and European region. We find that glacial circulation types are dominated by patterns with an east‐west pressure gradient, which clearly differs from the predominantly zonal patterns for the recent past. This is also evident in the frequency of occurrence of circulation types when projecting preindustrial circulation types onto the glacial simulations. The elevation of the Laurentide ice sheet is identified as a major cause for these differences. In areas of strong precipitation signals in glacial times, the changes in the frequencies of occurrence of the circulation types explain up to 60% of the total difference between preindustrial and glacial simulations.

North Atlantic ventilation of “southern‐sourced” deep water in the glacial ocean

One potential mechanism for lowering atmospheric CO2 during glacial times is an increase in the fraction of the global ocean ventilated by the North Atlantic, which produces deep water with a low concentration of unused nutrients and thus drives the ocean's biological pump to a high efficiency. However, the data indicate that during glacial times, a water mass low in 13C/12C and 14C/C occupied the deep Atlantic, apparently at the expense of North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW). This water is commonly referred to as “southern‐sourced” because of its apparent entry into the Atlantic basin from the South, prompting the inference that it was ventilated at the Southern Ocean surface. Here, we propose that this deep Atlantic water mass actually included a large fraction of North Atlantic‐ventilated water, the chemical characteristics of which were altered by recirculation in the deep Southern and Indo‐Pacific oceans. In an ocean model sensitivity experiment that reduces Antarctic Bottom Water formation and weakens its overturning circulation, we find that a much greater fraction of NADW is transported into the Southern Ocean without contacting the surface and is entrained and mixed into the southern‐sourced deep water that spreads into the global abyssal ocean. Thus, North Atlantic ventilation takes over more of the ocean interior, lowering atmospheric CO2, and yet the abyssal Atlantic is filled from the South with old water low in 13C/12C and 14C/C, consistent with glacial data.

Surface and deep water variations in the northeast Indian Ocean during 34–6 ka BP: Evidence from carbon and oxygen isotopes of fossil foraminifera

δ13C and δ18O records from planktic (Globigerinoides ruber) and benthic foraminifera (Cibicides spp.) were obtained from a deep sea sediment core (SK157–18) collected in the central Bay of Bengal. The chronology of this gravity core (11°59′N; 90°01′E; water-depth 3069 m; core-length 230 cm) has been established using six radiocarbon ages. Large variations in carbon and oxygen isotopes are suggestive of significant changes in surface and deep water of the Bay of Bengal during 34–6 ka BP. Planktic δ18O values in core SK157–18 are significantly higher compared to cores in the western Bay of Bengal and the Andaman Sea. A marked δ18O decrease at 8–7 ka BP is suggestive of low-salinity surface water in the central Bay of Bengal, probably due to the intensification of the Indian southwest monsoon (ISM). An increasing δ13C trend in G. ruber is seen during ∼34–26 and 14–7 ka BP and decreasing δ13C trend between 26 and 15 ka BP intervals. However these δ13C shifts in planktic foraminifera are not coherent with the glacial–interglacial change and may have been caused by wind-induced variability in surface water δ13C.The δ18O and δ13C values in benthic foraminifera show considerable variations during the Holocene and glacial times. Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) to Holocene δ18O shift in benthic foraminifera (1.5‰) exceeds ice volume effect by ∼0.5‰, suggesting glacial deep water cooling of ∼2 °C, assuming no salinity change. This glacial deep water cooling may have been caused by the introduction of cooler Southern Ocean Deep Water (SODW). Large fluctuations in benthic δ13C are due to the changes in source water characteristics during the Holocene and last glaciation. Glacial benthic foraminifera exhibit pronounced decrease in δ13C suggesting reduced contribution from the North Atlantic Deep Water (NADW) and increased influx of SODW. In addition, oxidation of organic matter due to the reduced ventilation of deep water masses during the LGM may have contributed in the significant decrease in δ13C.

Bulk Sediment and Diatom Silica Carbon Isotope Composition from Coastal Marine Sediments off East Antarctica

Organic carbon occluded in diatom silica is assumed to be protected from degradation in the sediment. δ13C from diatom carbon (δ13C(diatom)) therefore potentially provides a signal of conditions during diatom growth. However, there have been few studies based on δ13C(diatom). Numerous variables can influence δ13C of organic matter in the marine environment (e. g., salinity, light, nutrient and CO2 availability). Here we compare δ13C(diatom) and δ13C(TOC) from three sediment records from individual marine inlets (Rauer Group, East Antarctica) to (i) investigate deviations between δ13C(diatom) and δ13C(TOC), to (ii) identify biological and environmental controls on δ13C(diatom) and δ13C(TOC), and to (iii) discuss δ13C(diatom) as a proxy for environmental and climate reconstructions. The records show individual δ13C(diatom) and δ13C(TOC) characteristics, which indicates that δ13C is not primarily controlled by regional climate or atmospheric CO2 concentration. Since the inlets vary in water depths offsets in δ13C are probably related to differences in water column stratification and mixing, which influences redistribution of nutrients and carbon within each inlet. In our dataset changes in δ13C(diatom) and δ13C(TOC) could not unequivocally be ascribed to changes in diatom species composition, either because the variation in δ13C(diatom) between the observed species is too small or because other environmental controls are more dominant. Records from the Southern Ocean show depleted δ13C(diatom) values (1-4 ‰) during glacial times compared to the Holocene. Although climate variability throughout the Holocene is low compared to glacial/interglacial variability, we find variability in δ13C(diatom), which is in the same order of magnitude. δ13C of organic matter produced in the costal marine environment seems to be much more sensitive to environmental changes than open ocean sites and δ13C is of strongly local nature. © 2012 Springer Science+Business Media B.V.

Role of the Bering Strait on the hysteresis of the ocean conveyor belt circulation and glacial climate stability

Abrupt climate transitions, known as Dansgaard-Oeschger and Heinrich events, occurred frequently during the last glacial period, specifically from 80-11thousand years before present, but were nearly absent during interglacial periods and the early stages of glacial periods, when major ice-sheets were still forming. Here we show, with a fully coupled state-of-the-art climate model, that closing the Bering Strait and preventing its throughflow between the Pacific and Arctic Oceans during the glacial period can lead to the emergence of stronger hysteresis behavior of the ocean conveyor belt circulation to create conditions that are conducive to triggering abrupt climate transitions. Hence, it is argued that even for greenhouse warming, abrupt climate transitions similar to those in the last glacial time are unlikely to occur as the Bering Strait remains open.

Cryptic Diversity in Indo-Pacific Coral-Reef Fishes Revealed by DNA-Barcoding Provides New Support to the Centre-of-Overlap Hypothesis

Diversity in coral reef fishes is not evenly distributed and tends to accumulate in the Indo-Malay-Philippines Archipelago (IMPA). The comprehension of the mechanisms that initiated this pattern is in its infancy despite its importance for the conservation of coral reefs. Considering the IMPA either as an area of overlap or a cradle of marine biodiversity, the hypotheses proposed to account for this pattern rely on extant knowledge about taxonomy and species range distribution. The recent large-scale use of standard molecular data (DNA barcoding), however, has revealed the importance of taking into account cryptic diversity when assessing tropical biodiversity. We DNA barcoded 2276 specimens belonging to 668 coral reef fish species through a collaborative effort conducted concomitantly in both Indian and Pacific oceans to appraise the importance of cryptic diversity in species with an Indo-Pacific distribution range. Of the 141 species sampled on each side of the IMPA, 62 presented no spatial structure whereas 67 exhibited divergent lineages on each side of the IMPA with K2P distances ranging between 1% and 12%, and 12 presented several lineages with K2P distances ranging between 3% and 22%. Thus, from this initial pool of 141 nominal species with Indo-Pacific distribution, 79 dissolved into 165 biological units among which 162 were found in a single ocean. This result is consistent with the view that the IMPA accumulates diversity as a consequence of its geological history, its location on the junction between the two main tropical oceans and the presence of a land bridge during glacial times in the IMPA that fostered allopatric divergence and secondary contacts between the Indian and Pacific oceans.

Dynamics of the range of Artemisia genus over the territory of Western Siberia and adjacent regions in holocene in connection with climate change on the basis of pollen data

Reconstruction of the dynamics of the range of Artemisia genus was carried out with the help of palynoareological method on the basis of the data of 97 pollen diagrams from the territory of Western Siberia and the Altai-Sayan mountainous region over the millennial time sections since the Late Glacial time till the present time. It was revealed that the maximal spread of the Artemisia steppe communities (probably of the cryoarid pattern) occurred at the territory under examination at 13–10 ka yr BP. After the time point of 9 ka yr BP a fundamental change in landscapes of Western Siberia occurred which resulted in the disintegration of previously continuous Artemisia steppe cover into separate blocks. Since 8 ka yr BP the Artemisia steppe communities of modern appearance occupied the zones of modern steppe and forest-steppe of Western Siberia and Northern Kazakhstan while over the taiga zone the Artemisia plant communities were spread occasionally under the extra zonal conditions and as the pioneering plant groupings on naturally disturbed soils. Since the time point of 4 ka yr BP till the present time the northern boundary of the steppe zone under-went pulsing shifts to the north and back and also broadening and narrowing of isolated insular steppes in Altai-Sayan mountain region took place. At present time we observe an increase in the role of plants of Artemisia genus in the tundra zone of Western Siberia and in the Altai mountains.

Glacial‐interglacial size variability in the diatom Fragilariopsis kerguelensis: Possible iron/dust controls?

The valve area of Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, the most abundant diatom species in the Southern Ocean, strongly changes in size in response to varying conditions in the surface ocean. We examined the link, both in two iron fertilization experiments and in sediment samples covering several glacial Terminations, between size variability in this species and environmental conditions across the Antarctic Polar Front, including sea ice extent, sea surface temperature, and the input of eolian dust. The iron fertilization experiments show valve area to be positively correlated with iron concentrations in ambient waters, which suggests the possibility of a causal relation between valve size of Fragilariopsis kerguelensis and ambient surface water iron concentration. Larger valves are usually found during glacial times and thus seem to be related to lower sea surface temperature and wider sea ice coverage. Moreover, our results indicate that there usually is a strong correlation between larger valve size and increased input of eolian dust to the Southern Ocean. However, this correlation, obvious for the fertilization experiments and for glacial Terminations I, II, III, and V, does not seem to be valid for Termination VI, where size appears to be inversely correlated to dust input.

Dust transport from Patagonia to Antarctica – A new stratigraphic approach from the Scotia Sea and its implications for the last glacial cycle

We studied two deep-sea cores from the Scotia Sea to reconstruct past atmospheric circulation in the southern hemisphere and to resolve a long-standing debate on the interpretation of magnetic susceptibility (MS) records in Southern Ocean (SO) sediment. High-sedimentation sites MD07-3134 (0.2–1.2 m/kyr) and MD07-3133 (0.3–2.1 m/kyr) cover the last 92.5 kyr and 36 kyr, respectively. Both exhibit a one-to-one coupling of the MS and Ca2+ signal to the non-sea salt (nss) Ca2+ signal of the EDML ice core, clearly identifying atmospheric circulation as means of distribution. Comparison of additional proxies also excludes major influence by volcanic sources, sea-ice, icebergs, or oceanic current transport. The close resemblance of the dust proxies over the last glacial cycle, in turn, allows for the establishment of an age model of unprecedented resolution and precision for SO deep-sea sediment because atmospheric transport involves no major leads or lags. This is of particular importance because MS is routinely measured on deep-sea cores in the SO but the sediments usually lack biogenic carbonate and therefore had only limited stratigraphic control so far.Southern South America (SSA) is the likely source of eolian material because Site MD07-3133, located closer to the continent, has slightly higher MS values than Site MD07-3134, and also the MS record of Patagonian Site SALSA shows comparable variability. Patagonia was the dust source for both the Scotia Sea and East Antarctica. Dust fluxes were several times higher during glacial times, when atmospheric circulation was either stronger or shifted in latitude, sea level was lowered, shelf surfaces were exposed, and environmental conditions in SSA were dominated by glaciers and extended outwash plains. Hence, MS records of SO deep-sea sediment are reliable tracers of atmospheric circulation, allowing for chronologically-constrained reconstructions of the circum Antarctic paleoclimate history.

The role of outcrops in the diversity of Patagonian vegetation: Relicts of glacial palaeofloras?

Outcrops around the world enhance biodiversity as they provide heterogeneous environments and varied habitats for species with different requirements than those living in the surroundings, and in this way they increase alpha and beta diversity. We studied the floristic composition of the vegetation of rock outcrops in northwestern Patagonia, Argentina, and compared them to the surrounding matrix of shrubland and steppe. For this we sampled 50 outcrops and 50 matrix plots close to them, identified all the species present, and analyzed their floristic composition with Detrended Correspondence Analysis (DCA). We also analyzed the floras of the north and south faces of the outcrops. The resulting ordinations were related to geographic gradients of the region. The proportions of alien to native species, different life forms, and phylogenetic groups of the outcrop floras were compared to the matrix with G-tests. Our results showed similar dominant families, life form proportions and percentage of alien species in the outcrops and the surrounding matrix. However, species composition of the outcrops was markedly different. North Patagonian outcrops present several taxa not found in the matrix, especially in their southern, less insolated walls. The previously recorded distribution of most of these exclusive species is found in colder areas further south. Thus, we hypothesize that outcrops could be acting as relicts of cold-adapted glacial paleofloras that were probably more extended during glacial times and retreated south after the last glacial maximum.

Strong thermodynamic imprint on Recent bottom-water and epibenthic δ13C in the Weddell Sea revealed: Implications for glacial Southern Ocean ventilation

Paleonutrient proxies are widely used to reconstruct the geometry of deep-water masses during the Last Glacial Maximum (LGM). Epibenthic δ13C provides best spatial coverage, and artifacts are well investigated. Discrepancies between reconstructed LGM-circulation patterns derived from models or different benthic nutrient proxies can partly be resolved by varying air–sea signatures of δ13C, i.e. δ13Cas. However, there are very few data available to calculate a δ13Cas of modern bottom water dissolved inorganic carbon (DIC) δ13C, and to document how this signal is recorded in benthic foraminiferal δ13C. Here I show that today bottom water in the Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean is 13C enriched with δ13CDIC values between 0.4 and 1.0‰ and δ13Cas values >0.4‰, and that this signal is recorded in live and dead epibenthic δ13C. This is in contrast to a uniform modern Antarctic circumpolar δ13CDIC of rather 0.4‰, which hitherto is used as modern framework to compare to low LGM δ13CDIC of southern sourced bottom-water and glacial inter basin differences. I conclude that a potential reduction of the strong Recent thermodynamic imprint during bottom-water generation in glacial times could explain depleted circum Antarctic 13CDIC without associated CO2 enrichment and anoxia in Antarctic bottom waters. The present synoptic compilation of δ13CDIC and live benthic foraminifera δ13C is in support of hypotheses that explain low LGM δ13C by a depletion of southern end-member 13CDIC due to extensive sea-ice formation with low δ13Cas-brine rejection and diminished air–sea gas exchange.

Paleoceanographic records in the Chukchi Basin, western Arctic Ocean during the late Quaternary

The late Quaternary paleoceanographic changes in the western Arctic Ocean are revealed by quantitative studies of foraminiferal abundance, ice-rafted detritus (IRD) and its mineralogical and petrological compositions, planktonic Neogloboquadrina pachyderma (sin.) (Nps)-δ 18O and -δ 13C, biogenic and non-biogenic components in Core M03 token from the Chukchi Basin during the Second Chinese National Arctic Expedition cruise. Seven IRD events appeared at MIS 7, 5, 3 and 1. These IRD were carried in massive icebergs, which were exported to the Beaufort Sea through the M’Clure Strait Ice Stream, Canadian Arctic Archipelago, and then transported into the Chukchi Basin by the Beaufort Gyre. Low IRD deposition occurred during the glacial times when more extended ice cover and weakened Beaufort Gyre, while the open water condition and the intensified Beaufort Gyre during interglacial periods favored the IRD deposition. Therefore, the IRD events not only indicate the provenance of coarser detritus and ice export events, but also reflect the evolutionary histories of the Beaufort Gyre and North American ice sheet. Seven light Nps-δ 18O and -δ 13C excursions could respond to enhanced rates of sea ice formation resulting in the production and sinking of isotopically light brines, but was irrelevant to the warm Atlantic water and freshwater inputs. Whereas, the heavy Nps-δ18O and -δ 13C values separately reflect the lessened Arctic freshwater and Pacific water, and well-ventilated surface water from the continental shelf and halocline water. Variations of CaCO3 content and planktonic foraminiferal abundance during the interglacial and glacial periods can demonstrate the incremental or diminishing input of the Atlantic water, while the total organic carbon (TOC) and opal contents increased and decreased during the glacial and interglacial periods, respectively, which could be related to the TOC degradation, opal dissolution and redox conditions of interface between the bottom water and sediments.

Postglacial (after 18 ka) deep-sea sedimentation along the Hikurangi subduction margin (New Zealand): Characterisation, timing and origin of turbidites

Recent sedimentation along the Hikurangi subduction margin off northeastern New Zealand is investigated using a series of piston cores collected between 2003 and 2008. The active Hikurangi Margin lies along the Pacific–Australia subduction plate boundary and contains a diverse range of geomorphologic settings. Slope basin stratigraphy is thick and complex, resulting from sustained high rates of sedimentation from adjacent muddy rivers throughout the Quaternary. Turbidites deposited since c. 18ka in the Poverty, Ruatoria and Matakaoa re-entrants are central to this study in that they provide a detailed record of the past climatic conditions and tectonic activity. Here, alternating hemipelagite, turbidite, debrite and tephra layers reflect distinctive depositional modes of marine sedimentation, turbidity current, debris flow and volcanic eruption, respectively. Turbidites dominate the record, ranging in lithofacies from muddy to sandy turbidites, and include some basal-reverse graded turbidites inferred to be derived from hyperpycnal flows. Stacked turbidites are common and indicate multiple gravity-flows over short time periods. The chronology of turbidites is determined by collating an extremely dense set of radiocarbon ages and dated tephra, which facilitate sedimentation rate calculation and identification of the origin of turbidites. Sedimentation rates range from 285cm/ka during late glacial time (18.5–17ka) to 15 to 109cm/ka during postglacial time (17–0ka). Turbidite deposition is controlled by: (1) the emplacement of slope avalanches reorganising sediment pathways; (2) the postglacial marine transgression leading to a five-fold reduction in sediment supply to the slope due to disconnection of river mouths from the shelf edge, and (3) the Holocene/Pleistocene boundary climate warming resulting in a drastic decrease in the average turbidite grain-size. Flood-induced turbidites are scarce: nine hyperpycnites are recognised since 18ka and the youngest is correlated to the largest ENSO-related storm event recorded onland (Lake Tutira). Other turbidites contain a benthic foraminiferal assemblage which is strictly reworked from the upper slope and which relates to large earthquakes over the last c. 7ka. They yield a shorter return time (270–430years) than the published coastal records for large earthquakes (c. 670years), but the offshore record is likely to be more complete. The deep-sea sedimentation along the New Zealand active margin illustrates the complex interaction of tectonic and climate in turbidite generation. Climate warming and glacio-eustatic fluctuations are well recorded at a millennial timescale (18ka), while tectonic deformation and earthquakes appear predominant in fostering turbidite production at a centennial timescale (270–430years).

The influence of abrupt climate change on the ice‐age vegetation of the Central American lowlands

AbstractAim To investigate the effects of abrupt climate change in the North Atlantic on the vegetation history of lowland Central America. We use palynological evidence from a Central American lake on the Yucatan Peninsula to evaluate the effects of rapid climate changes during the last ice age, between 65 and 8 ka.Location Lake Petén‐Itzá, lowlands of northern Guatemala.Methods Sediment core PI‐6 was sampled at c. 170‐year resolution for pollen and charcoal analysis in order to construct a temporal sequence of environmental change. Uni‐ and multivariate statistical analyses were performed on the pollen dataset to test whether there was an association between Heinrich events in the North Atlantic and vegetation changes in the Central American lowlands.Results Pollen analysis revealed that the composition of plant assemblages on the Yucatan Peninsula varied in phase with rapid changes in North Atlantic climate. Pine savannas were the main vegetation type between c. 60 and 47 ka. These savannas gave way to pine–oak (Pinus–Quercus) forests in the latter half of the last ice age. Marked episodes of replacement of the pine–oak assemblage by xeric‐tolerant taxa occurred during Heinrich events. The Last Glacial Maximum (LGM) was characterized by mesic conditions.Main conclusions The pollen record from Lake Petén‐Itzá showed that vegetation changes associated with Heinrich events were more significant than those associated with the LGM. Each Heinrich event produced a characteristic shift towards xeric taxa. Although colder than Heinrich events, the LGM on the Yucatan Peninsula was relatively moist, and the presumed savannization of the landscape during the maximum cooling of the last glacial was not supported by our data. Our findings suggest alternative scenarios for plant diversification and genetic interchange during glacial times, and also indicate that vegetation in tropical continental settings was not as stable as previously thought.