SW Pacific Research Articles

Serpentinites of Different Tectonic Origin in an Exhumed Subduction Complex (New Caledonia, SW Pacific)

AbstractOwing to the importance of serpentinites for planetary geochemical and geodynamic processes, there has been much work discerning the origins of their parent rocks, including distinguishing between serpentinites derived from a subducting plate versus overlying mantle in exhumed subduction complexes. The island of New Caledonia (SW Pacific Ocean) provides a rare window into Cenozoic Pacific subduction processes. The island is unique in exposing both an exceptionally preserved high‐pressure, low‐temperature subduction complex and one of the largest supra‐subduction zone ophiolites in the world. Previous studies disagree on the origin of serpentinites in the subduction complex. In this study, we analyze 23 serpentinites from this complex for whole‐rock major and trace element geochemistry and stable isotope (δD, δ18O) compositions. Our data reveal two distinct groups of serpentinites: Group I samples in the northern portion of the complex are pervasively serpentinized, and exhibit enriched heavy rare earth element (REE) compositions and δ18O values between +6.7‰ and +10.2‰. In contrast, Group II serpentinites in the south preserve relict orthopyroxene and olivine, and show depleted trace element compositions and comparatively lower δ18O values between +5.1‰ and +8.0‰. We interpret Group I serpentinites to derive from downgoing plate mantle, whereas Group II serpentinites derive from overlying mantle wedge, exhibiting remarkable similarity to the REE geochemistry of the structurally overlying New Caledonia ophiolite. Our results establish the subduction complex in New Caledonia as an unusual natural record of the entrainment and exhumation of mantle from both the overlying mantle wedge and the downgoing plate in an oceanic subduction zone.

Molecular phylogeny and morphological comparison of the deep-sea genus Alloptilella Li, Zhan & Xu, 2021 (Octocorallia, Pennatulacea)

A previously described species and a new one belonging to the recently described sea pen genus Alloptilella Li, Zhan & Xu, 2021, are here described and illustrated based on a morphological and molecular study of materials collected in the Tasman Sea (SW Pacific) and at Puerto Rico (Caribbean Sea), respectively. The species, Alloptilella moseleyi comb. nov. (Kölliker, 1880) and Alloptilella williamsi sp. nov., are in overall agreement with the generic diagnosis of Alloptilella., based on the type species, Alloptilella splendida Li, Zhan & Xu, 2021. A single relatively large colony (55 to 95 cm in total length) is known for each of the three Alloptilella species. The transferred and the new species differ from the type species in having an opposite, rather than alternate, placement of polyp leaves along the rachis, colouration of autozooids, and mesozooids (in the case of A. moseleyi comb. nov.), and spicular features (e.g. maximum sizes in different parts of the colony, presence/absence of tentacular sclerites). Alloptilella williamsi sp. nov. is the first species of the genus recorded so far from the Atlantic Ocean, all other described species being western Pacific. A molecular comparison based on a set of concatenated sequences of four markers (three mitochondrial genes (mtMutS, ND2, and COI) and a nuclear segment (28S)) relates the species here studied to the published sequences of Alloptilella splendida, within the named Clade II of previous general phylogenetic studies on the octocoral Order Pennatulacea. Alloptilella is a monophyletic grouping, sister group of the genus Scytalium Herklots, 1858. The available molecular information of the genus Ptilella Gray, 1870, is reinforced with sequences (mtMutS, ND2 and 28S) from specimens of Ptilella inflata (Kükenthal, 1910) collected off the Namibian coast (SE Atlantic).

Hydrothermal activity and associated subsurface processes at Niuatahi rear-arc volcano, North East Lau Basin, SW Pacific: Implications from trace elements and stable isotope systematics in vent fluids

Hydrothermal activity is abundant in the area between the North Eastern Lau Spreading Center and the Tofua intra-oceanic island arc with multiple active sites in the rear-arc at the Mata and Niuatahi volcanoes. We report geochemical data for high-temperature vent fluids sampled from within the caldera of Niuatahi volcano. Hydrothermal fluids were sampled from three vent sites: South Central, Southwestern Cone and Northern Cone located in water depths between 1607 and 1699 m. Maximum temperatures of 334 °C were measured and pH values were as low as 2.8. The vent fluids were characterized by depletions in Mg, SO4 and U as well as an enrichment of (trace) metals (e.g., Fe, Mn, K, Li) and dissolved gases (e.g., H2S, CO2, H2) relative to seawater. Water-rock ratios calculated based on concentrations (K, Li, Rb, Cs, REE) and isotope ratios (δ7Li, δ11B, 87Sr/86Sr) suggest fluid-rock interactions under rock-dominated conditions at all three vent sites.The South Central vents lie closest to the site of most recent volcanic activity in the Niuatahi caldera. Vent fluids are characterized by relatively low Cl concentrations (as low as 292 mmol/kg) that are indicative of sub-critical phase separation. These fluids also had the lowest pH values (2.8–3.1), highest H2S and lowest H2, CH4 and CO2 concentrations of the three sites. The δD and δ18O values suggest that H2O and CO2 were added in small amounts by subduction-related volcanic vapors. However, there was no evidence for magmatic SO2 input in the vent fluids at the time of sampling in 2018. Vent fluids from the Northern and Southwestern Cone sites on the caldera ring fault had a similar chemical composition, despite being situated at opposite sides of the caldera. Fluids from these sites had lower Fe/Mn ratios (<1) and H2S concentrations than those from South Central suggesting that they were affected by subsurface cooling and sulfide precipitation. This study indicates variations of the Niuatahi hydrothermal vent sites depending on the location within the caldera with variable effects of fluid-rock interaction and magmatic input on fluid compositions in agreement with previous work on fluid S isotopes and sulfides.

Implications of high-Mg# adakitic magmatism at Hunter Ridge for arc magmatism of the Fiji - Vanuatu region

The mostly submarine Hunter Ridge, located in the SW Pacific records a ∼12 Myr to present history of magmatism related to the opening of the North Fiji Basin and subduction of oceanic lithosphere of the South Fiji Basin. Although the Hunter Ridge is probably composed primarily of an older Vitiaz-related basement, young volcanic features are present from Matthew Island to Kadavu Island. Some dredged volcanic rocks from these features have low-FeO and high-Mg# affinities, ranging from picrites to high-Mg# andesites and dacites. Elevated Sr (500 – 3400 ppm) and Sr/Y (50 – 240) coupled to fractionated (adakitic) rare-earth element patterns (La/Yb = 5 – 40, Gd/Yb = 1.5 – 5.7) indicate a garnet-signature derived from the melting of eclogite-facies basalt. Pacific-type MORB Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic ratios of these rocks contrast with the Indian-type MORB nature of the underlying North Fiji mantle but match closely the subducted South Fiji ocean crust. Low values of Th/La (< 0.15), Ba/La (< 22), unradiogenic 87Sr/86Sr (0.7026 – 0.7032) and Pacific-MORB Nd-Hf-Pb isotopic ratios indicate that sediment is a minor contributor to the source. The isotopic data clearly connect Hunter Ridge arc rocks of all compositions (picrites, low- to medium K2O arc lavas, basalts, high-Mg# andesites and dacites) to source components predominantly within the subducting plate. Unradiogenic 87Sr/86Sr (0.7026 – 0.7029) at high Sr abundances (700 – 1400 ppm) are common in hot-slab localities and are interpreted to reflect flux-melting of MORB under eclogite-facies conditions driven by dehydration in the underlying mantle of the subducting plate. Such an adakitic slab-melt component can be detected in more common (non-adakitic) arc rocks along the Hunter Ridge and Vanuatu arc as well. Evidence of slab melting along the western Pacific indicates that melting of subducting oceanic lithosphere is likely a common occurrence at convergent margins.

Disembarking in port: Early detection of the ascidian Ascidiella scabra (Müller, 1776) in a SW Atlantic port and forecast of its worldwide environmental suitability

We performed morphological analyses on Ascidiella individuals collected on artificial substrates deployed at Puerto Madryn (Argentina) and individuals from collections. We test the validity of traditional characters, used previously to evaluate differences between two congeneric Ascidiella species. The study reveals A. scabra in a port area of the SW Atlantic for the first time, and represents the second record of the species outside its native range. The species could have arrived to South America as biofouling in ship hulls, having established itself in ports, but ignored for a time, confused with its congener A.aspersa, also non-indigenous species for the study area. Ecological Niche Model approaches display potential risk of introduction in high suitable areas worldwide, highlighting these located far away from the native distribution, such as the NW Atlantic and the SW Pacific. The spread along coastal areas of the SW Atlantic could also be expected.

Effects of the Hydrous Domain in the Mantle Wedge on Magma Formation and Mixing at the Northeast Lau Spreading Center, SW Pacific

AbstractAbundant volcanic activity occurs in the back‐arc region of the northern Tofua island arc where the Northeast Lau Spreading Center (NELSC) propagates southwards into older crust causing the formation of numerous seamounts at the propagating rift tip. An off‐axis volcanic diagonal ridge (DR) occurs at the eastern flank of the NELSC, linking the large rear‐arc volcano Niuatahi with the NELSC. New geochemical data from the NELSC, the southern propagator seamounts, and DR reveal that the NELSC lavas are tholeiitic basalts whereas the rear‐arc volcanoes typically erupt lavas with boninitic composition. The sharp geochemical boundary probably reflects the viscosity contrast between off‐axis hydrous harzburgitic mantle and dry fertile mantle beneath the NELSC. The new data do not indicate an inflow of Samoa plume mantle into the NELSC, confirming previously published He isotope data. The NELSC magmas form by mixing of an enriched and a depleted Indian Ocean‐type upper mantle end‐member implying a highly heterogeneous upper mantle composition in this area. Most NELSC lavas are little affected by a slab component implying that melting is adiabatic beneath the spreading center. The DR lavas show the influence of a component from the subducted Louisville Seamount Chain, which was previously thought to be restricted to the nearby arc volcanoes Niuatoputapu and Tafahi. This signature is rarely detected along the NELSC implying little mixing of melts from the low‐viscosity hydrous portion of the mantle wedge beneath the rear‐arc volcanoes into the melting region of the dry mantle beneath the NELSC.

Mapping intrashell variation in Mg/Ca of brachiopods to external growth lines: Mg enrichment corresponds to seasonal growth slowdown

Determining secular changes in seawater temperature and Mg/Ca ratio is of high importance in paleooceanographic, paleoenvironmental and paleoecological studies. On the one hand, intra-shell variation in Mg/Ca in brachiopod shells is used to reconstruct historical changes in temperature and in seasonality. On the other hand, intra-shell analyses show a weak relationship between Mg/Ca and δ18O, but a positive correlation between Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca, and an increase of Mg/Ca at growth lines, indicating that Mg/Ca does not simply track seawater temperature alone. Internal growth lines are rarely visible in brachiopod shells, and the relation between growth lines that mark growth slowdown or cessation and Mg/Ca fluctuation is thus not properly understood. Here, using four species of extant brachiopods from the NE Pacific and the SW Pacific, from environments with low seasonality in seawater temperature (<5 °C), and two species of Late Triassic brachiopods (Western Carpathians), we measure intra-shell ontogenetic variation in Mg/Ca, S/Ca and Sr/Ca with laser ablation ICP-MS and electron microprobe. In contrast to previous studies, we map variation in Mg, S, and Sr to external growth lines. We find that, first, zones of Mg/Ca enrichment in the secondary layer form 10–50 μm-thick discrete bands or clusters of micrometric bands that consistently terminate at major external, predominantly annual growth lines that are associated with distinct notches that correspond to mantle retractions in most species. These bands generate distinct peaks in Mg/Ca that stand above low, more uniformly distributed background Mg/Ca values along laser-ablation and microprobe transects. The magnitude of Mg/Ca in these bands is comparable to Mg/Ca in the primary layer, exceeding background values of Mg/Ca in the secondary layer by 5–20 mmol/mol (by a factor of two to five). Second, Mg enrichment in discrete bands is closely associated with an increase in S concentrations in the secondary layer. Therefore, even when Mg and S uptake is expected to be highest under fast precipitation rate, these empirical observations show that Mg and S enrichment occur in the zones that were precipitated at times of a significant growth reduction (e.g., in cold-temperate brachiopods studied here during winters when primary productivity is low). The mechanisms for this paradox are unclear but can be related to uptake of Mg by amorphous calcium carbonate (ACC) to delay the transformation of ACC to calcite during the formation of growth lines. Therefore, intra-shell variation in Mg/Ca in brachiopods with major growth lines is primarily determined by seasonal decline or cessation in shell growth and not by seasonal changes in seawater temperature.

Back-Arc Spreading Centers and Superfast Subduction: The Case of the Northern Lau Basin (SW Pacific Ocean)

The Lau Basin is a back-arc region formed by the subduction of the Pacific plate below the Australian plate. We studied the regional morphology of the back-arc spreading centers of the Northern Lau basin, and we compared it to their relative spreading rates. We obtained a value of 60.2 mm/year along the Northwest Lau Spreading Centers based on magnetic data, improving on the spreading rate literature data. Furthermore, we carried out numerical models including visco-plastic rheologies and prescribed surface velocities, in an upper plate-fixed reference frame. Although our thermal model points to a high temperature only near the Tonga trench, the model of the second invariant of the strain rate shows active deformation in the mantle from the Tonga trench to ~800 km along the overriding plate. This explains the anomalous magmatic production along all the volcanic centers in the Northern Lau Back-Arc Basin.

Developing lacustrine sedimentary records of storminess in southwestern New Zealand

Variability of the Southern Hemisphere westerly winds (SWW) are the dominant feature of the climatology of the Southern Hemisphere and they are reflected in the Southern Annular Mode (SAM) which is defined as the difference in the zonal mean sea level pressure at 40°S and 65°S and is expressed as a latitudinal movement in the westerly circulation system. Meteorological data suggests that the SAM plays an important role in modern weather and climate of the Southern Hemisphere. Palaeostudies show that the westerly circulation system established its northern limits of present day airflow by the mid Holocene but the records from South America remain out of phase with those from the SW Pacific. In this study we report on the development of a flood frequency hydrological proxy that is based on the recognition of rapidly deposited layers preserved in lake sediments in southern South Island, New Zealand. Four distinct climate states can be identified: low storm frequency between 10 and 8 cal ka BP; moderate storm frequency between 8 and 5.5 cal ka BP, high storm frequency between 5.5 and 4 cal ka BP and low storm frequency between 4 cal ka BP and 750 cal a BP. A post-750 cal a BP increase storm frequency is likely to be a result of Polynesian vegetation disturbance. These four distinct climate states are driven by variations in the strength or persistence of westerly airflow. Comparison with similar records from east coast of the North Island, New Zealand and Ecuador suggest that all three sites experienced an increase in storm frequency in the middle Holocene. Divergence in the records in the late Holocene can be attributed to variability in the strength of ENSO and SAM in different locations.

Seabird-Derived Nutrients Supply Modulates the Trophic Strategies of Mixotrophic Corals

The ability of corals to modulate their nutrition strategy in response to variable nutrient supply remains poorly understood, limiting our understanding of energy flow in coral reef ecosystems and thus our comprehension of their resilience to global changes. We used a naturally occurring nutrient gradient along the reef flat of two seabird-inhabited islets in the SW Pacific to characterize spatiotemporal fluctuations in coastal nutrient availability, and how it modulates the trophic response of the mixotrophic coral Pocillopora damicornis. The clear gradients in dissolved [NOx] and δ15N values of macroalgae and both P. damicornis tissues and symbionts observed along the reef flat during the dry and the rainy season revealed that seabird-derived-N is supplied year-round to the reef flat. Yet, nitrogen isotope values of macroalgae show that the seabirds’ effect on coral reefs varies with sites and seasons. Metrics derived from the SIBER framework revealed that coral nutrition seasonally favored autotrophy when exposed to higher seabird guano concentrations and at inshore stations, while heterotrophy dominated in corals less exposed to seabird-derived nutrient supply. P. Damicornis is therefore able to cope with large changes in nitrogen supply induced by seabird island communities by switching between autotrophy and heterotrophy. These results shed light on the flexibility of resource sharing within the coral-algae symbiosis and highlight the importance of seabird populations to the functioning of coral reef ecosystems.

Subduction-Related Volcanism on the Loyalty and Three Kings Ridges, Sw Pacific: A Precursor to the Tonga-Kermadec Arc

Subduction-Related Volcanism on the Loyalty and Three Kings Ridges, Sw Pacific: A Precursor to the Tonga-Kermadec Arc

Adaptive strategies of sponges to deoxygenated oceans.

Ocean deoxygenation is one of the major consequences of climate change. In coastal waters, this process can be exacerbated by eutrophication, which is contributing to an alarming increase in the so-called 'dead zones' globally. Despite its severity, the effect of reduced dissolved oxygen has only been studied for a very limited number of organisms, compared to other climate change impacts such as ocean acidification and warming. Here, we experimentally assessed the response of sponges to moderate and severe simulated hypoxic events. We ran three laboratory experiments on four species from two different temperate oceans (NE Atlantic and SW Pacific). Sponges were exposed to a total of five hypoxic treatments, with increasing severity (3.3, 1.6, 0.5, 0.4 and 0.13mgO2 L-1 , over 7-12-days). We found that sponges are generally very tolerant of hypoxia. All the sponges survived in the experimental conditions, except Polymastia crocea, which showed significant mortality at the lowest oxygen concentration (0.13mgO2 L-1 , lethal median time: 286h). In all species except Suberites carnosus, hypoxic conditions do not significantly affect respiration rate down to 0.4mgO2 L-1 , showing that sponges can uptake oxygen at very low concentrations in the surrounding environment. Importantly, sponges displayed species-specific phenotypic modifications in response to the hypoxic treatments, including physiological, morphological and behavioural changes. This phenotypic plasticity likely represents an adaptive strategy to live in reduced or low oxygen water. Our results also show that a single sponge species (i.e., Suberites australiensis) can display different strategies at different oxygen concentrations. Compared to other sessile organisms, sponges generally showed higher tolerance to hypoxia, suggesting that sponges could be favoured and survive in future deoxygenated oceans.

Qualitative-Quantitative Assessment of Geodiversity of Western Samoa (SW Pacific) to Identify Places of Interest for Further Geoconservation, Geoeducation, and Geotourism Development

The assessment of geodiversity is a relatively new field of research connecting abiotic aspects of nature to the wider environment. The study of geodiversity is still in development, so a uniform and complete paradigm remains to be defined. Therefore, an assessment of geodiversity may be highly dependent on the nature of the territory subject to study, available databases, and the researchers’ field of specialization. The main quantitative method for the assessment of geodiversity was proposed to the scientific world only few years ago and may only be relevant to some places in the world, rather than all, which would be desirable. However, while similarities in research methods may be apparent, the directions, scales, and data utilized are clearly different. This article demonstrates a quantitative-qualitative method for an assessment of geodiversity, based on a five-point evaluation system and the utilization of widely available standard databases such as geological maps, SRTM models, and satellite images. Western Samoa Islands (Savai’i and Upolu Islands) were selected for assessment, as a typical example of basaltic ocean island volcanism generating relatively homogenous rock formations and subject to gradual geomorphology (e.g., shield volcano). While initially appearing as a region of simple geology and morphology, complexity is added by considering rock ages, the position and type of eruptive centres, and the coastal geoenvironment. By considering these factors, the assessment becomes specifically tailoring for geodiversity assessment of the islands of Samoa. In conclusion, it has been demonstrated a simple methodology of general assessment of geodiversity with additional improvements to take account of variability in other abiotic factors.

Juvenile continental crust evolution in a modern oceanic arc setting: Petrogenesis of Cenozoic felsic plutons in Fiji, SW Pacific

Viti Levu, Fiji, provides one of the best exposed Phanerozoic analogues for the formation of juvenile continental crust in an intra-oceanic setting. Tonalites and trondhjemites are present in several large (75–150 km2) adjacent, mid-Cenozoic plutons. We report major and trace element data including rare earth element (REE) and high-precision high field strength element (HFSE) compositions, new Hf-Nd-Sr-Pb isotope data, and zircon U/Pb-ages, O-Hf isotopes, and trace elements, from five different plutons. The Eocene Yavuna pluton and the Miocene Colo plutons are mainly composed of tonalites and trondhjemites and represent the exposed middle crust of the former Vitiaz island arc. The plutons can be divided into three suites. One suite is light REE (LREE) depleted with some trace element ratios lower than average normal mid-ocean ridge basalts (N-MORB). A second suite has flat REE patterns similar to local island arc basalts. Both suites occur near the coast of Viti Levu, include a wide compositional spectrum from gabbro to tonalite, and can be produced mostly by fractional crystallization of mafic precursor melts. The third suite is characterized by LREE enrichments with higher LaN/YbN (2.3–4.9), higher Zr/Y (4.3–7.1), and lower Nb/Ta (9.6–12.4). They occur closer to the center of the island and are bimodal trondhjemite-gabbro intrusions. These characteristics are consistent with formation mostly by partial melting of mafic crust. Trace element modeling shows that the trace element ratios of the third suite can be produced by 10–20 % melting of the mafic crust in the presence of residual amphibole, resulting in the retention of the medium REE (MREE) and diagnostic trace element ratios including low Nb/Ta and high Zr/Y. Geochemical similarities of the LREE enriched suite to typical “low”-pressure Archean tonalites-trondhjemites-granodiorites (TTGs) imply a common petrogenetic origin and similar mechanisms for the generation of juvenile Archean and modern differentiated crust by partial melting of mafic crust with residual amphibole. In modern oceanic arcs, genetically unrelated felsic plutonic as well as volcanic rocks co-exist, and in this regard, the Fijian plutons accompany major tectonic disruptions to arc processes.

An Evolutionary Study of Carex Subg. Psyllophorae (Cyperaceae) Sheds Light on a Strikingly Disjunct Distribution in the Southern Hemisphere, With Emphasis on Its Patagonian Diversification.

Carex subgenus Psyllophorae is an engaging study group due to its early diversification compared to most Carex lineages, and its remarkable disjunct distribution in four continents corresponding to three independent sections: sect. Psyllophorae in Western Palearctic, sect. Schoenoxiphium in Afrotropical region, and sect. Junciformes in South America (SA) and SW Pacific. The latter section is mainly distributed in Patagonia and the Andes, where it is one of the few Carex groups with a significant in situ diversification. We assess the role of historical geo-climatic events in the evolutionary history of the group, particularly intercontinental colonization events and diversification processes, with an emphasis on SA. We performed an integrative study using phylogenetic (four DNA regions), divergence times, diversification rates, biogeographic reconstruction, and bioclimatic niche evolution analyses. The crown age of subg. Psyllophorae (early Miocene) supports this lineage as one of the oldest within Carex. The diversification rate probably decreased over time in the whole subgenus. Geography seems to have played a primary role in the diversification of subg. Psyllophorae. Inferred divergence times imply a diversification scenario away from primary Gondwanan vicariance hypotheses and suggest long-distance dispersal-mediated allopatric diversification. Section Junciformes remained in Northern Patagonia since its divergence until Plio-Pleistocene glaciations. Andean orogeny appears to have acted as a northward corridor, which contrasts with the general pattern of North-to-South migration for temperate-adapted organisms. A striking niche conservatism characterizes the evolution of this section. Colonization of the SW Pacific took place on a single long-distance dispersal event from SA. The little ecological changes involved in the trans-Pacific disjunction imply the preadaptation of the group prior to the colonization of the SW Pacific. The high species number of the section results from simple accumulation of morphological changes (disparification), rather than shifts in ecological niche related to increased diversification rates (radiation).

Geopark Impact for the Resilience of Communities in Samoa, SW Pacific

Geopark Impact for the Resilience of Communities in Samoa, SW Pacific

Neogene to Quaternary evolution of carbonate and mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems along New Caledonia's eastern margin (SW Pacific)

Neogene and Quaternary shallow-water carbonate records surrounding New Caledonia main island, Grande Terre, provide a good example for understanding the stratigraphic architecture of tropical mixed carbonate-siliciclastic systems. Due to a southeastern tilt of the eastern margin, the eastern shelf of Grande Terre has been better preserved from erosion than the western part, favouring the development and preservation of shallow-water carbonates. Based on the integration of bathymetric and seismic data, along with paleoenvironmental and biostratigraphic constraints derived from dredged carbonate rocks, a comprehensive geomorphological and architectural characterization of the offshore eastern margin of Grande Terre has been made. During the Mio-Pliocene, a wide, up to 750 m-thick carbonate build-up developed and extended over at least 350 km from north to south. This Mio-Pliocene build-up, currently lying at 300 to 600 m water depths, is overlain by a Pleistocene-Holocene barrier reef-lagoon complex and associated slope deposits. The switch from aggrading Neogene carbonate banks to backstepping Quaternary platforms likely reflects an increase in accommodation due to a high subsidence rate or to relative sea-level rise, and/or results from a switch in carbonate producers associated with global environmental changes. The internal architecture of the Quaternary barrier reef-lagoon complex is highlighted, especially the development of lowstand siliciclastic prisms alternating with transgressive shallow-water carbonate sequences. This pattern agrees with the reciprocal sedimentation model typically invoked for mixed sedimentary systems. This stratigraphic pattern is well developed in front of the Cap Bayes inlet in the north of our study area, yet it is not observed southward along the eastern margin. This difference suggests that other factors than relative sea-level variations directed the architecture of the margin, such as low terrigenous inputs, lagoon paleo-drainage networks or sediment by-pass towards deep basins.

Geographical vs. ecological diversification in Carex section Phacocystis (Cyperaceae): Patterns hidden behind a twisted taxonomy

Abstract Carex section Phacocystis (Cyperaceae) is one of the most diverse and taxonomically complex groups of sedges (between 116 and 147 species), with a worldwide distribution in a wide array of biomes. It has a very complicated taxonomic history, with numerous disagreements among different treatments. We studied the biogeography and niche evolution in a phylogenetic framework to unveil the relative contribution of geographical and ecological drivers to diversification of the group. We used a large species sampling of the section (82% of extant species) to build a phylogeny based on four DNA regions, constrained with a phylogenomic HybSeq tree and dated with six fossil calibrations. Our phylogenetic results recovered section Phacocystis s.s. (core Phacocystis) as sister to section Praelongae. Ancestral area reconstruction points toward the N Pacific as the cradle for the crown diversification of section Phacocystis during the Middle Miocene. Wide distributions were recurrently inferred across deep nodes. Large Northern Hemisphere lineages with geographical congruence were retrieved, pointing toward the importance of allopatric divergence at deep phylogenetic levels, whereas within‐area speciation emerges as the predominant pattern at shallow phylogenetic level. The Southern Hemisphere (Neotropics, SW Pacific) was colonized several times from the Northern Hemisphere. The global expansion of Carex section Phacocystis did not entail major ecological changes along the inner branches of the phylogeny. Nevertheless, ecological differentiation seems to gain importance toward recent times.

Apparent Periodic and Long‐Term Changes in AAIW and UCDW Properties at Fixed Depths in the Southwest Pacific, With Indications of a Regime Shift in the 1930s

AbstractMetal/calcium ratios in two long‐lived deep‐sea gorgonian corals (Lepidisis and Corallium spp.) in the Southwest Pacific evidence periodic decadal variability at depths that correspond to Antarctic Intermediate Water (AAIW) and shallow Upper Circumpolar Deep Water, and a shift in the mid‐1930s to late‐1930s in mean ambient temperatures, barium/silicate concentrations and possibly pH, the rate at which these properties change over time, and the relationship between temperatures at fixed depth and the Southern Annular Mode (SAM). The decadal periodicity, which is evident in other biological indices in the study area, can be accounted for by water mass heave on the order of 100–150 m, which is consistent with observed scales of variability in the AAIW. The proximate and ultimate causes of the midcentury shifts are unclear, but could be related to suggested mid‐20th century changes in climate parameters globally and, more specifically, in the subpolar SW Pacific.

Itina Trough and Other SW Pacific Examples of Rifting Across Former Subduction/Collision Zones

AbstractThe Itina Trough is a late Miocene rift graben formed at the beginning of Woodlark Basin opening where the northern Louisiade Plateau micro‐continent had collided with the eastern Pocklington Rise remnant arc. We infer that it was the collisional suture of this Plateau subducted at the Pocklington Trough that either thickened the crust and weakened the lithosphere and/or adjoined the apparently thicker Louisiade micro‐continent to the thinner crust of the eastern Pocklington Rise, and thereby localized the rifting. Other examples of rifting across a remnant arc‐trench system in the SW Pacific include the South Rennell Trough and the Norfolk Basin.