1998/02/01 by P.P.E. Weaver, Lionel Carter, Helen L Neil · 152 citations
Earth and Planetary Sciences · Environmental Science · #Geology and Paleoclimatology Research #Isotope Analysis in Ecology #Marine Biology and Ecology Research #Younger Dryas #Geology #Interglacial #Oceanography #Glacial period #Quaternary #Deglaciation #Subtropics #Climate change #Benthic zone #Last Glacial Maximum #Marine isotope stage #Climatology #Paleoceanography #Paleoclimatology #Holocene #Paleontology
paper · doi:10.1029/97pa02982
published in Paleoceanography 13(1), 70-83 (American Geophysical Union)
openalex publication_date 1998/02/01 · openalex created_date 2025/10/10 · openalex updated_date 2026/07/15
A series of cores from east of New Zealand have been examined to determine the paleoceanographic history of the late Quaternary in the SW Pacific using planktonic foraminiferal data. Distinct shifts of species can be seen between glacial and interglacial times especially south of Chatham Rise east of South Island. Foraminiferal fragmentation ratios and benthic/planktonic foraminiferal ratios both show increased dissolution during glacials, especially isotope stage 2 to the south of Chatham Rise. The present‐day Subtropical Convergence appears to be tied to the Chatham Rise at 44°S, but during glacial times this rise separated cold water to the south from much warmer water to the north, with an associated strong thermal gradient across the rise. We estimate that this gradient could have presented as much as an 8°C temperature change across 4° of latitude during the maximum of the last ice age. There is only weak evidence of the Younger Dryas cool event, but there is a clear climatic optimum between 8 and 6.4 ka with temperatures 1°–2°C higher than the present day. The marine changes compare well with vegetational changes on both South and North Island.