Late Holocene stable isotope chronology and meltwater discharge event in Maxwell and Admiralty bays, King George Island, Antarctica

Two short gravity cores were retrieved to obtain palaeoclimatic information from Maxwell and Admiralty bays, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. AMS 14 C age dates, sediment properties (grain size, TOC and CaCO 3 ) and stable oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of benthiδ foraminifera ( G...

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Bibliographic Details
Published in:Antarctic Science
Main Authors: Khim, Boo-Keun, Yoon, Ho Il, Kim, Yeadong, Shin, Im Chul
Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
Language:English
Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 2001
Subjects:
Geology
Ecology, Evolution, Behavior and Systematics
Oceanography
King George Island
South Shetland Islands
Antarc*
Antarctic Science
Antarctica
Online Access:http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102001000256
https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102001000256
Description
Summary:Two short gravity cores were retrieved to obtain palaeoclimatic information from Maxwell and Admiralty bays, King George Island, South Shetland Islands. AMS 14 C age dates, sediment properties (grain size, TOC and CaCO 3 ) and stable oxygen and carbon isotope compositions of benthiδ foraminifera ( Globocassidulina biora ) show downcore variations that characterize depositional conditions during the late Holocene. In particular, δ 18 O values of benthic foraminifera are lowest at approximately 2500 yr bp in both cores. Allowδ 18 O time-equivalent excursion in both cores is interpreted to reflect a distinct subglacial meltwater discharge intensified by warm climatic conditions. An increased proportion of fine-grained detritus and higher TOC in the cores at this level suggests that enhanced meltwater supply may have resulted in increased primary productivity. This meltwater discharge event provides evidence of climatic instability during the late Holocene at King George Island.

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