Record of Holocene glacial oscillations in Bransfield Basin as revealed by siliceous microfossil assemblages

• Published in: Antarctic Science
• Main Authors: Bárcena, M. Angeles, Gersonde, Rainer, Ledesma, Santiago, Fabrés, Joan, Calafat, Antonio M., Canals, Miquel, Sierro, F. Javier, Flores, Jose A.
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: Cambridge University Press (CUP) 1998
• Subjects: Weddell Sea; West Antarctica; Bellingshausen Sea; Bransfield Strait; Weddell; Antarc*; Antarctic Science; Antarctica; Sea ice
• Online Access: http://dx.doi.org/10.1017/s0954102098000364; https://www.cambridge.org/core/services/aop-cambridge-core/content/view/S0954102098000364

Two gravity cores, Gebra-1 and Gebra-2 from the central and eastern basins of Bransfield Strait, West Antarctica, consist mainly of hemipelagic, laminated muds with black layers rich in sand-sized volcanic ash. Micropalaeontological (diatoms and radiolarians) and geochemical (organic and inorganic) analyses, together with radiometric dating (U/Th, 14 C and 210 Pb) have been performed on both cores. AMS analyses on Total Organic Carbon yielded a 14 C-age older than expected, 2810 yr BP for the core top of Gebra-1 and 2596 yr BP for Gebra-2. The downcore pattern of ages indicates a sedimentation rate of 130 cm kyr 1 for Gebra-1 and 160 cm kyr 1 for Gebra-2 210 Pb anomalies suggest the core top of Gebra-1 is present-day sediment. The diatom and radiolarian assemblages are related to the sequence of neoglacial events over the last three millennia. The recent significant reduction in Chaetoceros resting spores is interpreted as a reduction in palaeoproductivity. The progressive increase in sea-ice taxa for the last three millennia may indicate a cooling trend. Greater sea-ice coverage during the coldest neoglacial events in the Bransfield Basin, as well as in the Weddell Sea and Bellingshausen Sea, is documented by increases in sea-ice taxa and reductions in Thalassiosira antarctica/ T. scotia resting spores, Fragilariopsis kerguelensis , the Lithomelissa group and the “circumpolar” group of radiolarians. For these periods, we postulate a restricted communication between the Weddell Sea, Bellingshausen Sea and Bransfield basin. The millenial-scale changes are overprinted by a high frequency cyclicity at about 200–300 yrs, which might be related to the 200–yrs solar cycle.