Zn/Sr record of the Last Interglacial Transition in South Atlantic Ocean sediments, supplement to: Ellwood, Michael J; Hunter, Keith A (2000): Variations in the Zn/Si record over the Last Interglacial Glacial Transition. Paleoceanography, 15(5), 506-514

• Main Authors: Ellwood, Michael J, Hunter, Keith A
• Format: Article in Journal/Newspaper
• Language: English
• Published: PANGAEA - Data Publisher for Earth & Environmental Science 2000
• Subjects: Southern Ocean; South Atlantic Ocean
• Online Access: https://dx.doi.org/10.1594/pangaea.848245; https://doi.pangaea.de/10.1594/PANGAEA.848245

We examined the zinc content of diatom frustules as an indicator of past changes in surface seawater Zn2+ concentration. Zn/Si data of samples from three cores located in the South Atlantic sector of the Southern Ocean spanning the last interglacial-glacial transition are presented. Changes in the Zn/Si record are linked to changes in the surface water Zn2+ concentration. The source of variation in Zn2+ concentration appears to be via changes in deep water upwelling and circulation. We rule out changes in phytoplankton productivity and aeolian dust input as a source of variation in the Zn/Si record. Likewise, the Zn/Si data are not linked to shifts in the diatom species composition of the sediment or sediment preservation effects. The Zn/Si results presented do not support the zinc hypothesis. There is no link between the uptake of CO2 by phytoplankton, as inferred from the d13C record, and the Zn/Si record.