| Summary: | International audience The evolution of Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) and Antarctic Bottom Water (AABW) remains controversial. In this study, we aim to quantify this evolution by studying the trace and rare earth elements, and Sr-Nd isotopes of clay mineralogy during the last deglaciation on fine grain detrital sediments (<2µm) from the sediment core MD12-3396Cq recovered East of the Kerguelen Plateau. Sediment composition represent a mix between sediments from the Kerguelen Plateau and from Antarctica. Overall, the Kerguelen Plateau is the dominant source of sediment, supporting the idea that the ACC is the most important current bringing sediment to the site. Provenance proxies also show that the contribution of Antarctica was higher than previously thought, reaching 30% during Heinrich Stadial (HS) 1 and 2. We propose that the delivery of sediment from Antarctica is made by the AABW via the Deep Western Boundary Current (DWBC) flowing northward along the Kerguelen Plateau. The higher contribution of AABW during HS 1 and 2 suggests that the DWBC was stronger than during modern interglacial period, and generated enhanced export of the AABW to the Global Ocean via the Deep Western Boundary Current.
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