Description: Oceanic nutrient cycling in the Southern Ocean is supposed to have an important impact on glacial-interglacial atmospheric CO2 changes and global climate. In order to characterize such nutrient cycling over the last two climatic cycles we investigated carbon and nitrogen isotopic ratios of diatom-bound organic matter (d13Cdiat and d15Ndiat, respectively) in two cores retrieved form the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Antarctic Ocean. The two cores show the same isotopic patterns. The d13Cdiat values are depleted during glacial periods and enriched during interglacial periods, indicating lower productivity during cold times. The d15Ndiat values are enriched during glacial periods and depleted during interglacial periods, arguing for greater nitrate utilization during cold times. Taken at face value, this apparent contradiction leads to opposite conclusions on the role of the Southern Ocean biological pump on the atmospheric CO2 changes. However, the two sets of data can be reconciled by a "sea ice plus mixing rate scenario" that calls upon a balance between the effect of cutting off gas transfer at the ocean-atmosphere boundary and the effect of reducing vertical transport of nutrients through the pycnocline.

Description: A high-resolution continuous record of diatom census counts and diatom specific biomarkers in sediment core NBP0101-JPC24 allows assessment of oceanographic and environmental conditions in eastern Prydz Bay during the deglaciation (11 100-9000 cal yr BP) at decadal timescale. Our study improves previous snapshots investigations based on resin-embedded thin sections and presents a new proxy that compliments the diatom census counts. Our results suggest that the ice sheet retreat over the core site is dated at ~11 100 cal yr BP, setting the onset of local deglaciation and subsequent open marine conditions. The glacial retreat in Prydz Bay is due to global warming initiated at 18 cal ka BP and the regional development of the Prydz Bay cyclonic gyre. Our results further demonstrate that the deglaciation in eastern Prydz Bay can be separated in four phases: the first between 11 100 and 10 900 cal yr BP when the ice shelf was proximal and sea ice was almost perennial; the second and the third phases between 10 900-10 400 cal yr BP and 10 400-9900 cal yr BP, respectively, when the ice shelf retreated and seasonal sea ice cycle consequently developed promoting warmer water to pump into the bay within the gyre, which in turn forced the ice shelf recession and the yearly sea ice cycle establishment; and the fourth between 9900 and 9000 cal yr BP when Holocene condition were set with a recurrent seasonal sea ice cycle and a well established Prydz Bay gyre.

Description: In the Southern Ocean (SO), climate-driven latitudinal migrations of the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC) frontal system impact large-scale ocean circulation and primary productivity. Latitudinal migrations may not have been identical in all SO basins due to the presence or absence of regional bathymetric obstacles. The Antarctic Polar Front (APF), defined by the 3–5 ◦C surface temperature range and the 2 ◦C subsurface temperature minimum at 200 m, is particularly important for nutrient redistribution and biodiversity, influencing the soft tissue carbon pump in the modern SO. However, previous assessments of its migrations in the past, mostly based on a single metric or indirect observations, were not always robust. Here, we combine a new proxy for subsurface temperature (sub-ST) reconstructions based on radiolarian assemblages (sub-STrad), with relative abundance variations of key radiolarian species, and sea-surface temperatures (SST) reconstructions, based on diatom assemblages (SSTdiat), to refine estimations of the past mean APF locations in the Kerguelen Plateau (KP) region. Data from three sediment cores on a south (55◦S) to north (47◦S) transect are used to trace the mean APF locations for three climate states, glacials, peak-interglacials and mild-interglacials. Our results suggest that the APF, presently located south of Kerguelen Islands, shifted by 6–7 degrees of latitude and was located north of the KP during all glacial periods of the last 360 kyrs. This suggests that the ACC major flow interacted less with the bottom topography relative to its modern counterpart, probably resulting in less mixing of the water column over and in the lee of the KP. We propose that this process participated in the isolation of Antarctic surface waters (AASW) and in the reduction of macro-nutrient supply, thus resulting in lower regional productivity. During the warmer-than-present early interglacial periods, the APF probably migrated south by ~5 degrees of latitude relative to its modern position, to pass through the Fawn Trough. Contrary to glacial periods, the APF was forced in an “S” shape while the ACC main flow was constrained against the northern tip of the KP. In this configuration, a stronger interaction between the ACC, its associated fronts, and topography is expected, resulting in more mixing of the water column over and east of the KP. Congruently, siliceous productivity was probably restrained to latitudes south of the Fawn Trough.

Description: This dataset contains summer (January to March) sea-surface temperatures versus depth and age. SST was estimated by applying the Modern Analog Technique (MAT) to fossil diatom assemblages.

Description: This dataset contains Hemidiscus karstenii (Hk) and Fragilariopsis kerguelensis (Fk) relative abundances (RA in % of the total diatom assemblages) and absolute abundances (AA in millions of valve per gram of dry sediment) versus depth and age.Hk and Fk biometry versus depth and age are also included. For each depth, mean length results from measurements of 100 different and complete valves of both Hk and Fk on which within-sample standard deviations were calculated.

Description: Micropaleontological and biomarker data from two high-accumulation marine sites from the Coastal and Continental Shelf Zone (CCSZ) off East Antarctica (Adélie Land at w140°E and eastern Prydz Bay at w77°E) are used to reconstruct Holocene changes in sea ice and wind stress at the basin-wide scale. These data demonstrate congruent increase in sea-ice concentration/persistence and wind stress-related sea-surface turbulence in the two regions since 7 cal ka BP, with a particularly strong signal since 4.5 - 3.5 cal ka BP. Comparison of these high latitude records with sea ice and turbulence records from the southern mid-latitudes highlights distinctive climatic evolutions according to the different latitudinal bands. Sea-ice persistence and turbulence increase in East Antarctica CCSZ are opposite to sea-surface warming and sea-ice retreat recorded after 4.5 - 3.5 cal ka BP in the East Atlantic and Indian sector between 55 and 45°S. At the same period, paleodata suggest SST cooling in all major coastal upwelling systems of the southern hemisphere, caused by the northward transport of subpolar surface waters as a response to southern Westerlies reinforcement. We therefore propose, as suggested for the northern hemisphere, that Holocene changes in the latitudinal insolation gradient, primarily forced by obliquity and precession and amplified by sea-ice and glacial-ice expansions in the Antarctic realm, are responsible for the observed contrasted latitudinal patterns of southern latitudes.

Description: Diatom assemblages from 228 core-top samples were investigated to determine the modern geographic distributions of 10 major open ocean species or species groups in the Atlantic and Indian sectors of the Southern Ocean. Our study gives a more comprehensive view of the relationships between diatom distribution and environmental pressures than previous studies, as our modern database covers a much wider area, and additionally highlights the relationships with sea ice cover and concentration. The 10 species or species categories can mainly be lumped into three groupings. First, a cool open ocean grouping composed of Rhizosolenia pointed group, Thalassiosira gracilis group and Trichotoxon reinboldii with maximum relative abundances occurring within the maximum winter sea-ice edge. Second, a pelagic open ocean grouping composed of Fragilariopsis kerguelensis, Thalassiosira lentiginosa, Thalassiosira oliverana and Thalassiothrix spp. group with maximum occurrences at the Antarctic Polar Front. Third, a warm open ocean grouping with maximum abundances observed within the Polar Front Zone and composed of the Rhizosolenia rounded group, the Thalassionema nitzschioides var. nitzschioides group and the Thalassionema nitzschioides var. lanceolata. Comparisons of the abovementioned 10 species or species groups with modern February sea-surface temperatures and sea-ice duration and concentration reveal species-specific sedimentary distributions regulated both by sea-surface temperatures and sea ice conditions that support the use of diatom remains to reconstruct past variations of these environmental parameters via qualitative and transfer function approaches.

Description: This paper gives a modern circumscription of Tropical/Subtropical diatoms regarding their relationship with sea-surface temperatures (SST) and sea ice cover. Diatoms from 228 core-top sediment samples collected from the Southern Ocean were studied to determine the geographic distribution of eight major diatom species/taxa preserved in surface sediments generally located north of the Subantarctic Front. The comparison of the relative contribution of diatom species with modern February SST and sea-ice cover reveals species-specific sedimentary distributions regulated both by water temperatures and sea ice conditions. Although selective preservation might have played some role, their presence in surface and downcore sediments from the Southern Ocean are reliable indicators of high SST and poleward transport of waters from the Tropical/Subtropical Atlantic. Our work supports the use of diatom remains to reconstruct past variations of these environmental parameters via qualitative and transfer function approaches.