Vertical Distribution of Biogenic Elements and its Implication on Holocene Paleoclimatic Records in the Maxwell Bay of the South Shetland Islands, West Antarctica

Depth profiles of organic carbon (C), biogenic silica (Si), and inorganic phosphorus (P) in Maxwell bay sediments were determined to investigate paleoclimatic changes during Holocene. Organic C and biogenic Si contents generally show a down-core decrease trend, which appears to be mostly controlled by their vertical fluxes through productivity in the surface waters, but it is uncertain that inorganic P contents are directly influenced by productivity changes with time. Before 4000 yr B.p. marine productivity seemed to be almost zero because ice permanently covered the surface waters of the study area. As the climate started to become relatively warm at 4000 yr B.p., ice was sporadically melted in the surface waters and thereby marine productivity gradually increased until 1500 yr B.p. For the last 1500 year, marine productivity must be high enough to overcome the dilution by high terrigenous sedimentation, thus that period was the warmest during the last 6000 year.