Holocene Antarctic Sediment Drift Deposit Radiocarbon Dating Data

A 30-meter-thick sediment drift deposit discovered in an 850-meter-deep glacial trough off East Antarctica indicates past changes in ocean currents. Radiocarbon dating suggests a period of rapid deposition occurred between approximately 3,000 and 5,000 years before present. The dataset, hosted by the Australian Ocean Data Network, provides evidence for non-steady-state Antarctic bottom water production during the Holocene.

Use Cases

• Reconstructing past ocean current intensity based on sediment deposition rates.
• Modeling Holocene climate variability using the dated sediment record.
• Calibrating regional geological timelines based on radiocarbon dates from the drift deposit.
• Studying the relationship between glacial trough morphology and sediment accumulation patterns.

Strengths

• Describes a specific sediment deposit over 30 meters thick.
• Provides a temporal range for rapid deposition between about 3,000 and 5,000 years before present.
• Specifies a precise geographic context: an 850-meter-deep glacial trough off George Vth Land, East Antarctica.

Limitations

• Column-level documentation is absent; field semantics must be inferred after download.
• Row count is unknown, which may limit suitability assessment.
• Freshness should be verified; last metadata update was 2026-06-04.

Provenance

Source

Australian Ocean Data Network

Collection Method

Likely derived from marine sediment core sampling and radiocarbon dating.

Time Range

Mid-Holocene, approximately 3,000 to 5,000 years before present.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 08:05:44.742945

Geography

Continental shelf of East Antarctica, specifically a glacial trough off George Vth Land.