Glacial-Interglacial Paleoceanography from Australian Margin Sediment Cores

The Australian Geological Survey Organisation collected sediment cores from the Exmouth Plateau, Perth Basin, and Ceduna Terrace. Data from seven cores in the EP/PB region show sediment accumulation rates during the Last Glacial Maximum were 1.5-2 times higher than during the Holocene. Benthic foraminiferal stable isotope data from 14 cores provide records of intermediate and deep water chemistry changes since the LGM.

Use Cases

• Modeling past ocean productivity based on sediment accumulation rates and biogenic component data.
• Reconstructing glacial-interglacial changes in intermediate and deep water chemistry using benthic foraminiferal stable isotope records.
• Comparing carbon isotope profiles of the southeastern Indian Ocean with other ocean basins.
• Analyzing the relationship between authigenic uranium concentrations and glacial productivity.

Strengths

• Data from 14 sediment cores across two distinct regions of the Australian margin.
• Quantitative comparisons show sediment accumulation rates were 1.5-2 times higher during the Last Glacial Maximum.
• Includes multiple proxy measurements: CaCO3, organic carbon, benthic foraminiferal abundances, and authigenic uranium.

Limitations

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

Provenance

Source

Australian Geological Survey Organisation via the Australian Ocean Data Network.

Collection Method

Collection and analysis of sediment cores from the Australian continental margin.

Time Range

Covers periods since the Last Glacial Maximum (roughly 20,000 years ago) through the Holocene.

Freshness

Last updated 2026-06-04 05:25:21.846465

Geography

Northwest Australian margin (Exmouth Plateau, Perth Basin) and Great Australian Bight (Ceduna Terrace).