24 Paleontology and Paleoclimatology (Posters)
TRACE ELEMENTAL ANALYSIS OF A NORTH AUSTRALIAN STALAGMITE
Paper number: 24-8
Program: Technical Sessions
Time: 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM
Authors
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Rhawn DennistonCornell College, Mt Vernon, IA
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Yemane AsmeromUniversity of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
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Victor J. PolyakUniversity of New Mexico, Albuquerque, NM
Abstract
A 152 cm tall stalagmite (KIM1) was collected from the ENSO-sensitive and monsoon-dominated Kimberly region of northwestern Australia. In association with a stable isotope study of KIM1, we conducted 173 trace elemental analyses at 1 cm intervals, corresponding to ~20 year resolution. Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios were covariant both with each other and with carbon isotopic ratios for most of the growth interval (~8800-4050 yr BP), and like the carbon isotope record, were roughly antiphased with oxygen isotopic ratios. One exception is the period 5500-5000 yr BP during which time the Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios deviated from the carbon isotopic ratios and appear instead to correspond with oxygen isotopic ratios. A lag between peaks in reconstructed ENSO activity and Mg/Ca and Sr/Ca ratios is also apparent.