Geochemical Evidence for Spatial Paleoproductivity Variations the Northwest Pacific (Shikoku Basin) during the Last Glacial Maximum

A geochemical study of three piston cores (ST.4, ST.6 and ST.20) taken from the Northwest Pacific (eastern edge of Shikoku Basin) provides information about changes in surface water paleoproductivity and sedimentation during the last 127 kys. Paleoproductivity variations were estimated on the basis of total organic carbon content and carbonate mass accumulation rate. The paleoproductivity based on total organic carbon shows significant spatial variations between glacial and interglacial periods. During the last glacial maximum (LGM) paleoproductivity increased about 1.5 times with deglaciation decrease compared with those of the Holocene at inner side of the Shikoku Basin (ST.4 and ST.6). On the other hand, paleoproductivity at outer side of Shikoku Basin (ST.20) indicating not distinctive increase but deglaciation increase. The C/N ratios fall below 10 for cores ST.4 and ST.6, but C/N ratios between 100 ka and 80 ka in ST.20 which show around 10 or larger values suggest a predominance of marine organic carbon with some admixture of terrigenous materials. The carbonate mass accumulation rate of three cores show different patterns of calcareous record with respect to organic carbon based paleoproductivity variation. In the inner side of Shikoku Basin (ST.4 and ST.6) the carbonate mass accumulation rate decreased during last glacial maximum, and significant increase of carbonate mass accumulation rate is recognized at outer side of Shikoku Basin (ST.20). Thus, this set of data reveals that spatial paleoproductivity variations between inner and outer side of Shikoku Basin during the glacial and interglacial periods.