MULTI-PROXY RECONSTRUCTION OF THE MID LATITUDES, TASMAN SEA, IODP SITE U1510, DURING THE MIOCENE CLIMATE OPTIMUM AND MID-MIOCENE CLIMATE TRANSITION

The Miocene Climate Optimum (MCO; 17–15Ma) was a period of warming due at least in part to CO₂ release during the eruption of the Columbia River Flood Basalts. This event was followed by the mid-Miocene Climate Transition (MMCT; 15–13Ma) which was a major cooling pulse. This led to the expansion of Antarctic ice sheets and helped to establish our modern climate. The MCO is of particular interest because it is a good proxy for how Earth system processes will behave under >1.5–2°C warming. This is an important temperature range to study as it represents the Paris Climate Agreement target for which to limit warming. In particular, the mid-latitude response to increased warming is still poorly understood. To better understand the changes facing these regions, we used sediments that span both the MCO and MMCT from IODP Expedition 371, Site U1510, located at 36°S, 164°E in the Tasman Sea. Methods for investigating surface to deep ocean processes across both climate events include elemental analysis such as XRF, ICP-OES, and carbon content analysis. Here we report data collected for a wide range of elements and ratios. Additionally, we compare methods for isolating organic carbon from carbonate-rich deep-sea sediments. We synthesize the data sets spanning both Miocene climate events to better understand how the mid-latitude ocean behaves under increased warming. Future work in this area includes opportunities to fill in gaps in the total carbon record and compile an organic carbon record.